Estrogens in prostate cancer

Abstract

Although prostate cancer represents a major health issue in men in Western countries, being a common cause of morbidity and mortality after the age of 50, it ought to be preventable and curable. Notwithstanding, despite the most recent advances in both basic and translational research, the molecular basis of prostate cancer remains poorly understood. In particular, the mechanisms underlying development and progression of this neoplasm appear to be complex: genetic and environmental factors (notably lifestyle and diet), along with endogenous sex hormones and host immune and inflammatory response, are likely to be interconnected in the pathogenesis of the disease.