There will also be a major focus on testicular cancer, and other male urological cancers such as bladder and kidney. Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men after lung cancer, with around 19,500 diagnoses and 9,500 deaths each year. However, funding for work on the disease is still very low - just 5 per cent of the total spend on cancer research. Scientists already working at The Institute will move into the centre, and share their expertise in a co-ordinated research programme looking at the causes and underlying mechanisms of cancer, and new treatments. Dr Judith Bliss at The Institute of Cancer Research, in collaboration with Dr Margaret Raymon at the University of Surrey and experts in Sweden and Denmark, are looking for funding to start a trial to establish conclusive results, involving 32,000 people.
Selenium is a trace mineral present in soil which is absorbed into the food chain through plants.
Selenium levels in the UK diet are very low - two thirds less than the USA, and lower than most European countries. The trial would involve 10,000 people in the UK being given a supplement of placebo or varying doses of selenium. The Medical Research Council has as The Institute to participate in the submission of a full proposal to introduce a national screening evaluation trial for the Prostate Specific Antigen test, with a view to starting the trials in April 2001. Dr Ros Eeles at The Institute heads up Britain's largest study of familial prostate cancer, with a collection of over 240 families to assist in the search for prostate cancer genes. Dr Eeles is also conducting a study to assess the impact of the environment on the development of hereditary prostate cancer.