Ricerc@Sapienza

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.