Immunotherapy to control prostate cancer: trials, tribulations and new hope

Raoul R. Salup, MD, FACS, Mich

Abstract

For clinicians and patients with a history of effectively treated prostate cancer (PC) alike, it is very sobering to observe the occurrence of metastases 15 years or later following successful definitive therapy, confirmed by absence of demonstrable tumor marker positivity for many years (1). Why is this happening and could it be prevented or controlled?  Perhaps  the answer may come from a deeper understanding of immunity to PC and possible emergent immunotherapy (IT). Recent, encouraging advances in cancer IT as well as other biological approaches herald a new dawn in oncology enabled in part by inception of the new Open Access Journal of Cancer & Metastasis Research.