Marker Found to Predict Prostate Cancer Progression Following Surgery
Levels of B7-H3 correlate with clinical outcomes in prostate cancer patients who underwent radical prostatectomy

MONDAY, August 20 (PCF) - Tracking levels of the B7-H3 molecule can be helpful in determining the aggressiveness of prostate cancer and in predicting outcomes after prostate cancer surgery, according to results from a study published in the journal Cancer Research.

B7-H3 molecules rest on the surface of nearly all normal and cancerous prostate cells, and play a role in regulating the immune system. This is the first report demonstrating the use of B7-H3 as a marker for prostate cancer progression.

In this study, investigators at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, analyzed the records and tissue samples of 338 men with prostate cancer who underwent radical prostatectomy at their institution between 1995 and 1998.

When examining levels of the molecule B7-H3 in the tissue samples, the investigators found that increased levels of the molecule correlated with increased aggressiveness of the cancer and predicted clinical outcomes.

In fact, men with the highest levels of B7-H3 showed a 4-fold increase in the risk of disease progression.

If these findings are confirmed in other studies, the use of the B7-H3 marker could help physicians identify patients who are more likely to have aggressive prostate cancer and who would therefore benefit most from immediate treatment.

An office-based test for B7-H3 is currently in development, but it is not yet known when the test might be available for use.

Information about the development and progression of prostate cancer can be found in the Prostate Cancer Foundation’s An Introduction to Prostate Cancer, available at http://www.prostatecancerfoundation.org/introduction.