Latent prostatic carcinoma: pathological and epidemiological aspects

Abstract

In conclusion, a review of the epidemiology and pathology of latent prostatic cancer suggests this tumor to be the probable initial phase of a biological continuum that ends with metastatic cancer. Histological grade and tumor volume are highly correlated, as are histological grade and mitotic index. It has also been suggested that atypical intraductal hyperplasia is, in turn, a precursor of carcinoma. This concept gains support from the close association of the two conditions among younger (less than 60 years of age) patients and from their similar mitotic and labeling indices.