Abstract
We hypothesize that each cell in low-grade (Gleason grade 1-3) prostate cancer tissue is at risk of transformation into a cell which produces a high-grade (Gleason grade 4-5) clinical cancer after a short period of growth. As a consequence, the volume of low-grade, latent cancer tissue in the prostate glands of men at any age determines their incidence rate for high-grade, clinical cancer a few years later. Autopsy and incidence data for both white men and black men support this conclusion, with a tumor growth period of about 7 years. The transformation rate is similar for black men and for white men, about 0.024 high-grade cancers per year per cm3 of low-grade, latent cancer volume. Our hypothesis explains the infrequent occurrence of clinical cancer despite the high prevalence of latent cancer, the steep rise of clinical cancer incidence with age despite the slow rise of latent cancer prevalence with age, and the disparities in clinical cancer incidence among some populations despite their similar latent cancer prevalence. This hypothesis suggests that low-grade cancer volume is a critical determinant of clinical cancer risk.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
