title: The role of androgen receptor expression in the curative treatment of prostate cancer with radiotherapy: a pilot study.
abstract: The androgen receptor (AR) and its signaling pathway play an important role in the development and progression of prostate cancer (PCa). In the setting of primary treatment of PCa with radiotherapy (RT), where the AR can be expected to be of more importance, studies evaluating the AR expression are lacking. The goal of this research is to evaluate AR protein expression in hormone-naive PCa patients treated by RT and investigate its possible prognostic role. Primary biopsy samples of 18 patients treated with primary RT were analyzed including the corresponding clinical information. AR protein expression of the tumor epithelium (with highest Gleason pattern) and the surrounding stroma was quantified using the Quick score for steroid receptors. The differential expression between epithelium and stroma, respectively, between tumor and normal tissue (ΔTumor - ΔBenign >2 versus ≤ 2), was predictive for clinical progression-free survival in the biopsy samples (P = 0.014). Preliminary results of this research show already a promising role of differential AR expression in predicting clinical relapse after PCa treatment with primary EBRT. Further research is needed to validate these findings. Hopefully this can lead to a better understanding of PCa evolution and eventually lead to better therapy strategies.
authors: Department of Urology, Ghent University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, 9000 Gent, Belgium.
authors: Filip
authors: F
authors: Poelaert
authors: Department of Urology, Ghent University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, 9000 Gent, Belgium.
authors: Charles
authors: C
authors: Van Praet
authors: Department of Pathology, Ghent University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, 9000 Gent, Belgium.
authors: Anne-Sophie
authors: AS
authors: Beerens
authors: Department of Radiotherapy Oncology, Ghent University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, 9000 Gent, Belgium.
authors: Gert
authors: G
authors: De Meerleer
authors: Department of Radiotherapy Oncology, Ghent University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, 9000 Gent, Belgium.
authors: Valérie
authors: V
authors: Fonteyne
authors: Department of Radiotherapy Oncology, Ghent University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, 9000 Gent, Belgium.
authors: Piet
authors: P
authors: Ost
authors: Department of Urology, Ghent University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, 9000 Gent, Belgium.
authors: Nicolaas
authors: N
authors: Lumen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000728:Androgens / Q000235:genetics; D018450:Disease Progression; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000532:radiotherapy; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011379:Prognosis; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D011944:Receptors, Androgen / Q000235:genetics*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: C410798:AR protein, human; D000728:Androgens; D011944:Receptors, Androgen