What Are Anti-Angiogenesis Treatments And Are They A Treatment Option For Prostate Cancer?

March 16, 2009 -- Question: What are anti-angiogenesis treatments and are they a treatment option for prostate cancer?

Answer: Anti-angiogenesis is a concept that's been around for a number of years, which really is based on the concept that cancer cells need blood vessels to supply their own growth as well as have access to the rest of the body. So cancer cells sort of use that highway to get an advantage. So a number of drugs have been developed over the years that really block those pathways, and prostate cancer should be one of those tumors where we could use these agents.

Today, there are no approved drugs for prostate cancer that really target the vasculature, or the blood supply, of these tumors.

Lots of studies are being done really to build on the knowledge that we've had in other tumor types, but in prostate cancer that field is still relatively young.