Update in systemic therapy of prostate cancer: improvement in quality and duration of life.

Overall survival benefit with a docetaxel and prednisone regimen in metastatic androgen-independent prostate cancer marked a major advance in the management of prostate cancer. Immunotherapy, antiangiogenic therapies and targeted agents are areas of active research interest. Simultaneous progress in palliative and supportive care has enabled us to improve the quality of life of advanced prostate cancer patients. Multiple predictors of outcome have been reported, and systemic therapy is being actively explored in localized disease. This review attempts to summarize the risk profiling strategy in prostate cancer and the existing therapies in high-risk prostate cancer, including some of the novel agents under investigation.