Genetic-Driven Precision Oncology in Prostate Cancer
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Oncology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2026 | Viewed by 182
Special Issue Editor
Interests: prostate cancer; diagnosis; oncology; statistic; R project for statistical computing; biomarker
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Selecting the most appropriate therapy option for each individual patient remains a challenging task due to the multitude of available options. Insufficient or unprecise diagnostic methods have led to overdiagnosis, overtreatment, and inaccurate assessments of the risk of death. Despite its widespread use for diagnosing and monitoring prostate cancer patients, the limited specificity and sensitivity of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) hinder optimal clinical decision-making.
Genetic profiling through tissue and liquid biopsies is attracting attention, as it enhances our comprehension of the underlying biology and will potentially lead to more precise and personalized therapy selection. However, the multifocal nature of the disease and inter- and intra-tumor heterogeneity undoubtedly pose challenges in identifying clinically valuable biomarkers. So far, the discovery of multiple biomarkers, which have been integrated into current diagnostic methods, risk assessments, and treatment selections has been of limited utility. Furthermore, despite the identification of numerous genomic aberrations and key mutational events that characterize hormone-sensitive or hormone-refractory prostate cancer or lethal disease, the molecular basis behind disease progression in prostate cancer remains largely unknown. Currently, only a few urine, serum, and tissue biomarkers are currently included in the prostate cancer guidelines to aid in clinical decision-making. Examples of these biomarkers include kallikreins (PSA isoforms), which are integrated in the Prostate Health Index (PHI) and 4K score tests (PHI), Prostate Cancer Gen 3 (PCA3), or HOXC6 and DLX1 mRNA in the SelectMDX test. Nevertheless, further research is necessary to validate their effectiveness. Prostate cancer continues to be the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among men. Biomarkers that are suitable as therapeutic targets hold immense potential in the development of individualized therapies. These therapies can significantly improve the management of tumor progression and metastasis and ultimately improve overall survival. It is anticipated that further advancements in personalized medicine will significantly improve treatment outcomes and quality of life for patients with prostate cancer.
For this Special Issue, we are seeking original research articles and state-of-the-art reviews that demonstrate the potential of new or established genetic markers in improving diagnosis and prediction of oncological outcomes in patients with prostate cancer.
I look forward to receiving your contributions.
Dr. Pierre Tennstedt
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- prostate cancer
- genetic
- biomarker
- liquid biopsy
- urine
- blood
- tissue
- treatment strategies
- diagnosis
- progression
- metastasis
- survival
- hormone-sensitive
- hormone-resistant
- androgen deprivation therapy
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