For some time now, researches have been studying the link between low oxygen zones in prostate tumors, and the probability of recurrence of the cancer. Studies have made the connection that low oxygen zones are linked to the increased resistance to radiation among solid tumors. The study, if taken forward, can help in determing the amount of radiation levels (including increasing the dose) for treating patients whose tumors show such signs of oxygen resistance (and help in ensuring that the cancer is eliminated and does not come back) (link to article):
She says that the current study reinforces the preliminary findings of the six research papers published between 2000 and 2002, which detailed the link between low oxygen in tumours and the risk of increased prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels.
The study showed that eight of the 57 patients experienced an increase in PSA levels following prostate cancer treatment, defined as an increase of 2 Ng /ml above the lowest PSA reading following Brach therapy. Overall, average muscle oxygenation was 12.5 times higher than that of the tumour. The researchers used a statistical model that accounted for such risk factors as tumour grade, PSA level and tumour size and determined that low oxygen was a significant independent predictor of an increase in PSA levels.
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