Prof Freddie Hamdy

Investigating prostate cancer treatment and screening

Professor Freddie Hamdy is Professor of Urology and Head of Oncology at the University of Sheffield. He is currently Principal Investigator of a clinical trial to see if prostate cancer screening using the PSA test could decrease the number of deaths from this disease.

He is also Principal Investigator of ProMPT, a national collaborative for prostate cancer research.

The PSA test

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in UK men. A blood test is available to help diagnose the disease, which tests for levels of a protein called prostate-specific antigen (PSA).

Levels of PSA are usually increased when a man has prostate cancer. However, not all men with high PSA levels have prostate cancer, and not all men with prostate cancer have high PSA levels. Because of this, there is disagreement amongst scientists and doctors as to whether PSA tests should be used to form the basis of a national screening programme for prostate cancer.

Professor Hamdy is leading a UK-wide study that will find out if screening for prostate cancer, using the PSA test, would lead to more men surviving the disease.

The trial is comparing the number of cases of prostate cancer in two large groups of men. One group will have PSA tests, the other group will not. The researchers will also compare survival rates of the men who develop prostate cancer in each group. In total, almost half a million men will be involved in the study.

This study is an integral part of an even bigger NHS-funded Health Technology Assesment (HTA) study called ProtecT, of which Professor Hamdy is Chief Investigator. The study is investigating the best type of treatment for men who are diagnosed with prostate cancer through PSA testing.

If Professor Hamdy's studies show that early detection of prostate cancers using the PSA test increases survival, it may lead to the introduction of a national screening programme for the disease. A screening programme, coupled with effective treatment, could have a huge impact on the number of men who survive prostate cancer.

It will also avoid unecessary treatment for men whose disease is unlikely to cause harm, and who require monitoring alone.

ProMPT

Professor Hamdy is Principal Investigator of ProMPT (Prostate cancer: Mechanisms of Progression and Treatment) - a national collaborative for prostate cancer research funded by Cancer Research UK, the Medical Research Council and the Department of Health.

His research group is investigating the interaction between prostate cancer cells and bone, as many prostate cancers tend to spread to the bones. They are also studying molecular events in cells which turn off the genes involved in promoting the progression of cancer.

And they are developing a state-of-the-art sample bank of blood and other tissues, from both prostate cancer patients and healthy men. This will help develop new tests and treatments for the disease.