'Tame virus' treatment offers hope of cancer treatment
From 'The Press and Journal', Wednesday 10th March 2010:
Scientists have made a breakthrough in the search for new treatments for the cancer which kills nearly 1,000 men in Scotland every year.
Patients were given a “tame virus” which destroyed prostate cancer cells but spared healthy tissue.
The results were welcomed last night by survivors and experts in the north-east, who said they could lead to a completely new way of treating a cancer which affects more men north of the border than any other.
Sam McClinton, consultant urologist at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and founder of the UCAN charity, said it was a “promising” step which could offer new hope to patients – particularly those whose cancer was detected too late to respond to other therapies.
From Behind The Headlines - Virus 'Kills Prostate Cancer', NHS Choices website, Wednesday 10th March 2010:
This is early research on a new treatment for prostate cancer. It is worth noting that:
The virus has already been tested, and shown some success, in treatment for other cancers. This means that the route to clinical use may be shorter for this treatment indication but it will not get around the fact that many more patients will need to be tested in rigorous trials to see if the treatment is better than current alternatives.
The treatment seemed to have very few side effects, which is a positive sign for a cancer treatment.
The researchers acknowledge that it is unfortunate that the reovirus did not seem to infect non-cancerous tissue after the injection as this means that it is unlikely that the virus could spread to other areas of the prostate cancer and kill these, in the same patient.
Overall, this report shows another type of cancer that may respond to the reovirus treatment. More studies in many more patients will be needed to decide if the new treatment has a place and where that place might be among existing treatments for prostate cancer.
'Don't let prostate cancer hide' is this year's campaign to help get prostate cancer out in the open. It's a hidden cancer because not enough people talk about it. We can't see the prostate, and many people don't even know what it is or what it does.
Prostate cancer awareness month is all about changing that. The more we talk openly about prostate cancer, the more lives can be saved.
Seven out of ten men who are at an increased risk of prostate cancer are not aware of a simple blood test which can give an early indication of the disease which kills one man every hour in the UK, new research has revealed.
The inequities surrounding men’s knowledge and access to the PSA blood test were also highlighted through the research, which was commissioned by The Prostate Cancer Charity* to time with the launch of its annual awareness month, in March. Worryingly, men over 50 - the age at which the likelihood of developing the disease increases - from less affluent backgrounds are much more likely to be in the dark about the test. The probability of these men requesting a PSA test is three times lower than those from higher socio-economic groups.
Members of the UCAN Team headed off on a tour of the North East during August to spread the word about UCAN.
The trip was highlighted by taking the UCAN bus along too. If you haven’t seen the bus, it features a 14 feet naked man with his hands strategically placed to protect his modesty!
Kate the fundraiser spoke to local companies and Rotary groups about the signs and symptoms of the four main urological cancers whilst either Linda or Lesley manned the bus to give advice and information to members of the public.
The bus has been in service around Aberdeen for the past 18 months visited 12 locations from Inverurie to Lossiemouth and attracted lots of attention. Sam McClinton co founder of UCAN said “It’s hugely important for us to reach as wide an audience as possible because urological cancers can strike anyone at anytime and the more people who are aware of the symptoms as early as possible, the better chance we have of increasing the number of patients who make a full recovery.”
Chris Drops in to UCAN Centre
Emmerdale star Chris Chittell, who plays bad guy Eric Pollard, visited the UCAN Care Centre recently to hand over the proceeds of a charity climb up the Old Man of Hoy. After handing over a cheque for £4,000 to Sam McClinton Chris stayed in the Centre and spoke to some patients and staff. Chris has been involved with supporting UCAN since 2006 along with other Emmerdale cast members. Amongst other things he has Wingwalked, Abseiled and has taken to the Zip Wire to raise money for UCAN.
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Emmerdale star Chris Chittell, who plays bad guy Eric Pollard, visited the UCAN Care Centre recently to hand over the proceeds of a charity climb up the Old Man of Hoy. After handing over a cheque for £4,000 to Sam McClinton Chris stayed in the Centre and spoke to some patients and staff. Chris has been involved with supporting UCAN since 2006 along with other Emmerdale cast members. Amongst other things he has Wingwalked, Abseiled and has taken to the Zip Wire to raise money for UCAN.