Grant: CIHR Fellowship

In Canada, prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer diagnosed in men, accounting for over one quarter of all cancers and more than ten percent of all cancer deaths. Men with prostate cancer metastasis have the poorest outcomes. A number of previous studies, as well as some recent results from laboratory experiments in animals, have shown a protective association between certain medications, known as calcium channel blockers, and the development of cancer. The goal of this study is to determine if calcium channel blocking medications can potentially prevent prostate cancer metastases. British Columbia is the ideal place to conduct this research, as all necessary data on patient disease history and drug use are available through the B.C. Cancer Registry and B.C. Ministry of Health. All data provided are anonymized to protect the privacy of patients. Men diagnosed with prostate cancer in B.C. between 1986 and 2011 will be identified using data from the B.C. Cancer Registry. Linked data from B.C. PharmaNet will provide information on the dispensing of calcium channel blocking medications. Information on cancer metastases and survival rate will also be collected. We will conduct analyses to determine if specific calcium channel blocking medications improve patient outcomes. Results of our study will be published in medical journals and presented to national and international researchers and clinicians interested in prostate cancer. If an association is found between calcium channel blocker use and survival or metastases appearance in prostate cancer patients, then calcium channel blockers could potentially be prescribed to either prevent metastases or prolong survival in prostate cancer patients.