Genetic variation: effect on prostate cancer

The crucial role of androgens in the development of prostate cancer is well established. The aim of this review is to examine the role of constitutional (germline) and tumor-specific (somatic) polymorphisms within important regulatory genes of prostate cancer. These include genes encoding enzymes of the androgen biosynthetic pathway, the androgen receptor gene, genes that encode proteins of the signal transduction pathways that may have a role in disease progression and survival, and genes involved in prostate cancer angiogenesis. Characterization of deregulated pathways critical to cancer cell growth have lead to the development of new treatments, including the CYP17 inhibitor abiraterone and clinical trials using novel drugs that are ongoing or recently completed [1]. The pharmacogenetics of the drugs used to treat prostate cancer will also be addressed. This review will define how germline polymorphisms are known affect a multitude of pathways, and therefore phenotypes, in prostate cancer etiology, progression, and treatment

Pharmacokinetics of lenalidomide during high cut-off dialysis in a patient with multiple myeloma and renal failure.

High cut-off dialysis, increasingly used in multiple myeloma patients, is susceptible to influence anticancer drug elimination. We report about lenalidomide disposition in a patient on high cut-off dialysis for renal failure secondary to myeloma cast nephropathy. The patient received a higher dosage of lenalidomide (5 mg b.i.d.), owing to concerns about a potential decrease in lenalidomide exposure during dialysis sessions. A set of blood samples was taken in order to develop a pharmacokinetic model accounting for lenalidomide concentrations in this setting. According to our model, the area under the curve was 3273 µg h/L, i.e., 60% higher than expected under usual dosage (25 mg q.d.) with normal renal function. Despite this, the patient did not develop major hematological toxicity. Lenalidomide doses of 5 mg b.i.d. led to high exposure in a patient with renal failure undergoing high cut-off dialysis. Yet, the dosage of 5 mg q.d. recommended in conventional dialysis would probably be adequate in such patients