Up to date, screening for prostate cancer (PCa) remains one of the most appealing but also a very controversial topics in the urological community. PCa is the second most common cancer in men worldwide and it is universally acknowledged as a complex disease, with a multi-factorial etiology. The pathway of PCa diagnosis has changed dramatically in the last few years, with the multiparametric magnetic resonance (mpMRI) playing a starring role with the introduction of the "MRI Pathway". In this scenario the basic tenet of network medicine (NM) that sees the disease as perturbation of a network of interconnected molecules and pathways, seems to fit perfectly with the challenges that PCa early detection must face to advance towards a more reliable technique. Integration of tests on body fluids, tissue samples, grading/staging classification, physiological parameters, MR multiparametric imaging and molecular profiling technologies must be integrated in a broader vision of "disease" and its complexity with a focus on early signs. PCa screening research can greatly benefit from NM vision since it provides a sound interpretation of data and a common language, facilitating exchange of ideas between clinicians and data analysts for exploring new research pathways in a rational, highly reliable, and reproducible way.
NPJ systems biology and applications. 2020 May 07*** epublish ***
Valeria Panebianco, Martina Pecoraro, Giulia Fiscon, Paola Paci, Lorenzo Farina, Carlo Catalano
Department of Radiological Sciences, Oncology and Pathology, Sapienza University/Policlinico Umberto I of Rome, Rome, Italy. ., Department of Radiological Sciences, Oncology and Pathology, Sapienza University/Policlinico Umberto I of Rome, Rome, Italy., Institute for System Analysis and Computer Science (IASI), National Research Council, Rome, Italy., Department of Computer, Control and Management Engineering, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.