A Molecular Epidemiologic Case-Case Study of Prostate Cancer
Abstract
Although prostate cancer (PC) is the most common cancer in the western countries, risk factors contributing to the development and progression of this disease have not been well characterized. Furthermore, research on genetic susceptibility to prostate cancer is in its infancy. This study has built upon ongoing NCI-funded projects by adding a panel of genetic susceptibility markers. Specifically, as a part of this study, we were able to accrue an additional 140 new patients with metastatic disease. We evaluated constitutional markers of genetic susceptibility as predictors of prostate cancer risk including: a) polymorphisms within the androgen receptor, 5-alpha-reductase and vitamin D receptor genes, b) relative expression levels of several mismatch repair genes (hMSH2 and hMLH1) and radiosensitivity related genes (ATM GADD45, XRCC1), and c) frequency of replication errors in tumor and normal DNA. These genetic susceptibility marker data are being integrated with epidemiologic and clinical information. Results from this research may identify markers of progression, both epidemiologic and molecular, which could help in the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer. Our findings suggest decreased mismatch repair gene expression may be associated with increased risk of prostate cancer. These results suggest that DNA damage-repair pathways may be involved in prostate carcinogenesis. Results from the analyses of the genetic polymorphisms suggest that some of these may also play a role in prostate cancer prognosis. Further and larger studies are needed to confirm these findings and to farther explore the molecular basis of the underlying mechanisms of prostate cancer etiology and progression.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 2002
- Accession Number
- ADA404596
Entities
People
- Sara S. Strom
Organizations
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center