Evolution of androgen deprivation therapy

The androgen signalling axis is critical for the development and progression of prostate cancer. Therefore, the mainstay treatments for metastatic disease are hormonal manipulations aimed at reducing androgen levels and/ or blocking the androgen receptor, collectively termed androgen deprivation therapy. This review will discuss the evolution of androgen deprivation therapy since it was instigated more than 70 years ago, and outline the key mechanisms underlying its inevitable failure. We will also briefly introduce potential new androgen signallingtargeted therapies in clinical development.