Recent advances in prostate cancer: Basic science discoveries and clinical advances

This book effectively summarizes our knowledge of recent advances in prostate cancer. It focuses on our state-of-the-art understanding of risk factors, prevention, detection, prognosis and treatment of prostate cancer and identifies basic science findings that are being translated into clinical practice. In addition, the book singles out key areas of research that have potential for clinical translation. Both basic scientists and clinicians will be invited to provide up-to-date reviews in each area of prostate cancer. During the last decade the pace of clinical discovery and the scientific advances in prostate cancer have been very rapid. For instance, currently there are more than 100 drugs in the pharmaceutical pipeline that have the potential for clinical management of prostate cancer. Therefore, it has been very difficult for clinicians and basic scientists to keep pace with the field as a whole. Recently, some of these discoveries are already having an impact on clinical practice. For example, the discovery of the androgen receptor gene amplification in prostate cancer has led to the development of a “super-antiandrogen”, which is being tested in clinical trials. Also, recent knowledge of androgen synthesis in prostate cancer cells has led to clinical trials with steroid-metabolism inhibitors. Finally, robotic surgery has also dramatically changed clinical practice. Thus, this important book serves to provide readers with a one-stop overview of the field of prostate cancer research and its translation into the clinical arena.