British scientists identify 80 potential ‘attack lines’ for prostate cancer – raising cure hopes
The mutations were found in a new study looking at what causes the disease and makes it spread
BRITISH scientists have identified 80 potential lines of attack against prostate cancer — raising new hope of a cure.
The genetic mutations were unearthed during the largest study yet into what causes the disease and makes it spread.
Eighteen of the flaws identified at the Institute of Cancer Research, London, are already targeted by drugs for other cancers, while 62 are new.
Dr Justine Alford, from Cancer Research UK, said: “A major hurdle to making further progress against prostate cancer is the lack of ways to accurately predict how a person’s disease will progress.
“This makes it challenging to know which treatment is best for each patient.
“By greatly enhancing our understanding of the genetics behind the disease, this research edges us closer towards that goal.
MOST READ IN HEALTH NEWS
“If confirmed by further research, in the future this knowledge could help doctors better tailor treatments to an individual’s cancer, and hopefully see more people survive their disease.”
Simon Grieveson, from Prostate Cancer UK, said: “This important study helps shed some light into the genetic make-up of prostate cancer as it develops and progresses.
“By better understanding the genetic make-up of an individual’s cancer, it may be possible to more accurately predict how it will behave and the best way to treat it, creating a more precise approach to treating that man’s prostate cancer.”