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A New Technique for Treating Low-risk Prostate Cancer—Super Active Surveillance
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Prostate cancer prevention: strategies for agent development

Howard L Parnes1, Margaret G House, Joseph A Tangrea

  • 1Division of Cancer Prevention, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA. parnesh@mail.nih.gov

Current Opinion in Oncology
|March 23, 2013
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Clinical trials for prostate cancer chemoprevention show mixed results. While some agents like 5-α-reductase inhibitors demonstrated benefits, others like vitamin E and selenium did not prove effective for cancer prevention.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Preventive Medicine
  • Clinical Pharmacology

Background:

  • The National Cancer Institute supports research into agents for prostate cancer chemoprevention.
  • Chemoprevention aims to delay, prevent, or reverse carcinogenesis to reduce cancer incidence.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide an update on clinical research within the National Cancer Institute's prostate cancer chemoprevention agent development program.
  • To review findings from Phase I/II and Phase III clinical trials evaluating pharmacologic interventions for prostate cancer prevention.

Main Methods:

  • Review of numerous clinical trials, including small biomarker-focused studies and large population-based trials with cancer endpoints.
  • Analysis of data from Phase III prostate cancer prevention trials investigating specific agents and combinations.

Main Results:

  • Two large Phase III trials indicated a significant benefit for 5-α-reductase inhibitors in prostate cancer prevention, but with increased detection of high-grade cancers.
  • A separate Phase III trial found no benefit for selenium or vitamin E, with vitamin E alone associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer.

Conclusions:

  • Extensive research, including early phase and three definitive Phase III trials, has advanced prostate cancer prevention strategies.
  • Despite progress, further research is necessary to fully harness the potential of chemoprevention for prostate cancer.

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