Pathogenesis of prostate cancer

Abstract

Prostate cancer is one of the most frequent cancers in Western countries and has been also one of the most rapidly increasing malignant diseases in Korean men. This disease shows diverse features in clinical course ranging from an indolent disease to a lethal one. Accordingly, underlying molecular mechanisms and genetic changes involved in the development and progression of various types of prostate cancer are very heterogeneous. Thus, investigation of pathogenesis of prostate cancer is very challenging, and, at this point of time, only a handful of molecular and genetic factors were identified as pathogenic factors for prostate cancer. Plenty of data support the strong relationship between age, race and family history and the development of prostate cancer. In addition, androgen related factors such as androgen metabolism and receptor signaling are highly correlated with tumor development and progression. Numerous genetic or epigenetic changes including gene mutation and methylation contribute to the development and progression of prostate cancer. In this article, we summarize the current understanding of the pathogenesis of prostate cancer, with a special focus on underlying genetic and epigenetic alterations.