Home > Prevention & Risk Assessment > Genetics > Prostate Cancer Genetics Project > Newsletter, 2003

Recent advances in the field of genetics

Our ability to detect and treat prostate cancer is improving rapidly. The development of the PSA blood test, the refinement of surgical procedures, and the development of practice guidelines for disease management have all improved the quality of life for men with prostate cancer. Our current genetic research goal is also to improve the quality of life for those individuals and families affected by prostate cancer.

The role of genetics, though important, is just beginning to be understood. Research in genetics, including the Human Genome Project, represents a potential for a completely new way of preventing and treating a vast array of diseases. The Human Genome Project began in 1990 as a joint effort between the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Energy. The project will likely be completed in 2003. The goal of the project is to determine the entire sequence of the three billion base pairs of human DNA, including the approximately 30,000 genes coded within our DNA. The information will be stored in a database, allowing both the public and private sectors to utilize this information. Medicine will benefit from the project by gaining improved methods of predicting disease and disease susceptibility, such as genetic testing and counseling. There is also a possibility for improved treatment of disease through gene therapy, a process in which new, functional genesare inserted into existing DNA.

Why we do not advise families about what we find

The primary goal of our research is to identify genes that make certain men more likely to develop prostate cancer. However, prostate cancer genetic research is complex, and we may not be able to determine with 100% certainty whether a specific study participant possesses a defective prostate cancer gene. Furthermore, if such a gene were identified, our research laboratory does not meet the rigorous standards required of professional genetic laboratories that routinely provide information directly to patients. Our laboratory is geared toward analyzing family and genetic data with the purpose of advancing our scientific understanding of prostate cancer genes. The only results that we can provide to our participants are our research publications, which are available on our website.

Although genetics tests for prostate cancer are still in the discovery phase, genetic tests have been successfully developed for both breast and colon cancer. These genetic tests were fully evaluated in the research setting for a number of years before they were made commercially available for clinical use. If and when such a test becomes clinically available for prostate cancer, you should discuss the value of being tested with your physician. In the meantime, your participation in the PCGP is making a difference in the research phase of prostate cancer gene discovery.

Project Data

Over the past seven years, the Prostate Cancer Genetics Project has enrolled over 2,000 individuals from over 700 families. Asthe following charts reflect, the vast majority of our participants come to our project as patients in the University of Michigan Prostate Oncology Program. Therefore, the treatment choices of our participants reflect in part the prostate cancer treatment patterns of our institution. Although only 8 percent of our total participants are African American males, their participation has been a very important component of our study since prostate cancer affects African American males in significantly higher numbers than other racial/ethnic groups. The contributions of all of our participants have enabled us to make strides toward the goal of understanding the molecular basis of hereditary prostate cancer.

If you would like to read more about prostate cancer genetics, see a list of journal articles on this topic, view current issues of this publication, or obtain general information about the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, browse the Prostate Cancer Genetics Project web pages.

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Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0946
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University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center
1500 East Medical Center Drive
Ann Arbor, MI 48109

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