Prostate Cancer Treatment: Noscapine and Satraplatin

Normal cells in the human body grow, divide and eventually die. However, cancer cells continue to grow and divide out of control and never die. Group of cancer cells form tumors and damage healthy tissues. When cancer spreads from the place of origin to other parts of the body called metastasis. Cancer can lead to death. If diagnosed late or has spread to other parts of the body, less likely treatable. The cause of cancer in most cases remains unknown.

Men have a prostate gland, located below the bladder and in front of the rectum. A tube carries urine (the urethra) travels through the prostate. If the prostate grows to large, the flow of urine can be slowed or stopped. The gland produces seminal fluid that nourishes and transport sperm. Nearly, all prostate cancers, start in the gland cells, known as adenocarcinoma. The prostate gland produces prostate - specific antigen (PSA) into the bloodstream. PSA test detects early screening of prostate cancer. High PSA test result indicates the prostate is enlarged, infected or diseased. If the PSA level is above 10 ng/ML (Nanograms per milliliter), chance of having prostate cancer is higher than fifty percent and potentially the cancer has spread beyond the prostate. Most men age 40 or older, should have PSA levels under four ng/mL of blood. Also, the PSA test is very helpful to show if cancer treatment is working or if cancer has come back after treatment. However, a high PSA level may not allows indicate the presence of cancer, but attributed to taking certain drugs or infection in the prostate. According to the American Cancer Society, African - Americans and men with family history of prostate cancer, should have PSA test at 45 years of age or otherwise be tested by age 50. Other factors attributed to prostate cancer include diet (high fat diet and obesity), the environment, and testosterone therapy. High PSA test result may require further assessment and testing, including a prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) biopsy test, measures the size and shape of the prostate gland cells. PIN test result is measured from low to high grade. A high grade PIN indicates a greater chance, presence of cancer cells in the prostate. Also, transcrectal ultrasound evaluates the prostate, by inserting a small tube into the rectum. The probe uses sound waves to get a picture of the prostate gland. In the United States, prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer found in men. The American Cancer Society expects in 2007, approximately 218,900 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed and about 27,050 men will die of this disease. Fortunately, the rate of prostate cancer disease has been declining, because early detection and during medical examination: Doctor can feel if there are any bumps or hard places in the prostate, may indicate cancer (Digital rectal exam - DRE). Symptoms of advanced prostate cancer include: Pain in the spine, ribs or other bones, blood in the urine, trouble having or keeping an erection, loss of bladder or bowl control and weakness or numbness in the legs or feet.

The most common treatment for prostate cancer includes surgery, radiation (Implanting into the prostate forty to hundred rice-sized radioactive seeds. Delivering a high dose of radiation over a substantial period of time. Most effective treating small or moderate size prostate, with small and lower grade cancers.), hormone therapy and herbal products. The type of treatment often depends on age, overall health, stage and grade of the cancer and understanding the side effects of various treatment options. In some cases, treatment may cause a patient to become incontinent or impotent, but therapies offer help or treat these conditions.

In February 2007, during the seventeenth International Prostate Cancer Update Conference in Vail, Colorado, researchers presented (Between Prostate Cancer Research and Education Foundation and Medlnsight Research Institute) study, confirmed Noscapine (Narcotine) a non-addictive derivative of opium used worldwide as an anti-cough medication (over the counter) affective treating tumors in animals. Previously reported (1999), researchers at Emory's School of Medicine reported noscapine dramatically reduced the size of breast tumors in lab mice, eliminating tumors entirely, and affective against bladder tumors. Dr. Israel Barken, Founder and Medical Director of the Prostate Cancer Research and Educational Foundation in San Diego, California, over a decade used noscapine for treating prostate cancer. Dr. Barken said: "In our study noscapine administered orally to animals had a tumor inhibition rate of 60% and reduced metastasis by just over 65%. Incredibly, this was achieved with no toxicity thus demonstrating noscapine's potential not only as an effective anticancer agent, but a very safe one too." Dr. Barker plans to coordinate clinical trials, and treatment of noscapine in patients suffering from prostate cancer and through his work, pioneering a web based patient tracking system, establishing a global participation of patients and thus achieve faster results. Besides the potential treatment of prostate cancer, Iranian scientists have shown noscapine affective in treating strokes. Noscapine possible side -- effects: Loss of appetite, increased heart rate, loss of coordination, loss of sexual drive, loss of sleepiness, and shaking and muscle spasms. However, the cough suppressant appears to have few of the unpleasant side affects common to most
anti -- tumor compounds.

In February 2007, GPC Biotech AG (German pharmaceutical company and its United States operations in Massachusetts and Princeton, New Jersey), applied to the Food and Drug Administration, application to gain approval of its drug satraplatin as a treatment for prostate cancer, in patients were prior chemotherapy treatments failed. The FDA has granted fast track designation, expediting review of the drug. During Phase three clinical trial: Drug prolonged the survival of 950 patients. Satraplatin is orally taken in the form of capsules. The drug is a member of the platinum family of compounds, part of the modern chemotherapy treatments and treat wide variety of cancers. The action of satraplatin binds to DNA of cancer cells and makes the cell incapable of dividing. This causes tumors to stop growing, eventually leading to the death of cancer cells. During phase two clinical trials: Satraplatin affective treating ovarian and small cell lung cancer. Bernrd R. Seizinger M.D., Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer for GPC Biotech AG said: " We will be work closely with the FDA during the review process to move the application forward as expeditiously as possible. We believe that, if approved satraplatin has the potential to become an important new treatment option for advanced prostate cancer patients who today have very little hope. We are currently, building our commercial infrastructure in the US to prepare for the potential launch of satraplatin so that it will be available for those patients as quickly as possible."

Preventing the risk of prostate cancer: Eating well (Limiting the intake of high fat foods, and eating more often fruits, vegetables, and whole fibers), getting regular exercise, and annual prostate examination. In 1992, The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the sale and marketing of finasteride (Proscar Propecia) for treating benign prostatic hyperplasia (BHP), a noncancerous enlargement of the prostate that can block the flow of urine. Besides the medications treats hair loss in men. According to Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial finasteride reduces the incidence of prostate cancer by 24.8 percent compared to a placebo, over ten years. However, possible side affect increases the chance developing tumors.