Below the Belt Award

In recent years, we have learned that changes in prostate cancer genes can influence the risk of developing metastatic prostate cancer. This study aims to improve our understanding of how genes are controlled in metastatic prostate cancer, and specifically how gene control might determine how men respond to standard treatments (such as hormone therapy and chemotherapy). By way of examining cancer biopsies taken at the diagnosis of metastatic prostate cancer, we will test for an important genomic feature called DNA methylation – a process involved in ‘silencing’ genes. We believe DNA methylation will provide important information about why some cancers are more aggressive than others and why men may respond to treatments differently. We will use DNA methylation information from the tumours and compare it to information of how men diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer responded to standard treatments. We then hope to use this as a strong foundation to design larger studies to test DNA methylation in prostate cancer clinical trials, to prove that it is an important test in the clinic to identify the risk of aggressive disease and to tailor the optimal treatment choice for patients. Ultimately, this study aims to build on our scientific knowledge of prostate cancer in order to improve ‘precision care’ of men with metastatic prostate cancer.