Prostate Cancer (PCa) is a major global health burden with alarming
epidemiological indices. Research advances in this area have revealed complex
molecular aspects associated with the disease, thus necessitating the novel development
of diagnostic methods and therapeutic strategies. The main molecular target is the
androgen receptor (AR), which is involved in both normal development and malignant
transformation. However, many patients become resistant to conventional treatments,
and the disease progresses to a castration-resistant stage (CRPC) in which tumor
aggressiveness is driven by a constitutive activation of AR signaling. Tremendous
effort has been made for elucidating CRPC and chemoresistance. In fact, multiple
signaling pathways are related to the insurgence and maintenance of CRPC,
highlighting the need for continuously updating such a complex scenario. Different
drugs have been tested and used for CRPC treatment, facing unfavorable heterogeneity
and leading to substantial morbidity and mortality. Thus, the clinical impact of
advanced PCa with poorer outcomes still underscores the need for new compounds.
The discovery and current use of natural products has given way to promising
possibilities, offering alternative tools that aim to control the disease and to better
manage patients. These natural products are versatile and effective molecules with
different mechanisms of action and structures. In the present chapter, we explore the
challenges of PCa and describe recent scientific contributions in this field, with special
attention devoted to CRPC. We also discuss and suggest natural products as potential
novel anti-tumor agents to overcome clinical limits and to treat and cure CRPC
patients.
Keywords: Castration-Resistant, Chemotherapy, Phytochemicals, Prostate
Cancer, Treatment.
