Pathology and staging of prostate cancer

Pathology refers to the careful examination of tissue under a microscope in order to find out whether it's cancerous or non-cancerous and to determine the type of tumour it is. Different types of tumours can affect the prostate gland.

Benign conditions

Benign conditions that cause non-cancerous enlargement or swelling of the prostate do not spread to other parts of the body and are not usually life-threatening:

• benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)
• prostatitis

Precancerous conditions

Precancerous conditions have the potential to develop into cancer:

• prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN)
• proliferative inflammatory atrophy (PIA)
• atypical small acinar proliferation (ASAP)

Malignant tumours

Malignant tumours are cancerous growths that have the potential to metastasize (spread to other parts of the body):

• adenocarcinoma – accounts for 95% of malignant tumours
• rare malignant tumours
  • transitional cell carcinoma
  • sarcoma
  • small cell (neuroendocrine) carcinoma
  • ductal carcinoma
  • mucinous carcinoma
  • endometrioid or large duct carcinoma
  • primary lymphoma of the prostate

Once the type of tumour has been diagnosed, the doctor will also consider:

• the grade of the tumour (how abnormal the cancer cells look and behave)
• the stage of the cancer, including if it has spread (metastasized) and where it has spread
• prognostic factors (special characteristics that might influence the course of the disease)
• survival statistics for the particular type and stage of cancer

All of this information helps the doctor make a treatment plan.

See a list of questions to ask your doctor about pathology and staging.