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Original Summaries of Selected CANCERLIT Records
Molecular Markers for Prostate Cancer
Last modified on:
Tuesday, April 20, 1999 10:52:30
Copyright © 1994-2008, Information Ventures, Inc.
The November CANCERLIT update contained a
very large number of entries dealing with prostate cancer.
Many of these cover aspects of
prognosis, a vitally important topic for a disease which in most
patients remains relatively dormant, and is frequently followed by
the "watchful waiting" approach. Any tests which can identify
effectively those patients with the greatest potential risk for
rapid progression, or which can help better stage high-risk
patients, would be very valuable.
In these times of stress on molecular biology, it is not surprising
that new molecular markers should be proposed for prostate cancer.
One such study, from the University of California at Davis and at
Sacramento (Meyers; ICDB/95613747), evaluated the potential of
molecular staging by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique
using bone marrow biopsies rather than peripheral blood to address
the problem. Forty-seven biopsies from 31 patients with Stage D0,
D1 or D2 prostate cancer were subject to histologic examination and
RNA was extracted for PCR analysis for prostate-specific antigen
(PSA). Of patients with a negative bone scan, 62.5% were upstaged
based on a positive PCR/PSA, and 29% were understaged based on a
negative PCR/PSA and a positive bone scan. In 11/21 patients,
PCR/PSA was positive while the histology was negative. A positive
PCR/PSA correlated with poor survival, since 10/11 histologic
negative but PCR/PSA positive patients progressed or died. No
patient had a positive histologic result and a negative PCR/PSA.
The approach appears promising for more accurate staging of high
risk patients. A sensitive PCR assay has also been described by a
group at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia
University, New York (Ennis; ICDB/95613796).
November, 1995
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