[Hormone-resistant epithelial cancer of the prostate]

The study of the prognostic criteria of hormone-resistant prostatic cancer (PC) by specifying expression of androgen receptor protein as well as Bcl-2 and p53 proteins, apoptosis regulators, has demonstrated that tumor cells of hormone-sensitive and hormone-resistant PC forms have different variants of immunophenotype. Hormone-resistance is typical for tumors from urothelial, basal and neuroendocrine PC cells, glandular epithelium cells which lost androgen receptors (AR) and tumors consisting of cells which retain AR but simultaneously express Bcl-2 and/or p53 genes. The discovery of androgen-resistant cancer from glandular epithelium which has immunophenotype characteristics of a hormone-dependent tumor indicates the existence of other mechanisms of protection against apoptosis. The development of hormone-resistant cancer 2.5-3 years after hormonal therapy is associated with changes in immunophenotype of tumor cells. They become Bcl-2- and/or p53-positive while part of them lose AR. Thus, immunophenotype of tumor cells may serve a prognostic marker of hormonal resistance of the tumor and dictate the treatment policy.