Overview

Prostate cancer in the Western world represents a continuing clinical paradox. The prostate is the most cancer-prone internal organ based on cancer incidence rates, yet only an unpredictable 10% of prostate cancer cases progress to lethality. Similar to most other solid tumours, nearly all lethal cases are linked with metastasis and subsequent emergence of therapy-resistant disease. The drivers of these lethal forms of the disease are poorly understood.

Within this research program we will leverage our extensive discovery program in localised prostate cancer and treatment resistance to develop and validate new tests that will better inform patients and clinicians when selecting treatment options, as well as implement new treatment intensification strategies for high-risk disease.

This research program brings together a multi-institutional, trans-disciplinary and international team, who, through their collective experience and expertise, are uniquely placed to make significant improvements to the outcomes of men with localised prostate cancer within the next 5 to 7 years by:

1. generating better methods to identify patients with lethal prostate cancer early in their natural history;
2. developing new treatment strategies for high risk disease; and
3. validating biomarkers that predict treatment response.