Scientists have discovered a protein that predicts survival from prostate cancer at diagnosis.
A University of Liverpool team found the presence of heat shock protein-27 (Hsp-27) was a key marker of how prostate cancer would progress.
Men who tested positive for Hsp-27 at diagnosis were almost twice as likely to die from the disease in the next 15 years than those who did not.
The study features in the British Journal of Cancer.
Aggressive prostate cancer can kill rapidly, and requires immediate treatment.
However, prostate tumours can also be very slow-growing, and people who develop them often end up dying of unrelated conditions.
It can be difficult to distinguish between the two forms of the disease, and consequently many men end up unnecessarily undergoing intensive treatment which carries a risk of side effects.
The Liverpool team analysed tissue samples taken from 553 men at the time they were diagnosed with prostate cancer. Read more...
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