On The Verge Of A Cancer Cure? Part II

Prostate Cancer

CBS 2 News' Michael Tuck will show you the latest procedures being used to change the odds for prostate cancer patients that could save lives.

Special Assignment: On The Verge Of A Cancer Cure? Part II aired Monday, April 20, 1998 at 11 p.m. Part I aired Sunday, April 19, 1998

Cancer of the prostate. It's a topic some men won't even discuss. But it is a reality every man must face.

The National Cancer Institute estimates that nearly 40,000 American men will die of prostate cancer a year. It's one of the top cancer killers in men. But there could be an answer to curing this killer, reported CBS 2 News' Michael Tuck.

One of the most promising new treatments is called brachy therapy.

"Utilizing the newest 3-D interactive ultrasound technology, we can actually place these small packets of radiation directly into the prostate cancer where we want the radiation to work," Dr. Mark Kawachi of the City of Hope Cancer Center told CBS 2 News.

"Once in the prostate gland, these pellets we liken very much to smart bombs in that they are packets of energy that are very localized," said Dr. Kawachi.

The so-called smart bombs work on a time release by sending radiation into the cancer over the course of 3 to 6 months time.

Arthur Spaulding is almost have way through his brachy therapy. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer last year. Until he met Dr. Kawachi, his treatment choices were surgery or older forms of radiation and chemotherapy.

"There was no pain connected with this (procedure) at all, I am quite optimistic," Spaulding told CBS 2 News. "There is no reason for me to believe that (the cancer is) not under control. That's the best way of putting it."

Beyond brachy therapy, Dr. Kawachi says the future of prostate cancer treatment could lie in genetic science.

"Actually gene therapy holds a great deal of promise and perhaps on prostate cancer it's one of the treatments that's really going to pan out for the patient," Dr. Kawachi said.

Dr. Arie Belledegrun at UCLA's Jonsson Cancer Center is a leader in genetic cancer research, said Tuck. His team has identified genetic mutations that cause prostate cancer. By manipulating a similar gene and introducing the new gene directly into the cancer, Dr. Belledegrun says the new gene can replace a cancerous one.

"Gene therapy is a new approach, it's still an experimental approach," Dr. Belledegrun told Tuck. "One gene that can be introduced will correct a defective gene in the cell. Another will stimulate the host immune system to fight the cancer." Dr. Belledegrun's technique is so new it is only in the trial phase and he says it may not be available to the public for several years. But many doctors believe that gene therapy may open the doors to a cancer cure.

"I hope that one day gene therapy will actually put me out of business," said Dr. Kawachi.

While that day may not come for a while, doctors are working on other prostate treatments like proton beam radiation, another precise way to treat the cancer, said Tuck. For patients like Spaulding the work of these doctors and others offers tremendous hope.

Contact information:

• If you have questions about cancer in general or the experimental clinical trials mentioned in this report, call the Cancer Information Service toll-free at (800) 422-6237, Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Pacific.
• City of Hope Cancer Center is the place to contact about the prostate brachytherapy. Their number is (800) 826-4673.
• If you have questions about the P53 gene therapy for prostate cancer, contact the office of Dr. Arie Belldegrun at UCLA's Jonsson Cancer Center at (310) 825-5538.

On the Web:

• Read about UCLA's experimental cancer research and clinical trials.
• The Circle is a mailing list and associated site for men with prostate cancer and their friends and families.
• Fundamentals of Prostate Cancer Detection and Treatment presents arguments for and against two basic questions - "Should men enter into mass screening programs?", and "Should a particular patient be treated aggressively?"
• Cancer News on the Net is dedicated to bringing patients and their families the latest information on cancer diagnosis and treatment.
• USC's Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center also has clinical trials.
• The City of Hope National Cancer Medical Center specializes in the prevention, treatment and cure of cancer and other life threatening disease through research and patient care.
• Prostate Cancer hotline provides phone #'s of PC patients in various States who answer you prostate cancer questions and provide support.
• Explore CancerNews on the 'Net.