Chemoprevention strategies in the prostate: an overview.

Chemoprevention is the administration of agents (drugs, biologics, and nutrients) to prevent induction, inhibit, or delay the progression of cancers. Prostate cancer is an important target for chemoprevention because of its long latency and high prevalence. The development of rational chemopreventive strategies requires knowledge of the mechanisms of prostate carcinogenesis and identification of agents that interfere with these mechanisms. Because of the long time period for prostate carcinogenesis and the large size of the cohort required for an evaluable study, identification and characterization of early intermediate biomarkers and their validation as surrogate endpoints for cancer incidence are essential for chemopreventive agent development. Finally, suitable populations with appropriate risk factors, including the presence of premalignant lesions and genetic predispositions, need to be well characterized for future chemopreventive interventions.