+1-617-394-8820 contact@baybiosciences.com

Prostate Cancer Samples

by | Jul 9, 2022 | News Releases | 0 comments

Bay Biosciences provides high quality, clinical grade, biopsy tissue samples, FFPE tissue blocks with matched cryogenically preserved K2EDTA plasma, sera (serum) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) biofluid samples from prostate cancer patients.

The K2EDTA plasma, sera (serum) and PBMC biofluid specimens are processed from prostate cancer patient’s peripheral whole-blood using customized collection and processing protocols.

Prostate cancer tissue and matched biofluid samples are collected from unique patients diagnosed with prostate cancer and are provided to a valued pharmaceutical customer for research, diagnostics, discovery and drug development.

Prostate Cancer Overview

Prostate cancer is a common type of cancer in male patients, but it is highly treatable in the early stages. It begins in the prostate gland, which sits between the penis and the bladder.

The prostate has various functions. These include producing the fluid that nourishes and transports sperm, secreting prostate-specific antigen (PSA), a protein that helps semen retain its liquid state, and helping aid urine control.

Other than skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common cancer affecting males in the United States. The American Cancer Society (ACS) predicts that in 2021 there will be around 248,530 new diagnoses of prostate cancer and approximately 34,130 deaths from this type of cancer.

Around 1 in 8 males will receive a diagnosis of prostate cancer at some point in their life. However, only 1 in 41 of these will die as a result. This is because treatment is effective, especially in the early stages. Routine screening enables doctors to detect many cases of prostate cancer before they spread.

Prostate cancer starts in the prostate gland, which is part of the male reproductive system. The gland produces a fluid that helps make up semen. Muscle cells inside the prostate play a role in ejaculation.

The American Cancer Society (ACS) expected that there would be 248,530 new prostate cancer diagnoses in the U.S. in 2021 and that around 34,130 people in the country would die from this type of cancer during the year.

The ACS also notes that 1 in 8 males will receive a diagnosis of prostate cancer during their lifetime, and around 1 in 41 males will die from the disease. With treatment, there is a good chance of surviving prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer often produces no symptoms in the early stages. After a certain age, a doctor may recommend regular screening. A prostate exam can help detect cancer while it is still highly treatable, even if symptoms are not present.


Signs and Symptoms of Prostate Cancer

There are often no symptoms during the early stages of prostate cancer, but screening can detect changes that may indicate cancer. Screening involves a test that measures levels of PSA in the blood. High levels suggest that cancer may be present.

Patients who do experience symptoms may notice:

  • A weak urine flows
  • Blood in urine or semen
  • Difficulty starting and maintaining urination
  • Pain in the back, hips or pelvis
  • Frequent urge to urinate, especially at night
  • Painful urination or ejaculation

Advanced Symptoms

Patients with advanced prostate cancer may also show no symptoms. Potential signs will depend on the size of the cancer and where it has spread in the body. In addition to the above, advanced prostate cancer can involve the following symptoms:

 

Stages of Prostate Cancer

Staging typically describes how much cancer is present in the body and how serious the cancer is. Knowing the stage of prostate cancer can help a person understand what to expect and will inform decisions about treatment.

Cancer staging is complex and accounts for many different factors. Usually, the lower the number, the less the cancer has spread. Stages may include:

  • Stage I: In stage I the cancer is only present in the prostate gland.
  • Stage II: Cancer has not yet spread from the prostate, but a person will have a higher PSA level.
  • Stage III: The cancer may have spread to nearby tissues.
  • Stage IV: In stage IV the cancer may have spread to distant parts of the body.


Causes of Prostate Cancer

Researchers are unsure of the exact cause of prostate cancer. It develops when specific changes occur, usually in glandular cells. When prostate gland cells appear abnormal, a doctor may refer to these changes as prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN). Nearly 50%of all males over the age of 50 years have PIN.

At first, the changes will be slow, and the cells will not be cancerous. However, they can become cancerous with time. Cancer cells can be high or low grade. High grade cells are more likely to grow and spread, while low grade cells are not likely to grow and are not a cause for concern.


Diagnosis of Prostate Cancer

If a male patient has symptoms that may indicate prostate cancer, a doctor will likely:

  • Discuss symptoms
  • Conduct a blood test to assess PSA levels
  • Inquire about personal and medical history
  • Perform a urine test to look for other biomarkers
  • carry out a physical examination, which may include a digital rectal exam (DRE)

During a DRE, the doctor will check manually for any abnormalities of the prostate with their finger.

Further Tests

If a doctor suspects cancer, they may recommend further tests, such as:

  • PCA3 test: This looks for the PCA3 gene in the urine.
  • Transrectal ultrasound: This involves inserting a probe with a camera into the rectum.
  • Biopsy: A doctor will take a tissue sample for examination under a microscope.

Only a biopsy can confirm the presence and type of cancer. A person who needs monitoring rather than treatment may need a routine MRI or CT scan.


Prostate Cancer Exam

Screening for prostate cancer, involves looking for early signs of disease in patients who do not have any symptoms. Cancer screening aims to detect telltale changes at an early stage when treatment is more likely to be effective.

Doctors commonly use two main tests to screen for prostate cancer:

  • Digital rectal exam (DRE)
  • Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test

Neither test can confirm that prostate cancer is present, as various other factors may influence results. However, these tests can indicate whether further steps are necessary.

A prostate biopsy is the only way to confirm that a person has prostate cancer.

Before undergoing either of these tests, the patient will need to give consent, which involves confirming that they understand the potential benefits and risks.


Prostate Cancer Screening

The ACS recommends talking with a doctor about screening at the following ages:

  • 50 years for males with an average risk and a life expectancy of more than 10 years
  • 45 years for those with a high risk
  • 40 years for people with more than one close relative (parent or sibling) who developed prostate cancer at an early age (younger than 65).

 

Higher Risk Males with Prostate Cancer

Some individuals may have a higher risk of developing prostate cancer if they are:

  • Overweight or obese
  • Non-Hispanic Black males
  • Older males, as the average age at diagnosis is 66 years
  • Having one or more relatives with a history of prostate cancer
  • Eating a diet that is high in fat and highly processed carbohydrates
  • Have experienced exposure to Agent Orange
  • Living a sedentary (inactive) lifestyle

Black American males are almost 75% more likely to develop prostate cancer than white American males, and 2.2 times more likely to die as a result, according to the Prostate Cancer Foundation. The Foundation notes that, while experts do not know why the risk is higher for this group, the fatality rate is likely higher due to unequal access to healthcare and other socioeconomic factors.


Routine Testing for Prostate Cancer

According to the National Cancer Institute, Medicare will cover a yearly PSA test for males aged 50 and over who are eligible for Medicare.

Not everyone recommends routine screening. However, in 2018, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommended that the decision to undergo screening from the ages of 55–69 years should be up to the individual.

This is because screening can lead to false-positive results, which may result in unnecessary biopsies. It can also lead to overtreatment of low-risk disease.

Before going ahead with screening, an individual should discuss the risks and benefits with their doctor.

Digital rectal examination (DRE)

The digital rectal exam (DRE) is a physical examination for changes in the prostate that could indicate a tumor. The DRE procedure usually requires the person to undress from the waist down.

The doctor may instruct the individual to lie on their left side and pull their knees up to their chest or stand and lean against a table.

The doctor will:

  • Put on gloves and put lubricant on one finger
  • Assess the area around the rectum for anything unusual
  • Gently insert a lubricated, gloved finger into the rectum
  • Feel the prostate to assess the size and check for bumps, soft or hard spots, and other abnormalities

A DRE is not usually painful, but it may be slightly uncomfortable. It takes only a few minutes to complete.

PSA Test

The PSA test involves taking a blood sample and sending it to a laboratory for analysis. The results indicate:

  • Normal levels: Most healthy adult males have PSA levels below 4 nanograms per milliliter (ng/ml).
  • Borderline levels: PSA levels of 4–10 ng/ml are borderline. There is a 25% chance that cancer is present, and the individual will usually need additional tests.
  • High levels: If PSA levels are over 10 ng/ml, there is a 50% chance that the person has prostate cancer. The doctor will likely recommend more testing, including a prostate biopsy.

It is important to note that PSA levels can naturally vary from person to person. A person with high levels may not have prostate cancer. On the other hand, about 15% of individuals who test positive for prostate cancer after a biopsy have PSA levels below 4 ng/ml.


Treatment of Prostate Cancer

Treatment will depend on the cancer stage, among other factors, such as the Gleason score and PSA levels. It is also worth noting that many treatment options may be applicable, regardless of the stage of cancer.

In the sections below, we list some treatment options for prostate cancer and explore what treatment may mean for fertility.


Early-Stage Prostate Cancer

If the cancer is small and localized, a doctor may recommend:

Watchful Waiting or Monitoring

The doctor may check PSA blood levels regularly but take no immediate action. Prostate cancer grows slowly, and the risk of treatment side effects may outweigh the need for immediate treatment.

Surgery

A surgeon may carry out a radical prostatectomy to remove the tumor. In addition to removing the prostate, the procedure may also involve the removal of the surrounding tissue, seminal vesicles, and nearby lymph nodes. A doctor can perform this procedure using either open, laparoscopic, or robot-assisted laparoscopic surgery.

Radiation Therapy

This uses radiation to kill cancer cells or prevent them from growing. Options for early-stage prostate cancer may include the following:

External radiation therapy: This method uses a machine outside the body to send radiation toward the cancer cells. Conformal radiation therapy is a type of external radiation that uses a computer to help guide and target a specific area, minimizing the risk to healthy tissue and allowing a high dose of radiation to reach the prostate tumor.

Internal radiation therapy: Also known as brachytherapy, this method uses radioactive seeds that a doctor implants near the prostate. A surgeon uses imaging scans, such as ultrasound or computed tomography to help guide the placement of the radioactive substance.

Treatment will depend on various factors. A doctor will discuss the best option for the patient.

Advanced Prostate Cancer

As cancer grows, it can spread throughout the body. If it spreads, or if it comes back after remission, treatment options will change. Options can include:

  • Chemotherapy: This option uses drugs to help stop the growth of cancer cells. While it can kill cancer cells around the body, it may cause adverse effects.
  • Hormonal therapy: Androgens are male hormones. The main androgens are testosterone and dihydrotestosterone. Blocking or reducing these hormones appears to stop or delay the growth of cancer cells. One option is to undergo surgery to remove the testicles, which produce most of the body’s hormones. Various drugs can also help.
  • Immunotherapy: This method uses a person’s immune system to help fight cancer. Scientists can use substances the body produces, or create them in a lab, to help boost or restore the body’s natural defenses against cancer.
  • Targeted therapy: This method uses drugs or other substances that identify and attack specific cancer cells. For example, a 2021 study highlights a radiopharmaceutical option that may be effective for hard-to-treat forms of advanced prostate cancer.

Effects on fertility

The prostate gland plays a role in sexual reproduction. Prostate cancer and many of its treatments affect fertility in several ways.

For example, surgery to remove either the prostate gland or the testicles will affect semen production and fertility. Also, radiation therapy can affect prostate tissue, damaging sperm and reducing the amount of semen for transporting it. Hormonal treatment can also affect fertility.

However, some options for preserving these functions include banking sperm before surgery or extracting sperm directly from the testicles for artificial insemination.

There is no guarantee that fertility will remain intact after treatment for prostate cancer. Anyone who would like to have children after treatment should discuss fertility options with their doctor when they devise their treatment plan.

Risk Factors of Prostate Cancer

Exact causes of why prostate cancer develops in men is unknown, the following risk factors may make it more likely:

  • Age: The risk of prostate cancer increases after the age of 50, but it is rare before 45.
  • Race or ethnicity: The condition is more common in Black patients than white patients. Asian and Hispanic patients have a lower risk than Black or white patients.
  • Family history: A person with a close relative who has a history of prostate cancer has a higher chance of developing it themselves.
  • Genetic factors: Inherited features, including changes to the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, may increase the risk. Mutations in these genes also increase the chance of breast cancer. Men born with Lynch syndrome also have a higher risk of prostate and other cancers.
  • Diet: Some evidence suggests that high fat diets may increase the risk of prostate cancer.

 

Other Possible Factors

While more research is necessary to confirm their involvement, other factors that may influence prostate cancer risk include:

 

Can alcohol cause prostate cancer?

Some scientists have identified possible links between alcohol intake and the risk of prostate cancer. However, more research is necessary to determine how drinking alcohol and prostate cancer might correlate.

The prostate is part of the male reproductive system, and it sits just below the bladder. It surrounds the urethra, which is a tube that carries urine out of the body and helps make semen.

Other than skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the United States.

According to the Prostate Cancer Foundation, there is no direct link between drinking alcohol and an increased risk of prostate cancer.

Similarly, the American Cancer Society do not list alcohol as one of the known risk factors for prostate cancer.

A 2016 review concluded that men who consume alcohol might have a higher risk of developing the disease than those who abstain, with the risk increasing in line with alcohol intake. However, the review included data from men reporting on their own consumption, which may not be reliable.

The results of a 2018 study indicate that there is a link between a person’s alcohol consumption earlier in life and their risk of developing prostate cancer at a later date. However, this study, which recruited men requiring a prostate biopsy, found no link between current alcohol consumption and prostate cancer risk.

In both of these studies, the researchers highlighted the need for further investigation into the effect of alcohol on prostate cancer risk.


Prostate Cancer in Trans People

People born with a prostate can develop prostate cancer. Individuals born without a prostate cannot develop prostate cancer.

Trans women who use hormone therapy such as estrogen may have a lower risk, but the risk is still present.

Anyone born with a prostate should speak to their doctor about screening for prostate cancer.

Bay Biosciences is a global leader in providing researchers with high quality, clinical grade, fully characterized human tissue samples, bio-specimens, and human bio-fluid collections.

Samples available include cancer (tumor) tissue, cancer serum, cancer plasma, cancer, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). and human tissue samples from most other therapeutic areas and diseases.

Bay Biosciences maintains and manages its own biorepository, the human tissue bank (biobank) consisting of thousands of diseased samples (specimens) and from normal healthy donors available in all formats and types.

Our biobank procures and stores fully consented, deidentified and institutional review boards (IRB) approved human tissue samples and matched controls.

All our human tissue collections, human specimens and human bio-fluids are provided with detailed, samples associated patient’s clinical data.

This critical patient’s clinical data includes information relating to their past and current disease, treatment history, lifestyle choices, biomarkers, and genetic information.

Patient’s data is extremely valuable for researchers and is used to help identify new effective treatments (drug discovery & development) in oncology, and other therapeutic areas and diseases.

Bay Biosciences banks wide variety of human tissue samples and biological samples, including cryogenically preserved at – 80°C.

Including fresh frozen tissue samples, tumor tissue samples, formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE), tissue slides, with matching human bio-fluids, whole blood and blood-derived products such as serum, plasma and PBMC.

Bay Biosciences is a global leader in collecting and providing human tissue samples according to the specified requirements and customized, tailor-made collection protocols.

Please contact us anytime to discuss your special research projects and customized human tissue sample requirements.

Bay Biosciences provides human tissue samples (human specimens) from diseased and normal healthy donors which includes:

We can also procure most human bio-specimens, special collections and requests for human samples that are difficult to find. All our human tissue samples are procured through IRB-approved clinical protocols and procedures.

In addition to the standard processing protocols, Bay Biosciences can also provide human plasma, serum, and PBMC bio-fluid samples using custom processing protocols; you buy donor-specific collections in higher volumes and specified sample aliquots from us.

Bay Biosciences also provides human samples from normal healthy donors; volunteers, for controls and clinical research, contact us Now.

日本のお客様は、ベイバイオサイエンスジャパンBay Biosciences Japanまたはhttp://baybiosciences-jp.com/contact/までご連絡ください。