Book Review
Prostate Cancer: Biology, Genetics, and the New Therapeutics
N Engl J Med 2002; 346:1677-1678May 23, 2002
- Article
Prostate Cancer: Biology, Genetics, and the New Therapeutics
(Contemporary Cancer Research.) Edited by Leland W.K. Chung, William B. Isaacs, and Jonathan W. Simons. 531 pp. Totowa, N.J., Humana Press, 2001. $145. ISBN: 0-89603-868-8Public awareness of prostate cancer has substantially increased over the past decade. Screening based on the measurement of prostate-specific antigen in serum has revolutionized the detection and management of prostate cancer. Therapeutic options include surgery, radiation therapy, and hormonal therapy, but specialists in prostate cancer have been unable to formulate clear guidelines for choosing one over another. Because of the complexity of the problem, there is a plethora of books written for the lay public, but there are few textbooks for physicians that review recent advances in basic and clinical aspects of prostate cancer.
For this reason, Prostate Cancer is a welcome addition to the literature. The book is dedicated to Donald Coffey, Ph.D., who has made important contributions to the field and has trained many researchers in prostate cancer. He is a role model for many in academic medicine.
The main strength of this book is that experts from several disciplines have contributed their thoughts on recent advances in prostate cancer. After an introductory chapter, the book has three sections; the first covers the genetics of prostate cancer, the second biologic aspects, and the third treatment approaches. The highlights of the section on genetics include chapters on familial prostate cancer and on the study of gene expression in prostate cancer with the use of gene-array libraries. This section also covers genetic alterations, molecular epidemiology, and polymorphisms of androgen receptors in prostate cancer.
The section on biology comprehensively covers cell–cell and cell–matrix interactions and cellular signaling pathways in prostate cancer. The chapter on tyrosine kinases is of particular interest, since these molecules may hold special promise for the treatment of prostate cancer, as they have for the treatment of other malignant conditions. The chapter on stromal–epithelial interaction in prostate cancer is also important, since there is a growing recognition of the role of the microenvironment in the progression of tumors.
The section on treatment nicely covers prevention, surgical therapy, and radiation therapy. This section also includes chapters on experimental protocols, mainly for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer; antiprogression agents such as short-chain fatty acids and vitamin D analogues may hold special promise for the treatment of prostate cancer. The chapter on trials of chemopreventive agents is particularly important, since many patients self-prescribe these natural and synthetic medications, and physicians need to have a better understanding of their mechanisms of action and efficacy. There is also an increasing effort to examine the role of chemopreventive agents in the treatment of prostate cancer.
I strongly recommend this book to researchers who study prostate cancer, whether at the bench or at the bedside, and to clinicians who treat patients with prostate cancer. Most of the chapters include references with publication dates as recent as 2000. Overall, the book covers our current knowledge of prostate cancer and its treatment and helps define the foundation for future directions.
Aria F. Olumi, M.D.
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA 02215
aolumi@caregroup.harvard. edu
