Current and proposed biologic markers in prostate cancer

✍ Scribed by David G. Bostwick; Rodolfo Montironi; Raymond Nagle; Thomas Pretlow; Gary Miller; Thomas Wheeler; Jonathan Epstein; Wael Sakr

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1992
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 249 KB
• Volume: 50
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0730-2312
• DOI: 10.1002/jcb.240501214

✦ Synopsis

This approach is more practical than waiting for clinical development of cancer because a shorter time is needed to obtain results, particularly with relatively slow-growing tumors such as prostate cancer. However, the use of intermediate endpoints is limited by their predictive ability; this is a difficult problem with the prostate because we have limited knowledge of many potentially useful markers.

In this report, we outline many of the current and proposed markers in prostate cancer. This list should not be considered all-inclusive, but is presented as an introduction to possible intermediate endpoints which could be considered by those undertaking chemopreventive trials. Many of these markers may be more useful as prognostic factors following the diagnosis of cancer rather than predictive factors for the development of cancer.

Comparative analysis of most of these factors has not been done, so we are unable to recommend the most promising; however, we recognize that the "gold standard" for thediagnosis of prostatic adenocarcinoma remains histopathologic examination. Emphasis is placed on markers useful in tissue preparations, although some of these are useful in serum samples.