Mechanisms of disease: Polymorphisms of androgen regulatory genes in the development of prostate cancer.

Androgens are of primary importance in the etiology of prostate cancer, and binding of the androgen dihydrotestosterone to the androgen receptor is thought to stimulate prostate growth. It has been proposed that polymorphisms within key androgen regulatory genes may contribute to an individual's risk of developing prostate cancer. Attributing single polymorphisms to complex, late-onset, chronic diseases such as prostate cancer is probably not feasible, but identification of genes that increase risk will contribute to larger-scale multigenic risk assessment. Here, we review the current status of our knowledge of associations between important androgen regulatory gene polymorphisms and prostate cancer risk.