Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second leading cause of cancer‑related mortality among American males. Studies suggest that cigarette smoking is associated with the progression of PCa; however, the molecular mechanisms underlying this process have not been extensively investigated. PCa progression is characterized by increased cell migration and alterations in extracellular matrix (ECM)‑ and cell adhesion molecule (CAM)‑related gene expression. In the present study, the influence of cigarette smoke medium (SM) on cell migration and on the expression of ECM‑ and CAM‑related genes in PC3 prostate adenocarcinoma cells was investigated. According to a wound‑healing assay, SM treatment promoted PC3 cell migration. RNA expression levels from SM‑treated and control cells were analyzed using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) array. Of 84 genes analyzed, 27.38% (23/84) exhibited a ≥2‑fold change in threshold cycle in PC3 cells following 0.5% SM treatment. Functional gene grouping analysis demonstrated that SM treatment modulated the RNA transcription of approximately 18.4% of CAMs and 33.93% of ECM‑related genes. Quantitative PCR analysis showed that SM treatment led to a significant decrease in transcription levels of the following genes: Collagen 5 α‑1(V), connective tissue growth factor, integrin β‑2, kallmann syndrome 1, laminin α 3, matrix metallopeptidase 7 (MMP7), MMP13, secreted protein acidic cysteine‑rich, thrombospondin‑2 and versican; and that SM significantly increased the transcription levels of MMP2 and MMP12. Furthermore, MMP2 knockdown significantly reduced the migration of SM‑treated PC3 cells. The present study provides novel insights into the association of cigarette smoking with PCa progression, via the alteration of ECM/CAM interactions.