Scientists finally discover which prostate cancers are life-threatening

Scientists have discovered that the presence of a specific protein can distinguish between prostate cancers that are aggressive and need further treatment from those that may never seriously harm the patient. This extremely interesting study provides an important development for prostate cancer screening, and potentially even reveals a new target for the development of new prostate cancer drugs in the future - Professor Malcolm Mason The study, published in Oncogene today (Monday), found much higher levels of the protein, NAALADL2, in prostate cancer tissue compared with healthy tissue. The difference was especially marked in aggressive prostate cancer tumours and cancer cells that had already spread around the body. The team confirmed in two independent patient groups that the protein could be used to diagnose prostate cancer. But, even more importantly, it found that high levels of the protein could potentially pinpoint those patients with aggressive disease who would need surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Patients with lower levels of the protein were more likely to need monitoring rather than treatment. After years of trying to unlock the secret of which prostate cancers are life-threatening - sometimes referred to as 'tigers', and which are essentially harmless 'pussycats', this new discovery could revolutionise how doctors treat the disease.