The archived stories below are in order by date.
The most recent articles are located at the top of the list.

Last Updated December, 2001

New Test For Curable Early-Stage Prostate Cancer?
Scientists at Johns Hopkins have found that measuring the level of a chemical process linked to a genetic change associated with prostate cancer could greatly strengthen standard detection of early-stage curable disease.

New DNA Chip Could Speed Drug And Genetic Screening
A University of Houston scientist has developed a chemical process for building a device that could help doctors predict a patient's response to drugs or screen patients for thousands of genetic mutations and diseases, all with one simple lab test.

Diet, Exercise Slow Prostate Cancer As Much As 30%
A low-fat, high-fiber diet and regular exercise can slow prostate cancer cell growth by up to 30 percent, according to a new study by researchers at UCLA's Jonsson Cancer Center and UCLA's Department of Physiological Science.

The Genetic And Molecular Profile Of Prostate Cancer
Like most killers, prostate cancer leaves fingerprints. Every malignant cell has its own pattern of active genes and proteins that spells the difference between benign, localized or metastatic tumors.

Microscopic Cantilever Aids Assay For Prostate Cancer
A clever technique for detecting proteins by inducing them to stick to and bend a microscopic cantilever -- essentially a diving board the size of a hair -- is sensitive enough to serve as a diagnostic assay for the protein markers characteristic of prostate cancer, a team of scientists report this week in the journal Nature Biotechnology.

Second Opinion Valuable In Prostate, Bladder Cancer
A new University of Florida study shows that seeking a second opinion after a diagnosis of prostate or bladder cancer can sometimes spell the difference between radical surgery or more conservative treatment -- even watchful waiting. 

Anti-Cancer Mushroom Toxin Gets FDA Fast-Track Status
A novel anti-cancer compound was synthesized by scientists at the University of California, San Diego, more than a decade ago from toxins of the poisonous jack-o-lantern mushroom.

UCLA's First-Of-Its-Kind Study Of Urologic Diseases
A UCLA researcher is launching a first-of-its-kind study to document the impact of urologic diseases on the American public, an endeavor that may influence insurance coverage, access to care, the allocation of research dollars and the availability of treatments and services.

Herpesvirus Kills Cancer Cells, Spares Normal Ones
NYU School of Medicine researchers report in a new study that they have isolated a new version of a herpesvirus that kills cancer cells but spares normal tissue.

Prostate Cancer Tests Might Miss One In Seven Cases
Traditional screening methods for prostate cancer might overlook the disease in one in seven cases, according to a new study.

Directing Radiation At Tumors, Sparing Healthy Tissue
University of Florida scientists have developed new technology to more precisely target radiation beams at cancerous tumors of the body's internal organs, an advance they hope will improve cure rates and result in fewer side effects. 

Eating Fatty Fish May Reduce Risk Of Prostate Cancer
Consumption of fatty fish such as salmon, herring and mackerel could reduce the risk of prostate cancer, report the authors of a research letter in this week's issue of The Lancet.

Infections Shown To Halt Growth Of Tumors In Mammals
Serious infections can retard and even halt the growth of tumors in mammals by blocking the formation of blood vessels that nourish those tumors, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Veterinary Medicine have found.

UCLA Cancer Center Earns Most Prostate Cancer Awards
For the second consecutive year, scientists at UCLA's Jonsson Cancer Center have earned more CaP CURE prostate cancer research awards than any other single institution nationwide.

Natural Vitamin E Helps More Against Prostate Cancer
Higher blood levels of gamma-tocopherol, a form of vitamin E not usually included in vitamin supplements, is associated with a lower risk of developing prostate cancer than is alpha-tocopherol, the synthetic form of vitamin E most commonly found in supplements.

Colorectal Cancer Screening Should Start At Age 50-55
New estimates of the lifetime risk of developing colorectal cancer published in the Journal of Medical Screening, a BMJ publication, suggest that screening should start at age 50 or 55 in the general population.

New Anti-Cancer Drug Moving To Phase III Trials
Lorus Therapeutics Inc. reported today that the promising results of Phase II clinical trials of its lead anti-cancer drug Virulizin(R) will be presented at the 23rd Chemotherapy Foundation Symposium, titled Innovative Cancer Therapy for Tomorrow, in New York on November 8.

Tracking Toxin's Course Toward Precancerous Lesion
Lung cancer is currently the leading cause of cancer death in the United States and other developed countries. About 80 percent of patients diagnosed with lung cancer die within 12 months because this type of cancer is silent in its early years and so is usually not detected until it has reached an advanced stage.

Johns Hopkins To Study Alternative Medicine For Cancer
Can tart cherries alleviate cancer pain? Does prayer help heal African-American women with breast cancer?

Standard Approach To PSA Testing Could Be Improved
The standard, widely-used approach to screen men for prostate cancer --annual PSA tests after age 50 -- may be less efficient and cost-effective than one that tests men earlier and less frequently, according to a study in today's Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

Radiation Plus AST Seen As Best For Prostate Cancer
In the first study of its kind, researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) have found that combined radiation therapy (RT) and androgen suppression therapy (AST) is a more effective treatment for localized early-stage prostate cancer compared to treatment using radiation therapy alone.

Numbers Getting Better For Men With Prostate Cancer
This year, about 170,000 American men will learn they have prostate cancer. Because there are usually no symptoms in the early stages of the disease, regular check-ups and early detection are the best weapons against this leading cause of cancer in men.

Symposium On Molecular Sites For Cancer Therapy
Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) will host a symposium titled, "Molecular Sites of Intervention for Cancer Therapeutics," October 12-13, in the Hilleboe Auditorium Research Studies Center at RPCI in Buffalo, NY.

Methylation Could Be Reversible Key To Cancer
Researchers have found the process that turns a key tumor-suppressor gene off in people with lung cancer. The finding may lead to improved prevention of many kinds of cancer.

Gene Therapy Potent Against Advanced Prostate Cancer
Researchers at UCLA's Jonsson Cancer Center have shown for the first time that immunotherapy delivered via gene therapy may prove to be a potent weapon in the fight against locally advanced prostate cancer, according to an article published Sunday (May 20) in the peer-reviewed journal Human Gene Therapy.

Free PSA Test Separates Benign From Malignant Prostate
The free PSA (fPSA) test is significantly better at distinguishing prostate cancer from benign prostatic conditions than more traditional follow-up methods used to improve PSA testing, according to a major new study to be published in the August issue of Urology.

Radioactive Reporters Track Gene Therapy In Body
Scientists at UCLA's Jonsson Cancer Center have discovered a novel way to follow gene therapy through the body: A tracking system of "reporter" genes that can be attached to any gene therapy and used to monitor the therapy's behavior.

New Algorithm For Detecting Prostate Cancer Earlier
A new computerized method for detecting prostate cancer may lead to earlier detection and eliminate unnecessary biopsies. The findings will be presented Thursday at the 52nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Clinical Chemistry.

New Family Of Genes For Malignancy Discovered
A Johns Hopkins research team has discovered a new family of genes that contributes to the process of malignancy, shedding new light on the abnormalities that give rise to the aggressive childhood cancer, Burkitt's lymphoma as well as lymphoma, leukemia, prostate, ovarian, lung and breast cancer.

Impact Of Childhood Cancer Treatment To Be Discussed
The impact of cancer treatment on long-term survivors diagnosed during childhood or adolescence will be discussed at the 6th International Conference on "Long-Term Complications of Treatment of Children and Adolescents for Cancer."

High Dose X-Ray Beats Prostate Removal In Some Cases
Early-stage prostate cancer patients with the most aggressive form of the disease may benefit more from high doses of carefully-delivered radiation than previous reports would suggest, a new multi-center study led by current and former University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers has found.

Drug Hikes Rate Of Death In Cancer Cells Only
Columbia Presbyterian researchers have shown that a new drug may be a viable treatment option for slowing tumor growth in men with advanced prostate cancer. The study is the first of its kind to show a significant effect of a new class of drugs that may stabilize progressive, recurrent disease in patients with advanced prostate cancer.

Sandia Develops New Prostate Treatment Technology
Millions of older men who suffer from urinary obstruction and associated pain caused by an enlarged prostate gland could benefit from new treatment technology developed by a senior scientist MD at the Department of Energy's Sandia National Laboratories.

Protein Stimulates Immune Response Against Lung Cancer
For the first time, researchers have shown that a protein called SLC significantly inhibits the growth of lung cancer by stimulating an immune response against the disease, according to a new study at UCLA's Jonsson Cancer Center.

Prostate Seed Implants Impair Quality Of Life
Radioactive seed implantation for early stage prostate cancer can significantly impair a patient's quality of life, according to a new study by researchers at UCLA's Jonsson Cancer Center.

Prostate Cancer Drug Active In Mouse Models
Lorus Therapeutics Inc. announced Monday that its two lead anti-cancer drugs, GTI-2040 and GTI-2501, showed significant anti-tumor activity in mouse models containing human prostate cancer cells.

PSA Level Predicts Future Prostate Growth
The higher a man's prostate specific antigen (PSA) level is, the more likely his prostate will continue to grow abnormally, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas report.

Phase III Trials Of Prostate Cancer Vaccine Launched
Approximately 240 men with advanced prostate cancer will be recruited for Phase III trials of a prostate cancer vaccine. The first trial will be at clinical sites in Western states. A second Phase III trial, slated to begin during the next quarter, will take place at clinical sites in the Midwest and Northeast.

Outcome Of Prostatectomy Best With Experienced Surgeon
Many men with prostate cancer may endanger their lives by avoiding prostate removal, unwilling to deal with the surgery's reported side effects. Now, in a study reported in the January issue of Urology, Johns Hopkins researchers conclude that when patients seek out a surgeon highly experienced in the procedure, they are far more likely to remain continent and potent than if their operations were done by a less experienced doctor.

(Editor's Note: For further background on prostate cancer, see OncoLink, the great resource maintained by the University of Pennsylvania. For updated news about prostate cancer research, see the Johns HopkinsProstate Bulletin.)