A gene associated with breast cancer also may play a major role in the recurrence of prostate cancer, according to new research from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine and UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center. The most common cancer in men, prostate cancer can be effectively treated with surgery or radiation when detected early. But advanced prostate cancer is usually treated by drugs or surgery aimed at reducing the level of testosterone and other male hormones, or androgens, that stimulate cancer cell growth. While the disease usually regresses after such treatment, prostate cancer invariably comes back, although it’s not clear why it recurs and progresses. The UNC study, published April 15 in the journal Cancer Research, indicates that the gene HER-2 is a key culprit in prostate cancer recurrence. The findings also suggest a new treatment strategy for targeting HER-2 in patients with advanced prostate cancer.
