The changing roles of steroid nuclear receptors with prostate cancer progression.

Estrogens were once used for the treatment of prostate cancer (PC). They may still be used in various parts of the world to that effect. Recent developments in the understanding of a role for estrogen receptor β (ERβ) in the development and progression of this disease resurrect the discussion on the intertwined roles of ERβ and the androgen receptor (AR) in promoting PC. A new article by Zellweger et al. in Endocrine-Related Cancer investigates the expression and assesses the activity of ERα and ERβ as well as the AR, in addition to a phosphorylated form of AR in hormone-naïve and castration-resistant PC.