Studying prostate cancer genes
About Rosalind Eeles
Professor Ros Eeles at the Institute of Cancer Research in Sutton is an internationally-reknowned expert in cancer genetics. She is particularly studying prostate cancer genetics, to reveal more effective ways to diagnose and treat the disease.
Prostate cancer genetics
There is strong evidence that some men carry genes that increase their risk of prostate cancer. To track these down, Professor Eeles co-ordinates several large studies of families with a history of prostate cancer. Her team have so far found that inheriting a faulty BRCA2 gene - which is known to increase the risk of breast and ovarian cancer in women - increases the risk of prostate cancer in men.
She is now involved in an international study to see if prostate cancer screening, using the PSA test, can spot the disease early in men with a faulty BRCA2 gene.
International Cancer Genome Consortium
As part of a worldwide collaboration called the International Cancer Genome Consortium, Professor Eeles and her team are decoding the genes at the heart of prostate cancer to find the faults that drive the disease. This work will uncover vital clues for new tests and treatments – find out more on our blog.
Other research projects by Rosalind Eeles
The IMPACT Study: application for a multinational targeted prostate screening study based on genotype
Funding period: 01 July 2011 to 31 August 2015
Translational research in individuals with genetic predisposition to cancer: the prostate cancer genetic predisposition programme
Funding period: 01 October 2012 to 30 September 2014