Prostate cancer biomarkers: a current perspective

Genomic- and proteomic-based studies have led to the identification of a large number of candidate biomarkers, as well as signature patterns of multiple markers for prostate cancer diagnosis, disease progression and prediction of survival. While these candidates include the usual suspects, including oncogenes, proliferation markers and cytoskeletal proteins, there are many additional unexpected molecules such as those involved in processes such as transcriptional repression and fatty acid metabolism. Patterns of expression serving as useful biomarkers is a new and, as yet, clinically untested concept which promises to permit a consideration of the complex milieu of cancer. Exciting as these developments are, clinical application will have to await careful validation of these candidates by independent biochemical approaches over large and diverse samples.