ABSTRACT
Prostate cancer has remained a mysterious disease in terms of its etiology, biological and genetic basis, natural history, clinical presentation and progression. Substantial controversies exist about issues such as screening, diagnosis and treatment. Research into the molecular basis of prostate cancer has revealed numerous clues to the disease process, but definitive solutions to clinical dilemmas are few in number, and no effective therapies exist for advanced prostate cancer. We are now becoming more aware of the enormous complexity that underlies the molecular ‘wiring diagram’ of the cancer cells. In the light of this extreme complexity, it is hardly surprising that the few genes, such as the androgen receptor, that have so far been used as targets for therapy development have not yielded a cure. New tools, technologies and resources will be needed to unravel the mysteries of prostate cancer. Such technologies have now started to emerge with the launch of the post-genomics era and biochip technologies.
