Molecular carcinogenesis of prostate cancer: potential clinical relevance and nursing implications

Describe the current state of knowledge on the molecular basis of prostate carcinogenesis, potential clinical relevance of findings, and nursing implications.

Published research articles, clinical summaries, proceedings of conferences, and personal communication with investigators.

The understanding of the molecular basis of prostate cancer lags behind that of other common solid tumors. Until recently, much research was reliant on cell line and animal data. Epidemiologic studies, a recently recognized hereditary variant, and cytogenetic analysis of human prostate tissue have provided insight into prostate carcinogenesis. Like other cancers, prostate cancer results from combined somatic and genetic mutations, gene activations, and interplay of genetic and environmental factors. To date, the most consistent changes are those of allelic loss events with the majority of tumors examined showing loss of alleles from at least one chromosomal arm. No specific genes have yet been identified. Clinical applications of these findings are still in developmental stages or early stages of clinical trials.

An understanding of the molecular basis of cancer is requisite to the provision of up-to-date patient education and to understanding newly developing diagnostic, treatment, and preventive strategies.