Prostate Cancer Research at the University of Colorado Cancer Center
The University of Colorado Cancer Center Prostate Cancer Program involves extensive collaboration among the areas of surgical oncology, medical oncology, radiation oncology, pathology and basic science.
Featured Researcher
Michael Glodé, MD, is a medical oncologist who specializes in prostate cancer treatment and research. He was PI on the study leading to approval of leuprolide and is currently PI on the only national NCI sponsored adjuvant treatment protocol for high risk prostate cancer patients following surgery.
His laboratory interests include studies on a toxin-conjugate of GnRH which appears capable of directly killing tumor cells aberrantly expressing the GnRH receptor as well as eliminating pituitary gonadotropes. He has additional funded research evaluating the efficacy of a flavanone found in milk thistle, silibinin.
Basic Research
- We are investigating how Vitamin D operate through the PDF gene to regulate prostate cancer cell growth (Pathologists Dr. James Lambert and Dr. Scott Lucia)
- We are exploring the effects of a natural product from milk thistle, called silibinin, to inhibit prostate cancer growth in cell culture, animal models and patients (Medical Oncologists Dr. Mike Glodé and Dr. Tom Flaig and Pharmacologist Dr. Rajesh Agarwal)
- We are evaluating the protein (proteomic) profile expressed in prostate secretions in a search for new disease biomarkers (Medical Oncologist Dr. David Crawford and Pathologist Priya Werahera and colleagues)
Clinical Research
We have more than a dozen ongoing research projects that involve different levels of clinical research trials. We are committed to studying new forms of treatment such as:
- active surveillance
- preoperative chemotherapy for high risk patients
- adjuvant chemotherapy for high-risk radiation therapy patients (given after radiation therapy and/or surgery has removed all traces of the tumor)
- new drugs that target growth pathways, which may be useful in patients with hormone refractory disease
Current Clinical Research Studies
- Dr. Mike Glodé is the principal investigator on the largest adjuvant chemotherapy trial ever attempted. This phase III clinical trial is being conducted nationwide at multiple cancer centers. Researchers are comparing the overall and disease-free survival of patients with high-risk adenocarcinoma of the prostate treated with adjuvant androgen deprivation therapy with or without mitoxantrone and prednisone after radical prostatectomy. (This research trial is closed to patients.)
- Dr. Tom Flaig is conducting a pilot study to evaluate gene expression in prostate cancer following exposure to silibinin.
-
3D mapping of the prostate allows urologic
oncologists to pinpoint tumors for more accurate
therapy applications.
- Drs. Al Barqawi and David Crawford are also leading an 800-patient, multi-center prospective study of the effectiveness of non-surgical cryoablation on men whose prostate cancer has recurred after radiation therapy. The study is called SCORE (Salvage Cryotherapy Registry Evaluation).
Recent Publications