STEROID-HORMONES AND CANCER .4. PROSTATE-CANCER

Over many years, a great deal of attention has focused on the growth r egulatory effects of androgens in prostate cells, This, has also promp ted widespread interest in the role of these steroid hormones in prost ate cancer pathogenesis, Even so, no-one has so far been able to ident ify the exact relationship between androgenic hormone levels and the r isk of these diseases though differences in hormonal patterns amongst racial ethnic groups has been reported to reflect diversities in prost ate cancer incidence, One of the difficulties stems from the fact that serum hormone levels do not reflect the changes observed in prostate tissue androgen concentrations as the normal prostate progresses to a disease state, In this article efforts will be directed towards unders tanding some of the intra-prostate-specific mechanisms responsible for activating and/or repressing the androgen-dependent gene network asso ciated with the gradual transition to a hormone refractive neoplastic state.