難治性前立腺癌に対する治療の現状と問題点 : 前立腺癌の再燃の機序

Abstract

Androgen-deprivation therapy is often the first choice of several therapeutic procedures for advanced prostate cancer. However, despite an initial response to androgen-deprivation therapy, the cancer eventually progresses from an androgen-dependent to an androgen-independent phenotype. Molecular mechanism of development to androgen-independence and recurrence during androgen-deprivation therapy remain unclear. The observation that heterogeneity of AR expression in prostate cancer correlates with malignancy suggests that androgen responsiveness plays an important key role in the progression of prostate cancer. Therefore, it is very important to consider the role of AR and mechanisms of relapse when we treat androgen-independent prostate cancer.