Male sex hormones that mutate in prostate cancer identified

Scientists have claimed that a major discovery of a cause of prostate cancer could pave the way for new treatments.

They have found that male hormones play a key role in promoting a specific genetic change that fuels the growth of tumours.

The study focused on male sex hormones called androgens, which have been found in several cancers, form when DNA from different parts of the genetic region of cells merge.

In the latest study, a team led by experts at the Institute of Cancer at Queen Mary University of London, found that androgens promote the fusion of two specific genes that fuel the growth of cancer. They are the genes TMPRSS2 and ERG.

"This is a significant discovery and a major breakthrough into the future prevention of the disease," the Telegraph quoted Dr Yong-Jie Lu, the lead researcher from the Institute of Cancer, as saying.

"It could also lead to new treatments.

"If we can learn how to control and manage androgen levels, there is a strong possibility that we may be able to help thousands of men, especially those known to be at high risk from a family history of prostate cancer, from developing the condition altogether," Yong-Jie Lu added.

The work has been published in the journal Cancer Research.