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
BMP4 - A Metastasis Suppressor Gene In Breast Cancer
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$454,220.00
Summary
Breast cancer is the most common cause of cancer death in western women. Whilst the primary tumour can often be eradicated successfully, in many cases, it may have already spread to other organs, including lungs, liver and bone, causing severe morbidity. Current treatments are largely palliative and new therapies that specifically prevent to spread of breast cancer are urgently required. However, little is known about the molecular pathways regulating the spread of cancer cells. We have shown th ....Breast cancer is the most common cause of cancer death in western women. Whilst the primary tumour can often be eradicated successfully, in many cases, it may have already spread to other organs, including lungs, liver and bone, causing severe morbidity. Current treatments are largely palliative and new therapies that specifically prevent to spread of breast cancer are urgently required. However, little is known about the molecular pathways regulating the spread of cancer cells. We have shown that expression of a gene called BMP4 in tumours blocks the spread of breast cancer in a mouse model. The aim of this project is to develop the application of BMP4 as a therapy for advanced breast cancer using our mouse model. We will measure the expression of BMP4 in human breast cancer and test whether treatment with purified BMP4 protein can protect mice from the spread of breast cancer. If successful, this study will offer a new therapy for women with currently incurable breast cancer.Read moreRead less
A Clinical Trial Evaluating Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy For Women With Large Operable Or Locally Advanced Breast Cancer.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$269,805.00
Summary
Larger operable and locally advanced breast cancers (BC) which can involve the skin of the breast and lymph nodes under the arm are associated with poorer survival. Standard treatment usually includes neoadjuvant (or preoperative) chemotherapy to try to reduce the size of the cancer, followed by surgery and radiation therapy to treat any remaining cancer in the breast. Many women, despite maximum treatment, will still die from their disease, hence the need to develop more effective drug therapie ....Larger operable and locally advanced breast cancers (BC) which can involve the skin of the breast and lymph nodes under the arm are associated with poorer survival. Standard treatment usually includes neoadjuvant (or preoperative) chemotherapy to try to reduce the size of the cancer, followed by surgery and radiation therapy to treat any remaining cancer in the breast. Many women, despite maximum treatment, will still die from their disease, hence the need to develop more effective drug therapies. The advantages of neoadjuvant chemotherapy include: the potential to reduce the size of the breast cancer which may allow breast conserving surgery rather than mastectomy; and, the ability to directly assess the response of breast cancers to new drug treatments. This new research project aims to evaluate standard chemotherapy (epirubicin and cyclophosphamide) followed by a course of two newer, possibly more beneficial, chemotherapy drugs for breast cancer (docetaxel and gemcitabine (DG)) followed by surgery, in women with large operable-locally advanced breast cancer. The trial will allow patients with HER2 positive breast cancer to receive trastuzumab (Herceptin ) in addition to the DG chemotherapy treatment cycles. The study will measure the tumour response rates, efficacy and safety of the proposed treatments. Patients will be asked to consent to an extra core biopsy and a small sample of their breast tissue collected at the time of their breast surgery to be used for research to help better understand the biology of the disease and responses to treatment. The study could plausibly offer a better treatment for patients, resulting in a better prognosis for women who present with large operable or locally advanced breast cancer. The trial will be conducted, in Australia and New Zealand, by the Australian New Zealand Breast Cancer Trials Group (ANZ BCTG) and will involve approximately twenty Australian hospitals.Read moreRead less