The National Cancer Institute recently awarded researchers at the University's Cancer Center $4.2 million for cancer research over the next five years. The money will go to finance a study directed at discovering how prostate cancer moves from a fairly localized, slow-growing tumor to one that develops more quickly.
Microbiology Prof. Michael J. Weber, the head investigator for the study, said the main focus of the research is signal transduction - how cells figure out what to do based on the information they receive from other parts of the body.
"We know that normal cells operate based on outside signals," Weber said. "But cancerous cells ignore the signals that they should be following; they grow when they should not, they spread around instead of remaining localized. Our goal is to discover why these cells are misinterpreting the external cues."
Aside from skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer found among men in the United States. According to the American Cancer Society, about 179,300 men will develop prostate cancer this year. An estimated 37,000 of these patients will die of the disease.
The exact causes of the disease, as well as specific risk factors contributing to its development, are not yet known.
"The epidemiology [study of the cause of and distribution] of prostate cancer and the role of specific genetic environmental factors is very poorly understood and controversial," said Dr. Michael Fisch, a member of the Cancer Center at the University Medical Center. "We do know that prostate cancer is associated with advanced age, but these incident rates vary dramatically from country to country."
According to the American Cancer Association, older men, especially those over 50, are more at risk for developing the disease. Race also may be an important factor, as prostate cancer among blacks is twice as common as it is among white men.
There are several types of treatments available for prostate cancer patients, including both surgical and non-surgical methods. The most common surgical method is the removal of the entire prostate, while non-surgical alternatives include radiation therapy, hormonal treatments and chemotherapy, according to the ACA.
Radiation therapy is used when the cancer has not spread to other parts of the body. Hormonal therapy primarily is aimed at reducing the male androgen testosterone, which can cause prostate cancer cells to grow. But tumors can reach a stage where they cease to rely on testosterone.
"Prostate cancer tumors depend on testosterone at first, but once they leave the prostate and become invasive, they no longer require it," Weber said. "Once this happens, there is very little you can do. We're trying to find out why this occurs in order to prevent it."
Choosing between surgical and non-surgical treatments depends on several factors, most notably availability of certain options and the side effects associated with each method.
"Availability is important because, depending on where you are, your options might be limited," Fisch said. "Individual preferences about the different side effects are also looked at, as well as the duration of therapy. Some patients might prefer the relatively quick surgical procedures rather than a radiation treatment that can last for about six to seven weeks."
While he said he is pleased to get the grant to fund the research, Weber said that more resources should be made available for such an important issue.
"Prostate cancer is an issue that deserves more research," he said. "The two things potentially limiting this research are talent and money. U.Va. has plenty of talent, just not enough money."
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