根據在2005年10月美國丹佛舉行的美國治療性放射學和腫瘤學年度會議上報道的一項研究結果，研究人員已經鑒別出一種能夠提示生長迅速的前列腺癌生物指標。

值得關注的是一種叫做MDM2的蛋白質，研究人員發現這種蛋白質是癌瘤將向前列腺腺體外轉移的強烈而獨立的預測因子， 提示死于該疾病的危險增加。這項研究包括469例接受短期和長期男性激素剝奪治療和放療的患者。中位數隨訪時間為70.5個月，在前列腺組織中進行免疫組化檢查，以檢測癌組織中的癌細胞。

盡管其他一些生物指標被發現與生物化學功能障礙、癌瘤遠處轉移、總體死亡率相關，但是MDM2與所有這三種預后持續相關。總體而言，MDM2出現后遠處癌瘤轉移發生率增加1倍(10-20%)，5年生存率下降10%。
 
Biomarker for Aggressive Prostate Cancer
 
Researchers have identified a biomarker that indicates a more-aggressive form of prostate cancer, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology in Denver (CO) in October 2005.

Specifically, a protein called MDM2 was found to be a strong and independent predictor that the prostate cancer will metastasize beyond the prostate gland, indicating an increased risk of death from the disease. The study involved 469 men treated with short- and long-term androgen deprivation therapy and radiation. The median follow-up was 70.5 months, when an immunohistochemical analysis was conducted on prostate tissue to determine the amount of MDM2 in the prostate cancer cells.

Although other biomarkers were found to be associated with biochemical failure, distant metastasis, or overall mortality, MDM2 was consistently associated with all three outcomes. Overall, MDM2 was associated with a doubling of distant metastasis (10-20%) and a nearly 10% reduction in five-year survival.