Understanding Your Pathology Report
Benign Prostate Disease
Benign prostate tissue, benign prostate glands, and benign prostatic hyperplasia are terms that mean there is no cancer present. Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is also a term used to describe a common, benign type of prostate enlargement caused by an increase number of normal prostate cells.
Prostatic Intraepithelial Neoplasia (PIN) and Intraductal Carcinoma
In PIN, there are changes in how the prostate gland cells look under the microscope, but the abnormal cells don't look like they are growing into other parts of the prostate (like cancer cells would).
Atypical Prostate (including ASAP, Atypical Findings, and Suspicious for Cancer)
These findings mean that the pathologist saw something under the microscope that is worrisome for cancer, but he or she is not absolutely sure that cancer is present.
Prostate Cancer
Adenocarcinoma is the type of cancer that develops in gland cells. It is the most common type of cancer found in the prostate gland.