Angiogenesis and prostate cancer: important laboratory and clinical findings

Prostate cancer is the leading cause of cancer diagnosis in men and the second leading cause of cancer-related death. Androgen ablation is effective initially, and progression of disease often occurs in many patients. Although recent reports have noted a survival benefit when patients with androgen-independent prostate cancer are treated with docetaxel, patients still have disease progression. Angiogenesis plays a pivotal role for the growth, invasion, and metastasis of prostate cancer. Therefore, antiangiogenesis is a promising new therapeutic modality. More than 20 antiangiogenic agents are now in various stages of clinical trials. We discuss current knowledge on controlling tumor angiogenesis and advances in the development of antiangiogenic agents with promising antitumor activity in prostate cancer.