Objective:The cytochrome P450 17α-hydroxylase(CYP17)plays a vital role in androgen biosynthesis.A T-to-C polymorphism in the 5’promoter region of CYP17 has been implicated as a risk factor for prostate cancer,but the results of individual studies are inconclusive or controversial.To derive a more precise estimation of the relationship,we performed an updated meta-analysis from 31 studies based on 27 publications.Methods:A comprehensive search was conducted to examine all the eligible studies of CYP17 polymorphism and prostate cancer risk.We used odds ratios(ORs)with 95%confidence intervals(CIs)to assess the strength of the association.Results:Overall,individuals with CC/CT genotype were not associated with prostate cancer risk (CC vs.TT:OR=1.03,95%CI=0.86-1.24,P=0.72,P heterogeneity <0.0001;CT vs.TT:OR=0.99,95%CI=0.87- 1.12,P=0.88,P heterogeneity =0.0006).In the stratified analysis by ethnicity,there was a significantly increased risk of prostate cancer among individuals of African descent under the recessive model(OR=1.56,95%CI=1.01- 2.39,P=0.04,P heterogeneity =0.65).Conclusion:This meta-analysis suggested that CYP17 polymorphism might be associated with prostate cancer risk among individuals of African descent. Objective: The cytochrome P450 17α-hydroxylase (CYP17) plays a vital role in androgen biosynthesis. A T-to-C polymorphism in the 5’promoter region of CYP17 has been implicated as a risk factor for prostate cancer, but the results of individual studies are inconclusive or controversial. To derive a more precise estimation of the relationship, we performed an updated meta-analysis from 31 studies based on 27 publications. Methods: A comprehensive search conducted to examine all the eligible studies of CYP17 polymorphism and prostate cancer risk. We used odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to assess the strength of the association. Results: Overall, individuals with CC / CT genotype were not associated with prostate cancer risk (CC vs. TT: 1.03, 95% CI = 0.86-1.24, P = 0.72, P heterogeneity <0.0001; CT vs. TT: OR = 0.99, 95% CI = 0.87-1.12, P = 0.88, P heterogeneity = 0.0006) .In the stratified analysis by ethnicity, there was a significantly increased risk of prostate cancer among individuals of African de scent under the recessive model (OR = 1.56, 95% CI = 1.01-2.39, P = 0.04, P heterogeneity = 0.65) .Conclusion: This meta-analysis suggested that CYP17 polymorphism might be associated with prostate cancer risk among individuals of African descent .