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Nitroglycerin may be able to delay the progression of prostate cancerTreatment of prostate cancer using a very low dose of nitroglycerin may slow and even halt the progression of the disease without the severe side effects of current treatments, Queen's University researchers have discovered. The Queen's University researchers findings are the result of the first-ever clinical trial using nitroglycerin to treat prostate cancer. These data were originally presented in 2009 at the annual meeting of the American Urology Association, where Siemens et al. presented the initial results of a 24-month-long, prospective, Phase II clinical trial in 29 men with a rising PSA following prostate surgery or radiation for localized prostate cancer. To be eligible for entry into the trial, men must have had three consecutive rises in their PSA levels following their first-line therapy. The researchers are encouraged by the results, particularly because safe and effective treatments for men with rising PSA levels following surgery or radiation are limited. They note that further testing needs to be done to confirm the results of this very small study. Eligible patients were then treated with a low-dose, slow-release, transdermal patch formulation of nitroglycerin (glycerol trinitrate or GTN). The patients’ PSA doubling times were compared before and after initiation of treatment, and were also compared to those of a matched control group of patients who received no immediate treatment for their PSA recurrence. NOTE: Issues on this site regarding prostate cancer and treatment options, are provided for information only, and are not meant to substitute for the advice of your own physician or other medical professional. Prostate-Report.org does not endorse any specific product, service or treatment. |
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