The prostate continues to grow as a man reaches adulthood. It will continue to grow or at least is maintained after it reaches normal size throughout the life of a man as long as male hormones are produced. If male hormones are removed, the prostate gland will not fully develop or will shrink. The medical term for a cancer that starts in glandular cells is adenocarcinoma. Because other types of prostate cancer are so rare, if you have prostate cancer, it is almost certain to be adenocarcinoma.
Most prostate cancers grow very slowly.
Autopsy studies show that many elderly men who died of other diseases also had a prostate cancer that neither they nor their doctor were aware of. Some prostate cancers, however, can grow and spread quickly. Cancer may occur about 10 to 20 years after the PIN develops. PIN can be either low grade or high grade. If you have high-grade PIN, cancer is likely to develop and your condition should be watched carefully.