Medical Breakthrough
Medical researchers in Bristol could be as little as five years away from a global medical breakthrough which could save the lives of tens of thousands of men with prostate cancer.
Specialists at the Bristol Urological Centre at Southmead Hospital say they’re a step closer to a simple urine test to distinguish between the benign and aggressive forms of the disease, which claims the lives of 10,000 men in the UK every year.
The research in the UK is a joint project between the BUI and the University of the West of England and is being funded with money raised by Run for the Future, an annual 5km charity event organised by Bristol Rotarians.
David Gillatt, the Director of the BUI and one of the country’s leading prostate cancer surgeons, has also been to America to exchange notes with researchers at the University of Michigan.
Speaking at the launch of the 2009 Run for the Future he said: “One of the biggest challenges we face in prostate cancer is determining if the cancer is aggressive. This research has identified a potential marker for the aggressive tumours.”
At present there is no national screening programme for prostate cancer available on the NHS and men have to ask for a PSA blood test, which measures prostate specific antigens … the higher the level the more likelihood of the disease, but the test is not always entirely accurate.
Some prostate cancers are slow growing, while others require rapid treatment, but telling them apart can be difficult. As a result some patients can undergo unnecessary surgery or radiation treatment, which is why efforts are being made to find a more reliable initial test.
David Gillatt says that without Run for the Future, which has raised over £130,000 over the past three years, they’d still be no further forward.
“The results so far have been extremely interesting and if we can distinguish between the type of cancer that does no harm and the type that does it could make a real difference,” he said.
“The results are promising enough for research to continue and we hope this study will lead to a breakthrough and the development of a new test for prostate cancer.”
This year’s Run for the Future takes place on the Downs in Bristol on Sunday, 20 September. For further information visit www.runforthefuture.org or ring the Run for the Future Office on 0117 959 6328.
