Why we funded it
The forms and aggressiveness of prostate cancer vary greatly.
New ways of predicting how a man's prostate cancer will develop are
needed in order to help men with prostate cancer decide which
treatment option to choose. Professor Cooper is looking to see if
two genetic markers can provide such a prediction. He will be using
large collaborative networks increasing the project's value for
money and chance of success. The project will also further the
understanding of how prostate cancer works and provide a basis for
further research into new diagnostic and therapeutic
interventions.
Scientific title: A mechanism-based system of
classification for human prostate cancer.
Research project summary
Professor Cooper will investigate whether two newly identified
genetic markers can help clinicians manage prostate cancer. In some
prostate cancers the PTEN gene is deleted and/or the ERG gene is
mutated. The project aims to find out if the presence or absence of
these genes can predict how aggressive a man's prostate cancer will
be and how it will respond to different treatments. This will be a
large study using samples from over 1200 different prostate
tumours. The project will also uncover molecular details about how
the genetic mutations influence the progression of the disease.