Molecular epidemiology of androgen-metabolic loci in prostate cancer: Predisposition and progression

Purpose: We review recent molecular epidemiological data with regard to the association between several allelic variants of certain androgen-metabolic genes and the predisposition to and progression of prostate cancer. Materials and Methods: We review recent data dealing with genetic variations in androgens and the etiology of prostate cancer. Results: Recent molecular epidemiological data support an association between several allelic variants of certain androgen-metabolic genes and the predisposition to and progression of prostate cancer. While some of the allelic variants examined are consistently shown to be associated with increased prostate cancer risk, most of the variants show significant variability in risk. Conclusions: A multidisciplinary attack on this problem, involving biochemistry, molecular genetics, pharmacogenetics, endocrinology and epidemiology, may be a useful paradigm in the analysis of prostate cancer and other complex human diseases. Based on the reviewed literature, we propose a guide on how and which single nucleotide polymorphisms to use in linkage and association studies of multifactorial phenotypes.