Prostate cancer（PCa）is the most common malignant tumor in male genitourinary system. In China, the incidence of PCa is increasing significantly, which seriously endangers the physical and mental health of Chinese men. Programmed cell death（PCD）is a kind of active and orderly cell death mode, which exists widely in the process of life activities. With the deepening understanding of PCD, more and more studies have found that different types of PCD are closely related to PCa.This article mainly reviews therole of programmed cell death in the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer.
Keywords: programmed cell death; prostate cancer; diagnosis; treatment; targeted therapy.