Prostate Cancer Methods and Protocols (Methods in Molecular Medicine, 81)

Prostate cancer is the second leading cancer in men in Western society. A major concern, and an area of intensive research, involves understanding why certain prostate cancers remain localized or indolent, whereas others become aggressive and metastasize. The differences between these cancer types have profound implications for patients and physicians. Indolent d- ease, which grows very slowly, generally does not cause any problems to the patient, whereas aggressive disease requires immediate treatment, the earlier the better. At present, there are no markers that discriminate between these two entities, thus causing a dilemma for the management of patients who have recently been diagnosed. The aim of Prostate Cancer Methods and Protocols is to explore cutting-edge molecular methods that may have the potential to reveal markers of disease for use in more accurate diagnoses of prostate c- cer and, consequently, to lead to new treatment strategies. This book provides a comprehensive collection of both in vitro and in vivo step-by-step protocols currently used by leaders in prostate cancer research, advice on approaches that can be used in the study of prostate cancer, as well as reviews covering areas less amenable to laboratory research, such as environmental factors in prostate cancer, to provide the reader with an overview of the prostate cancer research field as it currently stands.

With the prostate as the second leading site of cancer among males in Western society, the need to know why certain prostate cancers remain localized while others become aggressive and metastasize has become critical for the care of patients. In Prostate Cancer Methods and Protocols, leading investigators present basic and advanced molecular methods that reveal those markers essential for more accurate diagnoses of specific diseases, and in developing new treatment strategies. The techniques range from in vitro methods to in vivo models of prostate cancer. New methods for the accurate diagnosis of prostate cancer are also offered, including histological assessment, studies of cells in semen, and methylation analysis of the GSTpi, a potential prostate cancer-specific marker. Additional approaches, including proteome and microarray analyses, address such issues as assessing changes in the androgen receptor and studying the enzymes secreted by prostate cancer cells. New strategies for the treatment of refractory disease cover the role of flavonoids, targeted alpha therapy, methods for implementing immune therapy, and prostate-specific gene therapy. Each method is described in step-by-step detail to ensure successful results.
Comprehensive and cutting-edge, Prostate Cancer Methods and Protocols provides access to the many powerful tools needed by scientists engaged in prostate cancer research today, as well as up-to-date reviews on several key aspects of the disease.