title: ERG expression in prostate cancer: biological relevance and clinical implication.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Screening for increased levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) has allowed early detection of a large majority of prostate cancer (PCa) cases. However, the relative lack of specificity of PSA has resulted in significant over-diagnosis and unnecessary treatment for indolent tumors. The fusion of the transmembrane protease serine 2 with E26 transformation-specific family genes, particularly ERG, is the most widespread genetic alteration in prostate cancer, and data suggest that it is more specific for neoplastic prostate disease and may be of added prognostic value and point toward molecular subtype of PCa.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this review, retrospective studies and clinical trials were analyzed to highlight the recent advances in our understanding of the cellular consequence of ERG rearrangement, describe its interactions with other genetic and molecular pathways, and discuss its potential diagnostic and prognostic value.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ERG over-expression has an emerging role in the diagnosis of PCa pathology, although there is still debate about its prognostic value. Elucidation of the mechanisms of ERG gene rearrangements and expression promises novel therapeutic and diagnostic avenues for prostate cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Calgary and Calgary Laboratory Services, Calgary, AB, Canada.|Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute and Tom Baker Cancer Center, Calgary, AB, Canada.
authors.forename: Hatem
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Abou-Ouf
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Calgary and Calgary Laboratory Services, Calgary, AB, Canada.
authors.forename: Liena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Calgary and Calgary Laboratory Services, Calgary, AB, Canada. Tarek.Bismar@cls.ab.ca.|Departments of Oncology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada. Tarek.Bismar@cls.ab.ca.|Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute and Tom Baker Cancer Center, Calgary, AB, Canada. Tarek.Bismar@cls.ab.ca.
authors.forename: Tarek A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Bismar
mesh_terms: D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000378:metabolism; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015398:Signal Transduction; D000071230:Transcriptional Regulator ERG / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C072312:ERG protein, human; D000071230:Transcriptional Regulator ERG; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
keywords: Clinical implication; Diagnosis; ERG; Gene signatures; Prognosis; Prostate cancer