UK Genetic Prostate Cancer Study website
Team Leader: Professor Rosalind Eeles
Location: Orchard House, Sutton
Section: Section of Cancer Genetics
Genetic Prostate Cancer Study Logo
Welcome to the UK Genetic Prostate Cancer Study website
The UK Genetic Prostate Cancer Study (UKGPCS) was first established in 1993 and is the largest prostate cancer study of its kind in the UK, involving nearly 130 hospitals, 450 Consultants and 200 research nurses. We are based at The Institute of Cancer Research in Sutton, Surrey, and collaborate with the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust
Aim
Our aim is to find genetic changes which are associated with prostate cancer risk.
If we can find alterations in genes that increase the chances of getting prostate cancer, it may be possible in the future to use this knowledge:
- To screen other family members to see if they are also at a higher risk of developing prostate cancer
- To develop new prostate cancer treatments for the future
Causes of prostate cancer?
Although prostate cancer is the commonest cancer in men in the UK, with 1 in 14 men developing prostate cancer in their lifetime, its causes remain very poorly understood with few established risk factors. The fact that prostate cancer incidence tends to be much higher in Western countries (for example the USA and UK), together with migrant studies, indicates that lifestyle and/or environmental factors such as diet could be important determinants of prostate cancer risk. However, so far little is known about which lifestyle factors might contribute to prostate cancer, and results between current studies are conflicting. Part of our study involves collaboration with Professor Kenneth Muir at the University of Nottingham who is conducting a study into which environmental factors might affect prostate cancer risk. Men taking part in the UKGPCS can also opt to take part in the environmental study if they wish by filling in a lifestyle questionnaire.
Genetic causes of prostate cancer?
The UKGPCS was set up to find genetic alterations which occur in patients who have prostate cancer. It is known that in a very small number of cases, prostate cancer runs in families because of alterations in the BRCA2 gene (breast cancer 2 gene), but otherwise very little is known about which genes could be involved in the development of prostate cancer.
A mans risk of developing prostate cancer increases if he has a first-degree relative (father or brother) who was diagnosed with prostate cancer at a young age. This is why we are looking for men who are affected at a young age or who have a family history of prostate cancer, since it is more probable that these prostate cancers are due to an inherited genetic cause rather than an environmental cause. We also ask all men who come to the Royal Marsden Hospital to be treated for prostate cancer if they would like to take part in the study so that we can also look to see if we find genetic alterations in older men, and those who do not have a family history of prostate cancer.
When did the study start and when will it end?
The study has been running since 1993 when the first patients were recruited. We have ethical approval to continue to collect samples for the study until the end of 2012.
Who can take part?
Our target is to recruit 21,000 gentlemen into the UKGPCS by 2012. Men are eligible to take part if they fit into at least one of the following groups:
- they have been diagnosed with prostate cancer at 60 years of age or under (up to their 61st birthday)
- they and a first degree relative (brother, father or son) both have prostate cancer and at least one of these men were diagnosed at 65 years of age or under
- they are affected and have 3 or more cases of prostate cancer in their family
- they are a prostate cancer patient at the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust
11.02.08 NEWSFLASH! We have a new paper out today in Nature Genetics. This paper has the first results from the Genome Wide Association Study that we have been carrying out using our UKGPCS samples.
There is a press release coordinated by Cancer Research-UK, and Dr Eeles and Dr Easton have commented on the results here:
“The results we have found today are a breakthrough as they have identified 7 new areas of the genome associated with prostate cancer risk. They have the potential to be developed into a genetic test. However, we consider that marketing of tests to the public is premature. Research needs to be done to identify how such profiling helps to tailor prostate cancer screening regimes, for example we need to determine how often PSA needs to be done, whether and when biopsy is indicated. We also need to consider the acceptability of such tests and the psychological implications and these need careful study”.
Ros Eeles
Doug Easton
10.2.08
| Meet the Team |
If you are looking at our site you may already be participating in the study or may be from a collaborating site. If not and you are interested in getting involved either as a patient or as a health professional please do not hesitate get in touch with us. You'll find all our contact details on our contacts page.
In the Section of Cancer Genetics
