Positive Health Online

Abstract

PARNES and COLLEAGUES, Division of Cancer Prevention, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA, parnesh@mail.nih.gov reviews the published literature regarding  prostate cancer prevention trials.

Background

Chemoprevention refers to the use of pharmacologic interventions to delay, prevent, or reverse carcinogenesis with the ultimate goal of reducing cancer incidence.

Methodology

Two large, population-based, phase 3 prostate cancer prevention trials reported that 5-alpha reductase inhibitors significantly reduce prostate cancer risk.

Results

However, this class of agents were also associated with increased detection of high-grade prostate cancer. Another large, phase 3 prostate cancer prevention clinical trial showed no benefit for long-term supplementation with the trace element Se, given in the form of selenomethionine, or vitamin E, either individually or in combination. Paradoxically, a significant increase in prostate cancer was observed among men randomized to receive vitamin E alone. A great deal of progress had been made in the field of prostate cancer prevention over the past decade.

Conclusion

Future studies will focus on prevention of disease progression in men on Active Surveillance, immunotherapy, mechanistically based drug combinations, and novel biomarkers of risk and benefit.

References

Parnes HL(1), Brawley OW, Minasian LM, Ford LG. Phase III prostate cancer chemoprevention trials.  Recent Results Cancer Res.202:73-7. doi: 10.1007/978-3-642-45195-9_9. 2014.

Comment

This research is of the utmost importance in the treatment of prostate cancer.