Successful treatment by genotoxic modalities including radiotherapy is commonly hampered by treatment resistance in advanced cancers. Two new studies now reveal that androgen receptor signaling transcriptionally upregulates a large subset of DNA repair genes, thereby enhancing the repair capacity and promoting radioresistance of prostate cancer. These results provide a mechanistic rationale for a combined treatment by ionizing radiation and androgen deprivation therapy.
©2013 AACR.