Prognostic factors in prostate cancer

The natural course of prostate cancer is unknown and many efforts have focused on identifying factors that can predict its aggressive phenotype There are conflicting data regarding the predictive value of several important tissue variables (such as grade, stage and volume of the neoplasm, as well as prostate capsule penetration, seminal vesicle-invasion; and positive for tumour-surgical margins). The combination of these variables, which are known to have a close. interrelationship, has proven to increase the predictability of prognosis. Among the most thoroughly examined factors is-the prostate specific antigen which currently is the most valuable marker in detecting the malignancy. The serum values of this antigen have a close relationship with several tissue variables and have increased the Predictability of the clinical outcome of the disease. Additional prognostic factors are the localization of the cancer, genetic predisposition, age and skin colour of the patients. Moreover, other potential molecular or non-molecular markers have been Suggested to be related to prostate cancer progression. However, there is no a single factor so far that has been proven to clearly predict the clinical aggressiveness of the neoplasm. Perhaps other prognosticators under investigation (mainly derived from molecular biology), alone or in some combination, may improve our, ability to determine the ultimate outcome of the prostate cancer in an individual patient.