GENETIC AND EPIGENETIC INFLUENCES IN PROSTATIC CARCINOGENESIS - (REVIEW)

Prostatic carcinogenesis is a multistep process with well-documented s tages. Although prostate cancer is a major cause of mortality many sma ll tumor foci never progress to form clinically significant disease, i ndicating that the disease process may be regulated at more than one l evel. Carcinogenesis is accompanied by increasing genetic damage to pr ostatic epithelial cells, however the pattern of genetic lesions is in consistent. The differentiation of stromal cells surrounding tumors is more fibroblastic and less muscular than in normal prostate. The pres ent communication reviews the roles of both genetic and, stromally der ived, epigenetic effects on prostatic tumorigenesis.