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Unlikely Drug Combo for Prostate Cancer
Feb 16, 12 Clinical UpdatesProstate cancer doesn’t occur in isolation, and recent research may give some peace of mind to prostate cancer patients already on medication for arthritis or High cholesterol.
Celebrex (celecoxib) and Lipitor (atorvastatin) are not just safe to use during treatment of prostate cancer, a recent study shows they may help fight it.
While individually these drugs are used for arthritis pain and lowering cholesterol, they also have effects on a molecule known as nuclear factor kappa B (NFkB) which helps many cancers grow larger.
Results from the ongoing phase II clinical trial on the two drugs were presented during the 2012 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium by a team from The Cancer Institute of New Jersey.
Laboratory studies in the past demonstrated that these two drugs blocking NFkB can stop prostate cancers from growing. When used together, the effect is even greater.
In this study, 16 patients previously treated for prostate cancer were followed for two and a half years. The prostate specific antigen, or PSA level, was monitored during that time to track cancer growth.
What are the key statistics about prostate cancer?
Other than skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in American men. The latest American Cancer Society estimates for prostate cancer in the United States are for 2011:About 240,890 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed
About 33,720 men will die of prostate cancer
About 1 man in 6 will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime. More than 2 million men in the United States who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point are still alive today.Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in American men, behind only lung cancer. About 1 man in 36 will die of prostate cancer.
Before the study took place, all of the patients had rising PSA counts, and the therapy definitively helped slow the trend, with one patient showing a decrease in PSA levels.
Mark Stein, M.D., assistant professor of medicine at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, presented the research.
Prostate cancer has overtaken lung cancer to become the most common cancer in men.
Each year in the UK, around 37,000* men are diagnosed with prostate cancer.
This increasing incidence is largely due to a higher number of cases being diagnosed (through the greater use of PSA tests) and the influence of an ageing population.
About 10,000 men die from prostate cancer every year in the UK. This works out as more than one man every hour.
The majority of men with prostate cancer are aged over 60 years. Although this cancer can also occur in younger individuals, it is very rare under the age of 50.Dr. Stein noted that “by concentrating on drugs that already are FDA approved, we have the opportunity to bring new therapies to patients faster than if we were testing a brand new agent.â€
Results are considered preliminary until published in a peer reviewed journal. Researchers stated no financial conflict of interest existed.
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By: Travis Giddings
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