Improving radiation treatment of prostate cancer

The project in a nutshell

Evaluating the use of drugs to help make prostate cancer cells more susceptible to radiation therapy in combination with a marker that targets the radiation to prostate cancer cells.

Why we funded it

Although radiotherapy is widely used in treating prostate cancer patients, damage to neighbouring normal organs and cells limits the radiation dose which can be delivered. Significantly, there is no curative treatment for prostate cancer that has spread (metastasised). 

Targeted radiotherapy enables the delivery of radiation selectively to cancerous sites while not harming normal tissue. The combination of this targeted approach with the administration of drugs that make the prostate cancer cells more susceptible to radiation is expected to provide the optimal treatment for patients with prostate cancer that has spread.

Grant information

Institution - University of Glasgow
Researcher - Dr Rob Mairs
Grant award - £204,590.05
Duration - 2013-2016
Reference - PG12-12 Mairs