Genetic clue may unlock prostate cancer secrets
Thursday, 18 January, 2001
A genetic "key" to unlocking the mystery of how prostate cancer develops and can be treated has been found. The discovery will allow doctors not only to assess a man's risk of developing the so-called "undercover cancer" but also to predict how well a tumour will respond to treatment.
Researchers announced the breakthrough as Europe's first centre dedicated to researching male cancers was opened in Sutton, southern England.
The researchers analysed samples collected from thousands of prostate cancer patients since 1993 as part of a study into genetic predispositions to the disease.
About 10 per cent of prostate cancer cases are thought to involve genetic predisposition but until now scientists have not known what genes are responsible. The experts have unscrambled the biology of the androgen receptor gene (hAR) and glutathione s-transferase gene (GST).
Research into GST found that it produces enzymes which enable the body to overcome attacks from cancer-causing chemicals or carcinogens. Scientists found that men with a variation of the gene known as GSTP1 were nearly twice as likely to develop prostate cancer at an early age.
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