Although several other cell types are found in the prostate, over 99% of prostate cancers develop from glandular cells. The medical term for a cancer that starts in glandular cells is adenocarcinoma. Because other types of prostate cancer are so rare, when someone speaks of prostate cancer it is assumed they are referring to a prostatic adenocarcinoma, unless they specifically mention some other cell type.
Prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) is a condition in which there are changes in the microscopic appearance (the size, shape, or the rate at which they multiply) of prostate epithelial cells. Older men are more likely to have this condition. PIN is classified as either low grade or high grade. If a person has high grade PIN, repeat biopsies and PSA tests should be done regularly. PIN may lead to the development of prostate cancer. At this time there is no standard treatment for PIN. Studies are being done to determine if treatments used for BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia) are also effective in treating PIN.
WHAT ARE THE KEY STATISTICS ABOUT PROSTATE CANCER?
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer, excluding nonmelanoma skin cancers, in American men. The American Cancer Society estimates during 2000 approximately 180,400 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed in the United States.
