CYP3A4: a potential prostate cancer risk factor for high-risk groups.

The increased incidence of prostate cancer, the most common cancer among men, has been attributed to aging and improved detection. Known risk factors include advanced age and African American ethnicity, but little is known about the causes of prostate cancer. Pathways involved in androgen metabolism, such as the CYP3A4-mediated steroid metabolism pathway, have been implicated in the etiology of prostate cancer. The CYP3A4 gene is associated with oxidative deactivation of testosterone. Studies suggest that the estimated frequency of this variant allele among healthy unrelated individuals is higher among African American men and that tumor stage and Gleason grade are increased in men with a mutation at the CYP3A4 gene site.