Prostate Cancer UK as a National Charity are currently funding four separate University research programmes, all of which could benefit men with prostate cancer (PCa).

A new diagnostic test for aggressive PCa would ‘decode’ PCa cells messages and then confirm whether that cancer is aggressive or not; the latter could then simply use Active Surveillance rather than treatments that might not be necessary.

Activating the Immune System: current immunotherapy doesn’t usually work for PCa as the cancer can cleverly suppress the immune system around it. An existing drug that was developed for liver disease, is being trilled as it may help overcome the immune problem.

Treatment-resistant PCa: over time the cancer can become more resistant to existing treatments, but a new chemotherapy initiative would package various drugs into microscopic ‘bubbles’ in ther bloodstream that are burst by targeted ultrasound waves when the bubbles are at or in the prostate.

Stopping PCa in its tracks: another potential for the fight against advanced cancer is current research into tiny sugar molecules on the surface of thre cancer cells, that can cause the tumours to grow and spread.

More information on PCUK’s website prostatecanceruk.org, including how to subscribe to PCUK’s quarterly magazine “Insights”.