Assessing Prostate Cancer Risk

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men, affecting about one in five men over their lifetimes. An estimated 220,000 new cases of the disease are diagnosed every year and nearly 30,000 men die from prostate cancer every year.

New research shows men who are diagnosed with abnormal cells in the lining of their prostate ducts run a high risk of developing prostate cancer within one year. The study, involved 109 men with high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia identified on biopsy. None of the men had prostate cancer at the beginning of the study. Additional biopsies were performed six months and 12 months later to assess for prostate cancer. Results showed that the men had about a 30-percent chance of being diagnosed with prostate cancer by the one-year follow-up.

Researchers say men with PIN should be carefully monitored for the progression of their disease. “The next step is to develop an effective therapy for treating high-grade PIN before prostate cancer has a chance to take root,” say specialists .