Doctors from John Hopkins University cured a man’s advanced cancer by shocking tumours with huge amount of testosterone.
The result, which could revolutionise the cancer treatment, has been described as unexpected and exciting because most prostate cancer therapies work by depriving the amount of testosterone, Telegraph reported.
For decades men with advanced prostate cancer have been treated by cutting off the supply of testosterone because it is generally assumed to fuel prostate cancer.
The study led by Professor Sam Denmeade tested 47 men through at least three cycle of exposing the cancer cells to high doses of testosterone followed by very low levels, which were caused by a drug that stopped natural production of the hormone.
The study showed that cancer cells stopped dividing and turned senescent- no longer capable of dividing but still alive and metabolically active-in most of the patients.
“We are still in the early stages of figuring out how this works and how to incorporate it into the treatment paradigm for prostate cancer,” Sam Denmeade told The Telegraph.
“Many of the men have stable disease that has not progressed for more than 12 months. I think we may have cured one man whose PSA dropped to zero after three months and has remained so now for 22 cycles. His disease has all disappeared,” he added.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer for men, except skin cancer. Most prostate cancers were found when the disease is confined to prostate and nearby organs.
