Prostate cancer is a malignant tumor originating from the prostate gland, significantly affecting patients' quality of life and survival rates. Public data was utilized to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Weighted gene co-expression network analysis was constructed to classify gene modules. Functional enrichment analysis was performed through Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes and gene ontology annotations, with results visualized using the Metascape database. Additionally, gene set enrichment analysis evaluated gene expression profiles and related pathways, constructed a protein-protein interaction network to predict core genes, analyzed survival data, plotted heatmaps and radar charts, and predicted microRNAs for core genes through miRTarBase. Two prostate cancer datasets (GSE46602 and GSE55909) were analyzed, identifying 710 DEGs. Gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analyses revealed that DEGs were primarily involved in organic acid metabolism and the P53 signaling pathway. Gene set enrichment analysis and Metascape analyses further confirmed the significance of these pathways. After constructing the weighted gene co-expression network analysis network, 3 core genes (DDX21, NOP56, plasmacytoma variant translocation 1 [PVT1]) were identified. Survival analysis indicated that core genes are closely related to patient prognosis. Through comparative toxicogenomics database and miRNA prediction analysis, PVT1 was considered to play a crucial role in the development of prostate cancer. The PVT1 gene is highly expressed in prostate cancer and has the potential to become a diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target for prostate cancer.Copyright © 2024 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.