Novel clinical trials in androgen-independent prostate cancer.

Current treatments for androgen-independent prostate cancer have not shown a definitive increase in survival. Several novel drugs have made their way through preclinical testing into early clinical trials. Targets discussed in this review include apoptosis, antiangiogenesis, growth factor receptors or associated tyrosine kinases, and tumor-associated antigens targeted by vaccines. Research in this area includes testing combinations of previously studied chemotherapeutic agents as well as identifying and testing novel agents. It is these drugs, either alone or in combination, that are designed to target strategic pathways to improve survival and increase quality of life in prostate cancer patients. This review focuses on the novel agents being tested with chemotherapy in metastatic prostate cancer.