Finding out you have cancer can be scary and confusing. Luckily, doctors and researchers are working hard to find new ways to beat all types of cancers, including prostate cancer.
The prostate is a small gland found only in men. It is located below the bladder and wraps around the urethra, which helps excrete urine. Prostate cancer happens when cells in the prostate form a mass called a tumor. At first, these prostate cancer cells may stay inside the prostate. But in later stages, they can spread to other body parts.
About one in every eight men will get prostate cancer in their lifetime, but it mainly affects men over 65 years old. Black men have a higher mortality rate, so screening is even more critical. The Prostate Cancer Foundation even has screening guidelines to improve the disparity. With early treatment, prostate cancer can be cured. Dr. Yaw Nyame, MD, MS, MBA, of the Fred Hutch Cancer Center says, “Prostate cancer aggressiveness varies at diagnosis, with nearly 30 to 50 percent of cases being low-risk cancers that don’t require treatment. The remaining cancers are aggressive and benefit from treatment based on cancer stage…” Clinical trials are an important part of this fight.
What is a clinical trial?
When it comes to prostate cancer, clinical trials are particularly important because the tumors can vary so greatly. “While prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer mortality among men in the US, most men diagnosed with prostate cancer have a more slow-growing cancer that may be cured with surgery or radiation, or could even initially be carefully monitored (active surveillance). There is information about a patient’s prostate tumor’s aggressiveness in its Gleason score, the stage of the tumor, and there are also some genomic tests that can help identify which cancers are more aggressive, which ones can be treated and cured, and which ones can be safely monitored,” explains Dr. Lorelei Mucci, Director of Strategic Research Partnerships at the American Cancer Society and Director of the Cancer Epidemiology and Cancer Prevention Program at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (HSPH).
A clinical trial is a special kind of research study in which doctors test new treatments or prevention methods. Volunteers are selected based on their cancer stage, as well as their age and other demographic factors. From trials, researchers learn the best techniques or combinations thereof to treat more people and save more lives.
There are four distinct phases of clinical trials:
- Phase 1: A new treatment is tested on a small group to see if it is safe
- Phase 2: The treatment is given to more people to see how well it works
- Phase 3: The new treatment is compared to standard treatments
- Phase 4: Researchers learn more about the safety and effectiveness of an approved treatment
Benefits of participating in a prostate clinical trial
Dr. Mucci says that clinical trials test novel therapies or new combinations of therapies that are not otherwise available to patients. “Trials may also test new interventions or approaches such as whether exercise can improve outcomes during cancer care. When a trial is conducted, the hypothesis is that this new approach will be better than what is the standard clinical care,” she adds. Some (not all) study sponsors pay for participants’ medical care. Also, volunteers typically receive increased access and visits with their clinical team, which can help with overall health.
Early access to new medicines or therapies before they are widely available can be lifesaving for some volunteers. Of course, participation also benefits the greater good. After all, the findings help doctors act faster and smarter in the face of future cases.
Many different clinical trials are going on right now for prostate cancer. Each tests a promising new treatment option, including immunotherapy, chemotherapy combinations, and more. Here are a few examples:
Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy is an exciting new way to treat cancer. Medicines boost your own immune system to find and attack cancer cells. For example, a trial called KEYNOTE-199 is testing an immunotherapy drug called pembrolizumab. Early results show it may help men with advanced prostate cancer live longer.
Targeted Therapy
Targeted cancer therapies attack specific molecules inside cancer cells. They often cause fewer side effects. The TRITON3 trial is testing a targeted therapy drug called rucaparib, which focuses on DNA repair in prostate cancer cells. Rucaparib may help men with mutations linked to more aggressive prostate cancer.
Hormone Therapy
Most prostate cancer cells need testosterone to grow. Hormone therapy lowers testosterone levels, slowing cancer growth. The ENZAMET trial is adding hormone therapy to the normal first-line treatment for metastatic prostate cancer. Researchers hope the combination will prove effective.
Source:
Prostate Cancer Clinical Trials: What Black Men Need to Know