The discovery of a new bacterium related to prostate cancer could help prevent and treat the disease

The study does not prove that bacteria cause or worsen prostate cancer, but if ongoing work confirms their role, researchers can develop tests to identify the men most at risk and possibly find antibiotics to prevent the cancer from spreading. make thousands of victims every year, according to him The Guardian. –

„This is an exciting discovery that has the potential to truly revolutionize men’s treatment. “said Dr Hayley Luxton of Prostate Cancer UK, who co-funded the research.

Writing in the journal European Urology Oncology, scientists describe how their genetic investigations found five species of bacteria – three new to science – that were associated with advanced prostate cancer. Men who had one or more of these species in their urine, prostate, or tumor tissue were 2.6 times more likely to see early-stage cancer than those who did not.

Lead researcher Colin Cooper, a professor of cancer genetics at the University of East Anglia, said the bacteria may not be involved in the disease. For example, men with more aggressive prostate cancer may have immune deficiencies that allow certain bacteria to grow. But researchers strongly suspect that microbes are involved, just as Helicobacter pylori infections increase the risk of stomach cancer.

“If you knew for sure that a species of bacteria causes prostate cancer, you could develop an antibiotic to eliminate it, and that would prevent progression,” he said.“But that’s not as simple as it sounds,” he warned.There are many complications. Antibiotics do not penetrate the prostate very well and you should choose an antibiotic that only kills certain bacteria. “he said.

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Although prostate cancer is the most common form of the disease in men, in many cases patients die from the disease, rather than because of it. The most aggressive forms of prostate cancer take about 12,000 lives in the UK each year.

Prof. Rosalind Eeles, a cancer geneticist who participated in the study at the Cancer Research Institute in London, said it was a “very interesting result” to find “new microorganisms” in prostate cancer. “It is unknown at this time what he will do after leaving the post., she said. “The way we can prove this is to look to see if these organisms are ever found in non-cancerous prostate samples. “

Genetic information about microbes has already allowed scientists to reconstruct how they can behave in the body, including what toxins and other substances they could release. This led them to develop half a dozen hypotheses about how microbes could cause prostate cancer.

„We currently have no way to reliably identify aggressive prostate cancers, and this research could help ensure that men receive the right treatment for them. “Luxton added.

„If the team can demonstrate that these newly identified bacteria can not only predict but even cause aggressive prostate cancer, we may be able to prevent prostate cancer for the first time. That would be a huge discovery that could save thousands of lives every year. “

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