New Prostate Cancer Drug Amazes Researchers

Experimental therapy cures men's inoperable cancer

By Rob Quinn, Newser Staff

Posted Jun 20, 2009 4:21 AM CDT

(Newser) – The total recovery of two patients suffering inoperable prostate cancer under a new treatment has amazed researchers at the Mayo Clinic, the Minnesota Post reports. The men, who suffered from a highly aggressive and deadly form of the disease, were found to be cancer-free after treatment with an experimental drug that affects the immune system, and remain so a year and a half later.

Researchers, who had been seeking modest improvements on current treatments, say the results went far beyond their expectations. They caution that much more research needs to be done, but believe a huge breakthrough in prostate cancer treatment may have been made. "This is one of the holy grails of prostate cancer research," the leader of the study said. "We've been looking for this for years."

[Images (2)]

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Researchers at Minnesota's Mayo Clinic believe they may have found the 'holy grail' of prostate cancer treatment. (©rtclauss)

The prostate cancer patients in the study were chosen because their cancer was so advanced they had few other options, Mayo Clinic researchers say. (Shutterstock)

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We were all pretty shocked. These results were far beyond anything we ever envisioned.
- Dr. Eugene Kwon, an immunologist and urologist at the Mayo Clinic

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New Prostate Cancer Drug Amazes Researchers