Study finds betamethasone may enhance effectiveness of radiation therapy for prostate cancer
Aug 21, 2022
Lexington [Kentucky], August 21 : The common steroid betamethasone may be used to lessen the side effects of radiation therapy for prostate cancer, according to a recent study from the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center.
The 'International Journal of Molecular Sciences' published the study's findings.
The lab study conducted by Luksana Chaiswing, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology at the UK College of Medicine, is the first to show that betamethasone protects healthy prostate cells from radiation therapy-induced damage while making cancer cells more vulnerable to the therapy.
In the United States, prostate cancer is the second most common cancer that kills men. Radiation therapy is crucial for slowing the spread of prostate cancer, but it also carries a high risk of worsening unwanted side effects, including damage to healthy tissues.
The effectiveness of radiation therapy must be increased while normal tissue injury is protected against, according to Chaiswing. The improvement of such methods would significantly improve patient quality of life and prostate cancer control.
The team examined about 700 drugs that had been given the go-ahead by the Food and Drug Administration for traits like preventing non-cancerous cells from being harmed by radiation therapy's cytotoxicity, eliminating prostate cancer cells, and raising hydrogen peroxide levels in both cancerous and non-cancerous cells.
One of the top five medications with all the desired qualities was the corticosteroid betamethasone, which is approved for the treatment of inflammation and cancer of the hematopoietic system.
In healthy, non-cancerous prostate cells, betamethasone raises hydrogen peroxide levels, which causes "RelB," a protective protein, to become active.
According to Chaiswing, the project's results "could result in a new anticancer regimen that enhances the effectiveness of radiation therapy by sensitizing tumour tissue to radiation while also protecting normal tissue from radiation-induced side effects, which could lead to improved quality of life for cancer survivors."
