Prostate cancer represents a major health problem in men worldwide. Androgens are required for the growth and maintenance of the prostate.
Androgens act by binding to the androgen receptor AR , a nuclear receptor transcription factor present in the prostate tissues. Most prostate tumors also retain their androgen dependence; therefore, androgen ablation is usually the preferred initial therapeutic approach for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer patients.
This review summarizes the current information regarding the role of androgens in prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed male cancer in the Western World [ 1 ]. Since activation of androgen receptors by androgens is required for the growth and survival of malignant prostate cells and because prostate cancer is usually androgen dependent in the beginning [ 2 — 5 ], androgen ablation therapy in the form of medical and or surgical castration is initially effective in inhibiting the growth of these tumors in most patients [ 3 , 5 ].
However, with time, the tumor recurs in an androgen-refractory manner, presenting with a more aggressive and metastatic phenotype, which is resistant to further hormonal manipulation and therefore called castration-resistant prostate cancer [ 4 , 5 ]. Since androgens play important roles in the growth and survival of prostate cancer cells [ 2 — 5 ], we will address the role of androgens in the development and progression of prostate cancer. Androgens are sex hormones, which regulate the differentiation and maturation of male reproductive organs, as well as development of male secondary characteristics [ 4 ].
Testosterone production is tightly controlled by the hypothalamic—pituitary—gonadal axis and is produced primarily by the Leydig cells of the testes in response to the stimulation by luteinizing hormone LH produced in the anterior pituitary [ 7 ].
