A newly-discovered Botox injection promises to cure prostate cancer, according to the Daily Mail.
Botox jabs, a type of toxin that is known for 'freezing' wrinkles is being investigated for its effects on cancer, including symptoms of an enlarged prostate. This works by blocking the effect of nerves and may be used to target nerves that supply tumors. Previous researches showed that tumor cells shrivel when the prostate gland is injected with Botox.
This new treatment is being tested among men with localized cancer that has not yet spread beyond the prostate gland. Half of the glad will be injected with Botox and the other half will be injected with saline. A clinical trial at the Texas University involves 15 men who are scheduled for a radical prostatectomy, a surgery to remove the prostate. The cancer cells will be compared after the surgery to measure the possible effects of Botox. Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh found that 75 percent of men injected with Botox had some easing for their prostate cancer symptoms. "Botox has been shown to be safe and effective. One injection, which takes five minutes, can prove effective for a year," the researchers said.
"For the treatment of enlarged prostate, it would be interesting to see the results," said Professor Raj Persad, consultant in urology-oncology at North Bristol NHS Trust. "For the treatment of men with prostate cancer, it is not so straightforward. It is not known how Botox could exert an effect on cancer cells. It may deprive them of nerve elements crucial to their survival, but more research is to look at the effectiveness and to compare outcomes with the existing treatments," he added. Botox jabs also work for pelvic pain in women, according to Harvard University.
