Interviewer: Hope for a possible breakthrough in cancer research and part of that study is going on right here in central Texas. Here to tell us more about it this morning is Dr. Richard Chopp. Dr. Chopp, thank you so much. Were talking about a specific drug here. Give us a little idea of what were talking about.
Dr. Richard Chopp: Alright, theres a situation that can occur in mens prostate called prostate intraepithelial neoplasia. PIN for short. When I biopsy a mans prostate in my office, its not uncommon for the pathologist to call me and state that this given individual has PIN.
We know that PIN is a pre-malignant disease of the prostate and that, with time, a great majority of these men will develop prostate cancer. The problems that we faced in the fast is that we didnt know the time progression, whether it was going to be a year or three years, and worse, we didnt have any way of preventing that progression.
Recently, a drug became available called Teremaphine that, in one of the smaller trials of about 500 men, seemed to grant a great majority of these men protection from that progression to cancer. The urology team is one of the groups across the United States that is now trying to expand that to about 1,600 men to see if that protection from progression to prostate cancer is going to hold up. As you might imagine, that can have a tremendous impact on prostate cancer across the United States.
Interviewer: And, also, what I find interesting is, not only having positive effects on prostate cancer but this drug actually has already shown significant signs in benefiting women in the reduction of breast cancer.
Dr. Chopp: Exactly
Interviewer: Is it somewhat unusual that theres a tie with the positive effects of both breast cancer in women and possibly prevention of prostate cancer?
Dr. Chopp: Well, theres actually a significant link in that there seems to be, both in breast cancer and maybe in the initial stages of prostate cancer, that an enzyme called an estrogen receptor may be the initiating factor, and men and women have those. This drug has a way of turning off that receptor and thats why it seems to work so well in women, and we think that thats exactly whats going to happen in men.
Interviewer: Youve seen a lot research in your time as a urologist. Is this kind of exciting to you? Do you think this is significant enough to where this could be a major breakthrough?
Dr. Chopp: I think so. If it pans out in the PIN individuals, maybe we can then make the next step forward and use this drug as a prevention in people like you and me who are getting into the time when they develop prostate cancer. Thats exactly what we hope for.
Interviewer: The good news, too, is that there is room in this study for people that are interested. But you have to have indications, or you have to have the condition of PIN, to be eligible for the study. If youd like more information on that study, you can go to our website at kxan.com for a link.
Dr. Chopp, thank you so much for being with us and sharing this important information. Men, dont be afraid to see your doctor on this. If you have a pre-existing condition, this might be a wonderful thing for the future.
Dr. Chopp: Im happy to be here."
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09-06-08 Dr. Fagin on daVinci Robotby urologyteam244 views
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