From a boy's first whiskers to the first sparse hair follicles on his chest, hormones known as androgens spur the development of sexual characteristics that signal approaching manhood. Decades later, these hormones may fuel the growth of prostate cancer.

Researchers are beginning to understand why. A new study demonstrates that a peculiar pattern of DNA in the genes that encode androgen receptors may govern whether a man's cancer turns deadly or stays relatively benign.

The pattern is a short, repetitive DNA sequence, a so-called CAG repeat, named for the three ...

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