Molecular therapeutics in prostate cancer

Abstract

The purpose of this review is to provide information on the molecular basis of prostate cancer biology and to identify some of the targets for therapy, and highlight some potential strategies for molecular treatment. Here we give a synopsis of what we have learned regarding molecular biology of cancer in general and the directions research might take in the future in order to impact prostate cancer specifically. This work is certainly not encyclopedic in nature and we apologize in advance to colleagues whose work we were no able to include. Hope lies in learning to utilize some of these molecular workings for better prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of the most common solid organ cancer in men. Prostate cancer is a formidable disease and at current rates of diagnosis will affect one-in-six men living in the United States (Greenlee et al., 2000) Many of these men are diagnosed at an early stage of the disease and can be effectively treated by surgery or radiation. However, a significant fraction of men are diagnosed with later stage disease or progress despite early curative therapeutic attempts. Unfortunately, many of these men succumb to prostate cancer, as management options are limited and not always successful. Through an understanding of the molecular processes that occur in the development and progression of prostate cancer, novel therapies will arise that will provide longer survival, better quality of life, and a chance for cure in men afflicted with this disease.