Prostate Cancer Research Projects

RESEARCH INNOVATION

Developing biomarkers for prostate cancer

The initial projects for the Prostate Cancer Moon Shot^® attack the disease from several different angles, giving MD Anderson the best chance of making research breakthroughs that will help patients now and in the future.

Underlying all of these projects is an effort to develop biomarkers that can distinguish different types of prostate cancer.

Imagine the fear and confusion that come with a Prostate Cancer diagnosis. Is my cancer slow-growing or fast-growing? How do I choose among the many treatment options? How will therapy affect my quality of life? What can I do to improve my chances for cure?

Right now, these are very difficult questions for both the patient and the physician. But MD Anderson experts are searching for answers deep within the biology of Prostate Cancer.

We’re looking for biomarkers, or unique characteristics, of different types and subtypes of the disease. This will help us tell who needs aggressive treatment and who requires no treatment at all. Once we discover and validate these biomarkers, we can test for them in patients and then determine if their cancer is potentially lethal or if it has little risk of progressing.

That knowledge will enable us to select the right therapy for the right patient at the right time — truly personalized cancer therapy. You can help by making a gift now to the Prostate Cancer Moon Shot.