Prostate cancer immunology an update for urologists

Prostate cancer is different from many other cancers, because if you have a slow-growing, nonaggressive tumor, you may not need to take action right away.

Many of those Grade 1 tumors take years to grow and spread. Bahler said more than 50 percent of all men will have Grade 1 prostate cancer at some point, but never know it. Bahler said these slow-growing tumors are not worth treating because the side effects that may come from some procedures outweigh the benefit of treatment. He said the focus is on finding aggressive cancer without over-treating the slow-growing tumors.

In the past five years, new technologies have become available to identify those aggressive tumors. Urologists at IU School of Medicine are also responsible for the development of a treatment for prostate cancer called high intensity focused ultrasound, or HIFU. The process uses a rectal probe guided by MRI to treat part of the prostate. This short review will focus on the growing body of evidence suggesting an immunity-based link between CaP and inflammation and infection.

Prostate cancer immunology - An update for urologists. N2 - A better understanding of the immune processes in the pathogenesis and progression of prostate cancer CaP may point the way towards improved treatment modalities. AB - A better understanding of the immune processes in the pathogenesis and progression of prostate cancer CaP may point the way towards improved treatment modalities.

Abstract A better understanding of the immune processes in the pathogenesis and progression of prostate cancer CaP may point the way towards improved treatment modalities. With this knowledge we are able to explore the use of immunotherapy to rejuvenate the immune system in combating CaP.

Recently Sipuleucel-T, an immunotherapeutic agent for metastatic androgen independent CaP, has resulted in improved survival and might be the first immunotherapeutic agent to obtain approval for CaP treatment. This short review will focus on the growing body of evidence suggesting an immunity-based link between CaP and inflammation and infection.