New Study Reveals Two Distinct Types of Prostate Cancer, Opening Up Possibilities for Tailored Treatment
Prostate cancer is a prevalent disease that affects one in eight men during their lifetime. While most cases are not life-threatening, identifying the small percentage of patients with aggressive cancers is crucial for providing them with appropriate treatment. A recent study conducted by researchers at Manchester Cancer Research Centre has shed light on this issue, revealing that there are two distinct types of prostate cancer that develop in the body.
Led by Prof David Wedge, the team sequenced the genomes of 159 patients with adenocarcinoma of the prostate, the most common form of prostate cancer. They employed three different approaches, including artificial intelligence (AI), to analyze patterns within the genomes. By examining how DNA was damaged and the order in which genetic alterations occurred, they were able to classify the prostate cancers into two main groupings, or “evotypes,” based on how they changed over time and the mechanisms involved.
The significance of this finding lies in its potential to determine which patients are more likely to experience a recurrence of the disease. The researchers discovered that patients with one evotype were twice as likely to show signs of a recurrence compared to those with the other evotype. This suggests that a genetic test could be developed to identify the evotype of patients with adenocarcinoma of the prostate, allowing for tailored treatment plans and potentially earlier intervention.
Prof Wedge emphasized the importance of this discovery, stating, “If we can identify those men, we can give them more robust treatment…and you can leave alone the other 85% of men. That is beneficial because the surgery itself has a lot of side effects.” By avoiding unnecessary treatment for patients with less aggressive evotypes, the researchers hope to minimize the adverse effects associated with surgery.
The next step for the team is to investigate whether the type of evotype is linked to factors such as age and ethnicity. Additionally, they plan to explore whether other types of cancer exhibit similar evotypes. These findings could have significant implications for the stratification of treatment and the development of new drugs.
Prof Joe O’Sullivan, a consultant prostate cancer oncologist at the Northern Ireland Cancer Centre in Belfast, who was not involved in the study, praised the research. He stated, “The identification of two different sub-types of prostate cancer according to the genetic evolution pathway could help with both stratification of treatment as well as potentially opening up new possibilities for drug discovery.”
This groundbreaking study offers hope for more personalized and effective treatment options for patients with prostate cancer. By understanding the distinct types of the disease and their genetic characteristics, healthcare professionals can tailor interventions to individual patients, improving outcomes and minimizing unnecessary procedures. As further research is conducted, this discovery may pave the way for advancements in the field of cancer treatment as a whole.
