The Australian Prostate Cancer Family Register comprises a series of studies building resources in Australia, along with local and international scientific collaborations, to increase our ability to find and characterise prostate cancer susceptibility genes.
Australian Risk Factors for Prostate Cancer Study (ARFPCS).
The Australian Risk Factors for Prostate Cancer Study (ARFPCS), was an NHMRC funded, multi-centre, population based case-control study of prostate cancer carried out between 1994 and 1997. Cases were recruited via population cancer registers. Eligible cases were men diagnosed under age 70 years with histopathologically confirmed carcinoma of the prostate, excluding those with Gleason scores under 5. Random samples of 100%, 50%, and 25%, respectively, of cases diagnosed in age groups younger than 60, 60-64 and 65-69 years were approached. Eligible controls were identified through the electoral rolls and were frequency matched to the age distribution of the cases. We interviewed a total of 1,475 cases and 1,405 controls in Melbourne, Sydney and Perth. Reported family histories of prostate cancer were validated where possible by record linkage to cancer and death registers.
Australian Prostate Cancer Family Study (APCFS).
Half way through recruitment to the ARFPCS, additional funds were obtained to collect DNA, and blood samples were subsequently drawn prospectively from those remaining to be interviewed. This add-on study was titled the Australian Prostate Cancer Family Study (APCFS). We obtained blood from 740 controls (71% of those approached) and 836 cases (83% of those approached). Altogether 105 of these cases were aged less than 56 years at diagnosis. Blood was also sampled from the relatives of cases and controls with a first-degree family history of prostate cancer.
Early Onset Prostate Cancer Study (EOPCS).
Since the above studies completed recruitment (1998) we have continued to recruit men aged less than 60 years at diagnosis with prostate cancer from the Melbourne Metropolitan Area. This study is called the Early Onset Prostate Cancer Study (EOPCS). Currently 1450 additional probands in this age group (as well as any available parents, brothers and uncles) have been recruited and given blood samples with a response of just over 75%. Of the 1450 new probands, 1165 are aged less than 56 years at diagnosis. Recruitment is continuing but since 2010 the new focus of recruitment have become incident cases of aggressive prostate cancer and their families
Aggressive Prostate Cancer Study (APCS).
In 2010 we started a new case-control study of aggressive prostate cancer funded by a NHMRC Project Grant (623204). Every new case of aggressive prostate cancer diagnosed in Victoria is invited to participate and for each case one man matched by age and with a negative biopsy is selected and invited to participate. We are expecting to recruit more than 1,000 cases and 1,000 controls by the end of 2014.