Dr. William J. Catalona, first to develop prostate specific antigen blood tests (PSA), is now focusing on genetic research to better understand what causes prostate cancer, as well as guide the way to effective and preventative treatments and cures.

Under the umbrella of the Urological Research Foundation (URF), several new genetic regions statistically associated with prostate cancer have been discovered, suggesting doctors may be able to determine which men carry a mutated gene that predisposes them to the disease. In that vein, Dr. Catalona's newly formed Familial Prostate Cancer Center is also examining the connection between prostate and breast cancer and whether mutated genes in the two sexes cause the respective cancers. Moreover, Catalona is studying such intriguing questions as whether a mother can pass prostate cancer to her son while a father passes breast cancer to a daughter.

Other URF initiatives include: recording family histories of men with and without the cancer, supporting a biorepository to retain tumor tissues and blood samples and encouraging collaborative research with other leading scientists. Catalona is a professor at Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine and Director of Northwestern's Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center. For more information: www.drcatalona.com.

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