Genome-wide association studies on prostate cancer: the end or the beginning?

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second most frequently diagnosed malignancy in men. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) has been highly successful in discovering susceptibility loci for prostate cancer. Currently, more than twenty GWAS have identified more than fifty common variants associated with susceptibility with PCa. Yet with the increase in loci, voices from the scientific society are calling for more. In this review, we summarize current findings, discuss the common problems troubling current studies and shed light upon possible breakthroughs in the future. GWAS is the beginning of something wonderful. Although we are quite near the end of the beginning, post-GWAS studies are just taking off and future studies are needed extensively. It is believed that in the future GWAS information will be helpful to build a comprehensive system intergraded with PCa prevention, diagnosis, molecular classification, personalized therapy.