Reference #: 01136
The University of South Carolina is offering licensing opportunities for an improved method of detecting high-risk prostate cancer that is able to distinguish it form non-virulent cancers as well as other conditions associated with elevated levels of prostate-specific antigens.
Invention Description:
The subject invention uses available repeat prostate-specific antigen (PSA) measures from the NCI-funded Prostate Lung Colorectal and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial (PLCO) to predict subsequent diagnosis of clinically significant prostate cancer.
Potential Applications:
· Detection of virulent (i.e., high-risk, clinically relevant) prostate cancer using PSA alone or in combination with other screening methods
Advantages and Benefits:
· Distinguishes virulent prostate cancer from other prostate-related conditions that may be associated with elevated PSA concentration in blood
Background:
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in the United States and the second leading cause of cancer deaths among men. It is generally a lower-risk cancer for which the treatment is often worse than the disease. The increased detection of low-risk prostate cancer based on PSA screenings is the foundation of the controversy that has led to recommendations against screening. Essentially, the current problems can be summarized as either over-treatment of indolent, low-risk disease that if left untreated has little chance of harming the patient but whose treatment can cause great harm ranging from infections to incontinence; or under-treating virulent, high-risk disease which is likely to be fatal. This technology is an effective way to detect life-threatening prostate cancer and distinguish it from other conditions associated with elevated PSA.