Biological Differences Between Prostate Cancer Cells that Metastasize to Bone Versus Soft Tissue Sites

摘要

We have expanded our previous studies to catalog the clinical data, distribution of PCa involvement, morphology, immunophenotypes, and gene expression from 30 rapid autopsies of men who died of hormone refractory PCa. A Tissue microarray (TMA) and cDNA microarray was constructed and quantitatively evaluated for expression of several biomarkers and genes. Comparisons were made between patients as well as within the same patient. No consistent differences were found between bone and soft tissue sites that could explain the predilection of prostate cancer cells to metastasize to bone. This suggests that biologic differences leading to the predominant pattern of prostate cancer metastasis to bone may be related to the bone 'soil' rather than the prostate cancer 'seed'. Metastatic hormone refractory PCa has a heterogeneous morphology, immunophenotype, and genotype, demonstrating that 'metastatic disease' is a group of diseases even within the same patient. An appreciation of this heterogeneity is critical to evaluating diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers as well as designing therapeutic targets for advanced disease. Further investigation of the bone versus soft tissue stroma in cancer versus normal tissue is warranted.