Prospective new developments in laboratory research and clinical trials in prostatic cancer.

Laboratory research continues to develop new methods supporting clinicians in the management of prostatic cancer. Routine measurements of serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels improve diagnosis, provide insight into tumor burden, and sharpen prognostication. New organ-specific antigenic targets are identified for monoclonal antibody-directed diagnostic and radiotherapeutic reagents. Such new immunospecific conjugates are already under evaluation in clinical trials. Cell culture techniques carry the promise of noninvasive early detection and prognostic evaluation of prostatic malignancy in preclinical stages. Molecular mechanisms responsible for androgen regulation of proliferation and malignancy of prostatic cancer are becoming open for scientific inquiry.