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The prostate carcinoma is one of the most frequent forms of cancer. Nevertheless, at the moment there is still no satisfactory diagnostic method to enable a clear distinction between slow-growing and aggressive fast-growing tumours. This means that patients are frequently treated unnecessarily or wrongly, often with serious side-effects. A new form of diagnosis can help to eliminate these imponderabilities.

The German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) in Heidelberg, in cooperation with other partners, has developed a process which recognizes the pattern of gene activities in prostate tissue and can thus trace and evaluate cancerous cells at a very early stage. Samples of gene activities are arranged on a chip. Following a reaction with the processed tissue sample, different colours indicate the activity of certain genes and thus provide the doctor with the information needed to diagnose the prostate carcinoma with certainty. The process is currently being studied as to its suitability for everyday use in hospitals.