Abstract
INTRODUCTION: The amount of information and knowledge about pathways and genetic alterations regarding prostate cancer, including the tools available for its study has been recently increasing. Additionally, a variety of molecular signaling pathways control cell proliferation, however, this incompletely understood process is disturbed in cancer cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A literature review was made using the MEDLINE, Embase and LILACS databases searching for the following keywords: prostate neoplasms, prostate cancer, molecular medicine, genomics, pathways, and cell cycle. RESULTS: Different biological mechanisms have been associated with the development of prostate cancer, such as alterations in tumor suppressor genes, oncogenes (TP53, RB1, among others) and CDKIs; DNA methylation; chromosomal alterations and rearrangements; changes in PTEN and PI3K / mTOR; global defects in apoptosis; alterations in the androgen receptor (AR); and epigenetic mechanisms. CONCLUSIONS: Good clinical practice and a practical approach have to be based on basic knowledge, thus, in this article, the main genetic alterations, mutations and pathways involved in prostate cancer development were reviewed.