The Prostate Cancer Group at MOMA

About Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer (PC) is the most commonly diagnosed malignancy and the second leading cause of cancer-related death in males in Western countries, including Denmark, where approx. 4000 men are diagnosed every year.

Clinically localized PC is curable by surgery (radical prostatectomy) and radiation therapy, but up to 30% of the patients experience disease progression within 10 years. A considerable number of patients treated for organ-confined PC, however, would not have developed clinically significant disease during their lifetime even without treatment.

The routine prognostic indicators available today, including serum PSA (prostate specific antigen), cannot distinguish clearly between these groups.
Thus, the widespread use of PSA testing for PC detection has not only led to an increased incidence of PC diagnosis, but also to significant over-diagnosis and over-treatment of clinically insignificant PC.

Currently, the perhaps largest challenge in the management of PC is to distinguish between cancers that will progress rapidly and become life-threatening, and cancers that will remain latent and not significantly affect the health of the patient.

Biobanks

Since 2002, the prostate cancer research group at CMCC has collaborated closely with the Department of Urology at Aarhus University Hospital, Skejby, to collect biological samples from patients with PC.

Currently, our biobank holds samples from almost 1000 PC patients with clinical follow-up information. We also have PC tissue microarrays with specimens from 300 prostatectomized PC patients (end-point: PSA recurrence) as well as from 200 conservatively treated PC patients (end-point: cancer-specific death).   

Aim of Research

The primary aim of our research is to identify and develop new molecular markers for PC to increase the accuracy of diagnosis and prognosis, and thereby pave the way for better personalized treatment.
Our approach is translational, integrating clinical and basic studies with a clear focus on improving the diagnosis and treatment of PC.

Current Research Activities

Identification and development of novel DNA methylation markers for PC

Identification of molecular markers for aggressive PC, using microarray gene expression profiling

Development and clinical testing of SNP-based PC risk prediction algorithms (MOLPROS)

Molecular and genetic characterization of hereditary PC

Tissue microarray studies for validation of candidate markers

Identification of microRNA markers in plasma from PC patients

In vitro functional studies of microRNA genes with a possible role in PC development/progression

Group Leader:
Karina Dalsgaard Sørensen, Associate professor, MSc, PhD

Selected Publications:

Vestergaard EM, Nexø E, Tørring N, Borre M, Orntoft TF, Sørensen KD.
Promoter hypomethylation and upregulation of trefoil factors in prostate cancer.
Int J Cancer. 2010 Jan 28. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed

Sørensen KD, Orntoft TF.
Discovery of prostate cancer biomarkers by microarray gene expression profiling.
Expert Rev Mol Diagn. 2010 Jan;10(1):49-64. PubMed

Sørensen KD, Wild PJ, Mortezavi A, Adolf K, Tørring N, Heebøll S, Ulhøi BP, Ottosen P, Sulser T,
Hermanns T, Moch H, Borre M, Ørntoft TF and Dyrskjøt L.
Genetic and Epigenetic SLC18A2 Silencing in Prostate Cancer is an Independent Adverse Predictor of Biochemical Recurrence after Radical Prostatectomy.
Clin Cancer Res. 2009 Feb 15;15(4):1400-10. PubMed