Sensitization of prostate cancer to radiation therapy : molecules and pathways to target

Radiation therapy is used to treat cancer by radiation-induced DNA damage. Despite the best efforts to eliminate cancer, some cancer cells survive irradiation, resulting in cancer progression or recurrence. Alteration in DNA damage repair pathways is common in cancers, resulting in modulation of their response to radiation. This article focuses on the recent findings about molecules and pathways that potentially can be targeted to sensitize prostate cancer cells to ionizing radiation, thereby achieving an improved therapeutic outcome.