OHSU Cancer Institute research gives hope for chemo holidays for men with advanced prost...(erapy it the majority of subjects respon...),Health

Date:2/25/2008

erapy, it the majority of subjects responded to treatment. Specifically, 45.5 percent of participants responded with a greater than 50 percent reduction in prostate specific antigen (PSA) from their post-holiday baseline; of those, 45.5 percent had stable PSAs for at least 12 weeks; and 9.1 percent developed disease progression. Prostate-specific antigen is a protein produced by the cells of the prostate gland and is present in small quantities in the serum of healthy men, and it often elevates when prostate cancer is present. Most men have less than 4 nanograms. Anything higher can indicate prostate cancer.

The next step, said Beer, is to study the addition of immunotherapy, treating the cancer by working with the immune system, during the chemotherapy holidays.

Because we know holidays are a good thing, we want to find ways to make them even longer, Beer said. OHSU and Beer have significant financial interest in Novacea, Inc., a company that has a commercial interest in the results of this research and technology. This potential conflict was reviewed and a management plan approved by the OHSU Conflict of Interest in Research Committee and the Integrity Program Oversight Council was implemented.

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Contact: Christine Decker deckerch@ohsu.edu 503-494-8231 Oregon Health & Science University Source:Eurekalert

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