Value Of Androgen Deprivation And Bisphosphonate Therapy In Patients Treated By Radiotherapy For Limited Prostate Cancer
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,757,375.00
Summary
Prostate cancer depends for its growth on the male hormone, testosterone, which circulates in the blood. As a result treatment which reduces testosterone level ('androgen deprivation'[AD] therapy) can produce clinically important shrinkage of prostate cancer. Each year approximately 4000 men in Australia and New Zealand develop prostate cancer which has not spread widely and which is amenable to attempted cure by surgery or radiation. Results from recent trials, including a large trial run in Au ....Prostate cancer depends for its growth on the male hormone, testosterone, which circulates in the blood. As a result treatment which reduces testosterone level ('androgen deprivation'[AD] therapy) can produce clinically important shrinkage of prostate cancer. Each year approximately 4000 men in Australia and New Zealand develop prostate cancer which has not spread widely and which is amenable to attempted cure by surgery or radiation. Results from recent trials, including a large trial run in Australia and New Zealand by the Trans-Tasman Radiation Oncology Group (TROG) between 1996 and 2000, suggest that 6 months AD will benefit many of these men if administered in conjunction with radiotherapy.The aim of this project is to run a further trial to find out whether 12 months of AD, after radiotherapy will prevent the need for further treatment and prolong more lives than only 6 months AD. Bisphosphonate treatment also offers important benefits to prostate cancer patients because it can increase bony stregth by increasing its density and can also arrest cancerous growth in bones. A further aim of the trial therefore is to determine whether 18 months of bisphosphonate therapy (BP) will prevent bone loss (osteoporosis) caused by AD, and also further reduce the risk of secondary bone cancer developing. This trial will involve recruitment of 1000 men across Australia and New Zealand over a 5 year period. When complete the trial will determine whether further treatment can be delayed and life prolonged in up to half of all men in whom treatment presently fails. This grant will support collection of patient data and the necessary quality checks to ensure that reliable conclusions can be drawn.Read moreRead less
A Clinical Trial To Determine The Optimal Timing Of Androgen Deprivation In Relapsed Or Non-curable Prostate Cancer
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$627,600.00
Summary
The aim of the study is to clarify when is the optimal time to start hormone treatment for men with certain stages of prostate cancer. It has long been known that testosterone removal impedes prostate cancer growth, although not permanently. The removal of testosterone, however, has side effects , including loss of libido, hot flushes, weight gain, and in the longer term osteoporosis, loss of muscle bulk and mental changes such as loss of memory. Any benefit to be gained for a patient must there ....The aim of the study is to clarify when is the optimal time to start hormone treatment for men with certain stages of prostate cancer. It has long been known that testosterone removal impedes prostate cancer growth, although not permanently. The removal of testosterone, however, has side effects , including loss of libido, hot flushes, weight gain, and in the longer term osteoporosis, loss of muscle bulk and mental changes such as loss of memory. Any benefit to be gained for a patient must therefore be weighed against these side effects. This is particularly relevant in situations in which cure is not possible, when the aim of treatment should be to manage symptoms (either by preventing or delaying them or treating them as they arise). There are two situations in which a man may be diagnosed as having active prostate cancer but be without symptoms requiring immediate treatment. The first is after the failure of curative treatment, shown by the presence of prostate specific antigen (PSA) in the blood, but without any other evidence of prostate cancer. The second is a man newly diagnosed with asymptomatic prostate cancer, but with other reasons (such as heart disease) which make an attempt at cure inappropriate. We do not know in either case whether or not men live longer if treatment is started immediately, or whether it is reasonable to wait until symptoms develop, thus potentially postponing the side effects of treatment. The trial will therefore include these two groups of men. Half the men will be randomised to receive immediate treatment, and half to treatment starting when symptoms develop, or when there is evidence of progressive disease. The main endpoint is overall survival, balanced against quality of life and side effects from the disease and treatment. The hypothesis is that early treatment will improve survival with acceptable effects on quality of life.Read moreRead less
CHARACTERISATION OF THE PROSTATE ANDROGEN-RESPONSE PROGRAM USING COMBINED TRANSCRIPT AND PROTEIN EXPRESSION PROFILING
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$232,200.00
Summary
Carcinoma of the prostate exhibits a wide range of biological variation influenced by genetic, racial, environmental, and other as yet undefined factors. For 1997 the Australian Bureau of Statistics estimates revealed that 27% of all deaths (> 34,000) were due to cancer. Among males, the second leading cause of death (13%) was prostate cancer. The development and progression of human prostate cancer is driven by the accumulation of genetic changes and influenced by a multitude of currently un ....Carcinoma of the prostate exhibits a wide range of biological variation influenced by genetic, racial, environmental, and other as yet undefined factors. For 1997 the Australian Bureau of Statistics estimates revealed that 27% of all deaths (> 34,000) were due to cancer. Among males, the second leading cause of death (13%) was prostate cancer. The development and progression of human prostate cancer is driven by the accumulation of genetic changes and influenced by a multitude of currently unknown events. In addition, a genetic predisposition to certain environmental elements may also provide susceptibility to the onset of prostate cancer. Inherent in identifying the mechanisms leading to prostate cancer is defining the molecular factors involved in the biological processes that influence the development, progression, and treatment of this malignancy. This proposal aims to address the lack of fundamental knowledge relating to the androgen hormone mediated molecular pathways through a comprehensive approach using genomic (DNA), transcribed (RNA) and translated (protein) information that will define the components of the androgen regulated events; i.e. identify the proteins and genes directly or indirectly regulated by androgenic hormones and their cognate receptors. Importantly we will apply technologies that can detect molecular changes in the cell without preconceived ideas about which information will be most valuable to monitor or which technologies will have the greatest impact. We anticipate that the characterisation of the prostate androgen-response will not only provide fundamental knowledge concerning androgen-mediated mechanisms of growth and cellular differentiation, but will also provide a molecular framework for therapeutic intervention through the identification of novel therapeutic targets suitable for a variety of interventions ranging from dietary modification to immunological and gene-therapy approaches.Read moreRead less
Impact Of Disrupted Sleep And Rhythms During Pregnancy On The Mother And Her Offspring
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$796,979.00
Summary
Sleep disruption and circadian rhythm disturbances are emerging as a significant public health issue for all shift workers. The objective of this study is to further define and understand the effects of disrupted sleep rhythms specifically during pregnancy on the mother’s metabolism and the long term impact on the metabolic health of her offspring. The long term aim is to use the research outcomes to develop strategies for prevention of the harm to mother and child.
A New Clinical Tool To Assess Fitness-to-drive In Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$727,963.00
Summary
Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) affects 1 in 4 middle aged adults. OSA results in impaired neurobehavioral function, excessive sleepiness, and more than 2-fold increased motor vehicle crash risk and workplace accidents. However, not all patients are impaired and identifying patients at risk is a daily clinical challenge. This project proposes new and simple measures that can accurately identify patients with OSA who are most vulnerable to alertness failure and motor vehicle accident risk.