Developments in oligometastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer

Purpose: To review the current understanding and recent developments regarding the concept of oligometastases in hormone-sensitive prostate cancer.

Methods: A comprehensive literature search of electronic databases, including PubMed and Embase was conducted for the search term 'oligometastases' in combinations with 'prostate cancer', 'hormone sensitive', 'genetics', and 'molecular'. All articles relating to these search terms have been taken into account.

Results: Prostate cancer remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The majority of these cancer-related deaths result from metastases. Currently, there is a dichotomy in prostate cancer management where it is only deemed curable if it is localized, while any signs of metastasis relegate patients to systemic therapies to delay their inevitable death. A growing body of evidence supports the notion that aggressive treatments during the stable 'oligometastatic' state can have significant clinical benefits and potentially 'reset' prostate cancer to an earlier time point in cancer progression. This concept of oligometastases has been adopted in other cancer settings such as colorectal and non-small-cell lung cancers.

Conclusion: Multiple clinical and molecular biological studies have been influential in the support of a stable state in metastatic cancer progression coined 'oligometastases'. As our understanding of oligometastases in hormone-sensitive prostate cancer develops, we will be able to molecularly define the oligometastatic state and develop clinically available diagnostic tests. In doing so, prostate cancer patients will experience significant clinical benefits and the burden of prostate cancer worldwide will likely be reduced.