Prostate Cancer Clinical Trials 2023

What Are Prostate Cancer Clinical Trials?

The prostate is a gland bordering the urethra in the male reproductive tract, responsible for producing and storing semen. Cancers of the prostate are the most common type of malignancy amongst men and are marked by uninhibited cell growth in the prostate gland.

Research about prostate cancer treatments dates back to 1904; Hugh Hampton Young considered the ‘Father of American Urology’, performed the first radical perineal prostatectomy to treat prostate cancer. Modern research about the causes, diagnostic testing, treatment, and prevention of prostate cancer is performed in medical centers across the globe.

Why Is Prostate Cancer Being Studied Through Clinical Trials?

Clinical trials aim to improve the life expectancy of men with prostate cancer depends on the stage at which the cancer is diagnosed and the success of available treatments at each stage. Furthermore, clinical advances in the prevention and early detection of prostate cancer are important steps in improving patient outcomes. However, effective treatment for prostate cancer remains a challenge that research aims to overcome.

What Are the Types of Treatments Available for Prostate Cancer?

Therapy approaches for prostate cancer include surveillance and localized or systemic therapy. The stage and grade of prostate cancer determine the treatment plan to implement. However, patient factors, such as age and general health, also contribute to therapy decisions.

Surveillance includes monitoring the progression of prostate cancer using prognostic tools. This approach is reserved for patients with slow-growing malignancies and those at risk of the harmful side effects of more aggressive treatments.

Localized treatments are reserved for malignancies that have not spread outside the prostate. Surgery, radiation therapy, cryotherapy, and focal therapy are examples of localized treatment approaches. However, these therapies are associated with long-term effects on bladder control and sexual function. Furthermore, this approach limits the harmful outcomes of systemic therapies.

Systemic treatments, such as hormonal therapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy, target advanced or recurring malignancies. This approach is frequently combined with localized therapies to treat prostate cancers. However, systemic therapies are often associated with severe and permanent adverse outcomes.

What Are Some Recent Breakthrough Clinical Trials For Prostate Cancer?

2020: Molecular Analysis for Prostate Cancer Therapy Choice – in this ongoing study, cancer patients receive individualized treatment based on the type of genetic mutations found in their tumors.

2023: Darolutamide Therapy In Metastatic Prostate Cancer – in this trial, patients with hormone-sensitive prostate malignancies whose treatment included darolutamide lived an additional four years longer than those without treatment.

Who Are Some of The Key Opinion Leaders on Prostate Cancer Clinical Trial Research?

Professor Johann de Bono, Ph.D.

Professor Johann de Bono at University of London is a leading expert in the research and development of novel cancer treatments, including pivotal prostate cancer care. He has played an important role in phase III clinical trials of prostate cancer drugs such as cabazitaxel, abiraterone, olaparib, and enzalutamide.

Dr Gerhardt Attard, Ph.D.

Dr. Gerhardt Attard at University College London is a globally renowned for his cancer research work, including developing a liquid biopsy diagnostic tool. His developments contribute to the accuracy of early prostate cancer detection and the success of cancer treatment at this stage.