Prostate Carcinoma: Atrophy or Not Atrophy That is the Question

Abstract

Recently a review based on a PubMed search [1] and an original article [2] dealing with the possible relationship between proliferative inflammatory prostate atrophy (PIA) and prostate carcinoma (PCa) appeared in this journal. In the review the authors conclude with the prudent statement, ‘‘inflammation may give rise to cells of PIN and may increase the prostate’s vulnerability to developing cancer’’ [1]. In the original paper [2] the authors analyzed the prevalence of the morphologically different types [3] of prostate atrophy in prostatectomy specimens obtained from patients with PCa and those with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). In their material PIA outnumbered other atrophy types in cases with carcinoma compared with cases with BPH. The authors very cautiously conclude that the question whether the inflammation directly produces tissue damage and atrophy or some other insult induces the atrophy directly, with inflammation occurring secondarily, is still unresolved. In the editorial comments, the final