Blood test may lead to targeted therapy for prostate cancer

Conclusion Genetic testing is becoming more common in cancer treatment as a way of tailoring treatment to the individual cancer. It's already used in breast cancer, for example. This test could help identify which men that have not responded to hormone treatment are most likely to benefit from two of the newer prostate cancer drugs. It is good news, because men could then be spared treatment that is unlikely to help them, and directed towards more suitable treatment options. Also, both of these newer drugs are very expensive, so a suitable test could save the NHS a great deal of money. Meanwhile, those men who are likely to benefit will take the drug knowing it's likely to help. However, we're some way off being able to use the test in practice. This research shows that, among a group of 265 men, those with multiple copies of the androgen receptor gene did worse after treatment than those without. That doesn't prove that selecting patients for treatment based on AR gene status will improve outcomes. We need to see studies that select patients for treatment based on their test results, and follow them up to see how they do, to be sure the test is truly helpful. Links To The Headlines Prostate cancer: Blood test could help target treatment. BBC News, May 4 2017 Blood test could help prostate cancer treatment. ITV News, May 4 2017 £50 blood test boosts chances of surviving prostate cancer. The Times, May 4 2017 (subscription required) Links To Science Conteducia V, Wetters...
Source: NHS News Feed - Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Cancer Medication Source Type: news