Scientists have unveiled a comprehensive genetic map of advanced Prostate Cancer, hailing it as the disease's "Rosetta Stone".
The study was led in the UK by scientists at the Institute of Cancer
Research (ICR) London in collaboration with several teams in the United
States.
Researchers analyzed the genetic codes of tumors from 150
patients with metastatic - or advanced - prostate cancer, whose disease
had spread to other parts of the body.
They found that 89% had genetic aberrations for which there were existing drugs or treatments undergoing clinical trials.
Prof
Johann de Bono, of the ICR and Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust told
the BBC: "This is truly a game-changer. We are calling this prostate
cancer's Rosetta Stone, because we can now decode the disease for the
first time.
"In the past, we used to treat lethal prostate cancer
as a single illness but this shows that it is a group of diseases, each
driven by their own set of mutations."
Prof de Bono said it meant
that, using genetic testing, it would be possible to individualize
patient care, heralding the arrival of personalized treatment for
advanced prostate cancer.
More than 40,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer and nearly 11,000 die in the UK each year.
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