Evaluation of Chinese herbs in preventing prostate cancer progression

4 April 2016

Prostate cancer (PCa) has a wide range of manifestations from asymptomatic to widespread metastasis. Active surveillance rather than immediate aggressive treatment has emerged as a viable option for men with early stage, localised, and low risk PCa. However, up to 35 per cent of these men will exhibit progression of PCa within four years.

At present, there are no treatments to suppress progression of PCa. These otherwise healthy men require regular needle biopsies to monitor PCa progression.

An industry partner program between NICM, Western Sydney University and Actel Medicine International Pty Ltd, is now underway to examine the effect of Chinese Medicine on the distribution of quiescent PCa cells and their transition to proliferative cells, which is one of the mechanisms causing PCa progression.

The research team is headed by Associate Professor Qihan Dong, Professor Paul de Souza, Professor Soon Lee and Professor Alan Bensoussan.