A technique that destroys tumors could save thousands of men from surgery.
- Laser therapy could eradicate the prostate cancer tumors of thousands of men
- Technique could spare many patients the trauma of surgery or radiotherapy
- Nearly half of men with early-stage prostate cancer saw their tumor destroyed
Targeting prostate cancer with bursts of light could eradicate the tumors of thousands of men, a major trial has found. The technique, in which a light-sensitive chemical is activated by a laser when it reaches cancer cells, could spare many patients the trauma of surgery or radiotherapy. Since the entire blood stream is not flooded with the active drug, the usual grueling side effects of cancer medication are vastly reduced, and healthy tissue is undamaged. It is non-invasive than the alternative options-which comprises of prostatectomy or radiotherapy which have the risk of impotence or incontinence.
The Study:
The results of the study on more than 400 prostate cancer patients by experts at University College London were published in the Lancet Oncology journal. Half of the men were given the new treatment, and of those 49 per cent showed no signs of the disease two years later – compared to just 13.5 per cent of patients who are cancer free two years after standard treatment. Lead investigator Professor Mark Emberton, consultant urologist at University College London Hospital, said: ‘These results are excellent news for men with early localized prostate cancer, offering a treatment that can kill cancer without removing or destroying the prostate. ‘This is truly a huge leap forward for prostate cancer treatment, which has previously lagged decades behind other solid cancers such as breast cancer.’
The treatment called Vascular-targeted photodynamic therapy or the commercial name of Tookad- could be available on the NHS within two or three years.
Scientists at the Weizmann Institute of science in Israel first developed the technique several years ago, after discovering light-sensitive bacteria at the bottom of the ocean. To be able to survive with very little sunlight, they evolved to convert light into energy with high efficiency. Israeli scientists derived this natural phenomenon to develop an artificial compound called WST11, which releases ‘Free-radical’ a destructive tumor busting molecule when activated by laser light. They made partnership with the University college London team, which for the past decade has been involved in the testing of drug in a series of clinical trials.
The WST11 drug is injected into the bloodstream for ten minutes and then the laser is fired for 20minutes through narrow optical fibers inserted through the skin into the prostate. Now drugs firm Steba Biotech is meeting the European Medicines Agency in April to discuss applying for a safety license.