Nanotechnology and prostate cancer

Abstract

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second leading cause of cancer-related death. Despite its high incidence, many uncertainties related to PCa diagnosis and management remains. Current treatment including surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy are mostly ineffective against advanced-stage PCa [1]. PCa can be largely asymptomatic in the early stages. Thus, in some countries, men above the age of 50 are screened regularly by digital rectal examination (DRE) or for elevated serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels. Patients with abnormal test results are recommended for prostatic biopsy, which can confirm a diagnosis of PCa. Despite the use of an advanced protocol, sampling error still can occur in some patients, especially those with large prostate glands. Thus, novel approaches are needed to overcome the limitations of the present methods. At the same time, identification of molecular signatures corresponding to histological subtypes is an essential step toward understanding of the molecular basis of tumor development. There is mounting evidence that a substantial proportion of men with screen-detected PCa would otherwise have not known about the disease during their life in the absence of screening. In these men, cancer treatment may not be beneficial. Thus, it is critically important to establish ways to perform accurate and meaningful assessments of men with a potential to develop the disease.