exploring non-coding rnas in prostate cancer: from biomarkers to therapeutic strategies

Prostate cancer (pca) is the second most prevalent malignancy and a leading cause of cancer-related mortality in males worldwide. despite advancements in therapeutic strategies, such as radical prostatectomy, radiotherapy, androgen deprivation therapy (adt), and chemotherapy, treatment outcomes for metastatic castration-resistant pca (mcrpc) remain suboptimal. the androgen receptor (ar) and its downstream signaling pathways play a critical role in pca progression, with genetic aberrations, including ar amplification, tp53 and pten deletions, and myc oncogene activation contributing to disease advancement. although prostate-specific antigen (psa)-based screening is widely used, its limitations in improving survival rates highlight the urgent need for more reliable biomarkers. emerging evidence indicates that non-coding rnas (ncrnas), including long non-coding rnas (lncrnas), circular rnas (circrnas), and micrornas (mirnas), act as key regulators of gene expression, influencing pca cell proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, and metastasis. their differential expression across various stages of pca underscores their potential as prognostic and diagnostic biomarkers as well as therapeutic targets. this review summarizes recent advancements in ncrna research in pca, providing insights into their mechanistic roles, clinical applications, and future directions in precision oncology