Animal Models of Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is one of the most prevalent cancers in the United States. The current standard treatments for early stage confined disease include surgery and radiation therapy. However, advanced diseases or tumors that relapse are treated with hormone deprivation therapy. Unfortunately, most men relapse with advanced metastatic and aggressive hormone refractory disease for which there is no cure. Although prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening and digital rectal examinations have improved detection of early stage disease, prognosis for advanced metastatic disease is still poor. Therefore, there is a need to understand the biology and genetics of the normal prostate gland and the molecular and biochemical pathways that are deregulated in prostate malignancy. Animal models of prostate cancer have been developed to delineate the key factors that contribute to the initiation, progression, and metastasis of prostate cancer. Such models are also used for preclinical screening of therapeutic regimens for the prevention and treatment of prostate cancer. Animal models of prostate cancer such as rat, canine and mouse models will be discussed. Emphasis will be placed on autochthonous genetically engineered mouse (GEM) models of prostate cancer.