Prostate Cancer, Epidemiology, Prevention, Early Detection, Prognosis, and Risk Factors

Research Team:  Barron, Bergan, Catalona, Gapstur, Kaul, Kibbe, Lee, MacVicar, Mirkin, Pins, Schaeffer, Shevrin, Yang

Clinical facilities at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, and Evanston Northwestern Healthcare provide a basis for clinical diagnosis and early detection research (Kaul, Pins, Shevrin, Yang) that has a profound effect on prostate cancer patients. Efficient identification of both hereditary and sporadic genetic mutations in prostate cancer patients could assist physicians to detect aggressive prostate cancers at early stages (Catalona). The development of novel approaches for detecting DNA mutations is exciting in that new technologies are applied to prostate cancer diagnosis (Barron). Finding circulating prostate cancer cells in blood using a PCR method represents the state-of-the-art technology in prostate cancer staging (Kaul, MacVicar). One of the challenging problems in prostate cancer treatment is how to predict whether the patients will remain disease-free after radical prostatectomy. New markers including alpha methylacyl-CoA racemase (AMACR), adrenomedullin, clusterin, TGF-beta, and calreticulin (Bergan, Lee, Pins, Yang) are being studied for their predictive value for prostate cancer recurrence after surgery. Research in the use of sensitive PSA assay (nano-PSA project) is collaboration between Drs. Mirkin and Schaeffer. They will be able to determine the presence of minimal residual disease in patients following prostatectomy. Considering that the incidence of prostate cancer is associated with life style, our investigators are also investigating the impact of dietary supplements on prostate cancer risk factors (Bergan, Gapstur).

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