Therapeutic implications of the revised concept of hormone-refractory metastatic prostate cancer.

Almost till patients with prostate cancer become refractory to hormonal therapy which blocks androgen-dependent cellular proliferation. The key to this resistance is related to overexpression of the androgen receptor (AR). Alternative methods designed to block signalling pathways mediated by AR appear to be critical for tumour survival. These signalling pathways, which interact with the AR, coil increase the response to androgen deprivation. Identification of signalling pathways will be an important objective for the treatment of prostate cancer Application of new treatments must be preceded by identification of the genetic and molecular profiles of each patient's tumour.