JEFF STELLING Rise of the Biomarkers
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Prostate cancer InsightsIssue 7 | Winter 2016 10-year ultimatum Our plan to beat the disease in a decade Prostate cancer and me JEFF STELLING Rise of the biomarkers The new revolution in diagnosis and treatment Insights | Winter 2016 1 Inbox Would you have Get in touch and Editor’s 3 have your say INBOX a genetic test? note Tell us what you think about the magazine. Prostate cancer news We asked you this question There’s a real sense of All feedback is welcome: we want to hear what you’ve got to say. The latest research in our feature, ‘Unravelling excitement in this issue developments the clues in our genes’, 4 – and it’s not just the predictive value of this the media occasionally and received these irrepressible personality procedure to identify suggests we are. Biomarkers laid bare responses online: of our cover-star, Jeff prostate cancer’, surely Our in-depth guide to p19 Stelling. Nor is it our there should be wider In this case, our Director a new generation of Dear Insights feature about the amazing applause for initiatives and of Research, Dr Iain 6 tests for diagnosis p6 advances researchers are You recently reported on endeavours of this nature, Frame, went to meet Dr and treatment making with biomarkers the trial results of using shortcomings and all? Claire Guest, the CEO Forewarned is forearmed. ONTENTS to diagnose and treat dogs to detect prostate of the Medical Detection I am all in favour of genetic Richard Murphy, Prostate Cancer UK prostate cancer, though cancer from urine samples Dogs charity, and talked to testing. It happens for C via email update it certainly heralds an (Behind the headlines, her about how to get the families with a history of exciting new era of summer 2015) – a novel most robust data possible breast cancer – rightly so. All the latest from us Dear Richard, 9 individually-tailored and potentially life-saving about what the dogs are Prostate cancer needs treatments. field of medical enquiry. Thanks for getting in actually detecting. While to be treated on the Our 10-year ultimatum It’s so reassuring to know touch. It’s not always it would be great if the same footing. Find out about our It’s our new 10-year that there is no ceasing possible to get the tone of dogs could reliably detect Brett Ennals exciting new strategy to strategy, which commits in the efforts to expand our stories right for every prostate cancer, what 10 beat prostate cancer in a us to beating this terrible upon the means and reader but we certainly we really need is a way decade and the scientists disease within a decade, methods for detection don’t want to lecture. We to distinguish between whose work will make that has got us most of the disease, but how understand and respect aggressive and non- it a reality excited. It’s a bold disappointing to read that everyone will form aggressive tumours to Totally agree with genetic ambition but one that your, at times, patronising their own opinion. But rule out biopsies for men testing as we have had Prostate cancer leading scientists in the critique. While the original it is our responsibility to with no, or very low, risk three men in our family and me: Jeff Stelling field think is realistic. research concludes paint a clear picture of disease. In the meantime, that have had prostate The Soccer Saturday If that’s not worth quite rightly: ‘Further where we really are with we’ll continue to monitor cancer, thankfully all 14 presenter talks about his shouting about, what is? studies are needed to research, rather than the progress of Dr Guest’s in remission, so early epic fundraising walk for us investigate the potential where we hope to be or research with interest. detection can be treated and how you can join him Which is why we’ve got with better results. Jeff Stelling on board Sign up to Insights Viv Price to lead the epic Men The Manual monthly email United March this spring, How healthy eating can newsletter: getting the message out help with prostate cancer Get all the latest news, to as many people as Dear Insights My husband 16 views and events from possible. So get excited, I thought the last edition of I think it is better to know won’t talk about us direct to your inbox – DIY golf challenge spread the word and Prostate cancer Insights and monitor your health. just enter your details How one 12-year-old encourage others to join was great. Very readable, his prostate Hopefully advancement at prostatecanceruk. organised a tournament us, because we need well paced, informative in medicine will treat 18 fundraiser and you can too with the right amount of cancer. Finding org/insights early signs quicker – p14 the support of everyone for our new strategy detail, friendly and with an comfort from perhaps with stem cells? Trekking to the to succeed. excellent tone – neither South Pole talking up or down. others and Tariq Plus Top Dad and Best wishes for all future how they cope 19 thanks to fundraisers editions: I’ll be looking forward to getting them. doesn’t make Get involved Dick Tonkin, me feel so alone. Dates for your diary and South Wales great ideas for spring Editorial team Thank you for 20 Sophie Lutter Sarah Lines your help. Our support Nick Wright and services Penny Eaton Like us on Facebook: Follow us on Twitter: Email the Insights team: p10 22 How we can help you Dominic Bates (Editor) Prostate Cancer UK @ProstateUK [email protected] 2 Insights | Winter 2016 Insights | Winter 2016 3 Second wave of landmark survey of men with PROSTATE CANCER NEWS prostate cancer brings total to 60,000 The second batch of cancer on everyday life hospitals – to make sure The research team NHS England fast-tracks upfront docetaxel after our pioneering ‘Life after by asking the only people they provide the support doesn’t only want to prostate cancer diagnosis’ who really know: men and care men say is know if your experience STAMPEDE trial publication and mounting pressure survey is set to land on who’ve got the disease. important to them. was bad, either. Knowing men’s doorsteps this where and why men have It’s been a frustrating wait The breakthrough followed December to make sure men. Earlier docetaxel month, after more than This is your chance to So if one of these surveys good experiences of care since the astonishing results our tireless influencing the treatment reaches must become standard 20,000 were sent out report your experiences lands on your doorstep, will give us important of the STAMPEDE trial were of NHS England behind men as soon as possible. practice for men with around the UK in October. and influence the future of please don’t throw it examples of what should announced in May last closed doors, who were advanced prostate cancer. prostate cancer care away. The questionnaire be happening elsewhere. year. But now docetaxel stalling until STAMPEDE’s We’re delighted that NHS Funded with support from in the UK. We’ll be taking will only take about half chemotherapy as a first- results had been officially England has ensured an Our Chief Executive, the Movember Foundation the results and using an hour and will help us To find out more about line treatment alongside peer-reviewed and accelerated review of Angela Culhane, says: and led by researchers at them to influence understand how tens of the study or read answers hormone therapy will be published in a medical the evidence, and that “This positive result means the University of Leeds and governments and health thousands of you have to some commonly made available to all men journal. That happened we’ve been supporting men will be accessing Queen’s University Belfast, providers in all UK nations been affected by prostate asked questions, visit in England with newly shortly before Christmas, the development of a the new treatment much the study aims to find out at all levels – from national cancer and what support prostatecanceruk.org/ diagnosed advanced but even before then, commissioning policy for sooner after peer-review the impact of prostate decision-makers to local you’ve had to deal with it. lifeafterprostatecancer prostate cancer. It could NHS England had given upfront docetaxel. We than would normally be the extend lives by an average in to pressure from us now need specialists to case. But we’ll continue of 15 months compared and clinicians wanting to be made aware that this applying pressure until A year in the Movember to the usual pathway of openly prescribe upfront commissioning policy we know that men are FROM THE LAB Centres of Excellence docetaxel only after hormone docetaxel. They have is imminent so that it is actually receiving this treatment stops working. worked with us since prescribed to all eligible treatment in the clinic.” It’s been just over a year since the Movember Centres Meanwhile at the Institute of Cancer Research, they’ve of Excellence opened their doors for business, and recruited staff to run a clinical trial called CTC-STOP. here’s what’s happened since. This trial is based on the idea that the number of cancer BEHIND THE HEADLINES: Does the success of cells that have escaped the tumour to move through Belfast-Manchester the blood stream (known as circulating tumour cells, the Stockholm trial mean an overhaul of prostate The Belfast-Manchester Movember Centre of Excellence or CTCs) gives an indication of how well a treatment set out with a very clear aim: to predict who will respond is working.