Prostate Cancer in the Molecular Era

Dear Colleagues,

In recent decades, the landscape of cancer treatment has undergone a significant transformation, shifting from a uniform, organ-based approach to a more tailored strategy known as precision medicine. This paradigm shift enables clinicians to design personalized therapeutic interventions based on the molecular characteristics of each patient's disease. Precision medicine has yielded remarkable improvements in disease management and survival rates, particularly for cancers where molecular pathways driving tumor progression have been well characterized. However, in the case of prostate cancer, the full potential of this approach has yet to be realized, highlighting the need for further research into its molecular underpinnings.

Prostate cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed malignancies in men, with a vast majority of cases being non-lethal. However, its high incidence significantly impacts patient’s quality of life. Although technological advancements have provided novel insights into the molecular mechanisms of prostate cancer initiation and progression, challenges remain in effectively diagnosing, treating, and managing the disease. Additionally, racial disparities in prostate cancer outcomes persist, with African American men exhibiting higher incidence and mortality rates compared to European American men. Differences in tumor biology and genomic features between these populations remain an understudied area, necessitating further investigation into their molecular basis.

This Special Issue aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the molecular mechanisms involved in prostate cancer development, progression, and therapeutic resistance. Key areas of focus include the following:

1. Molecular Targets in Prostate Cancer: Understanding the biological pathways sustaining prostate cancer growth and identifying potential therapeutic targets.
2. Precision Medicine Applications: Exploring completed and ongoing clinical trials leveraging precision medicine strategies for prostate cancer treatment.
3. Multi-Omics Approaches: Highlighting the role of transcriptomics, genomics, and artificial intelligence in advancing biomarker discovery and improving patient stratification.
4. Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer (CRPC): Investigating the genomic alterations in CRPC and their implications for targeted therapy.
5. Racial Disparities in Prostate Cancer: Examining the molecular basis of prostate cancer disparities and the role of genetic and epigenetic factors.
6. Non-Coding RNAs and Epigenetics: Evaluating the role of non-coding RNAs as biomarkers and their impact on prostate cancer pathways.

Given the growing importance of precision oncology, the development of biomarker-driven therapies is imperative. Despite recent advances in genomic profiling, molecularly targeted treatments beyond androgen signaling inhibitors remain underutilized in clinical trials. Efforts to identify molecular subtypes and align them with appropriate therapeutic interventions warrant further exploration.

For this Special Issue, we welcome submissions of original research articles and comprehensive reviews that contribute to the understanding of prostate cancer at a molecular level. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following: emerging therapeutic targets, advancements in biomarker discovery, and novel methodologies for patient stratification.

We look forward to receiving contributions that will advance our knowledge of prostate cancer biology and support the development of innovative treatment strategies.

Prof. Dr. Jan Lubinski
Guest Editor

Dr. Milena Matuszczak
Guest Editor Assistant

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• prostate cancer
• precision medicine
• molecular target
• molecular oncology
• tumor microenvironment
• prognostic biomarker
• predictive biomarker
• liquid biopsy
• precision medicine