ABSTRACT
Two of the three dominant pathologies affecting the prostate gland, namely, benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer, are characterized by excessive cell proliferation, In contrast, prostatitis is predominantly an inflammatory disorder. In benign prostatic hyperplasia, the benign proliferative process affects both epithelial and stromal cells of the transitional zone. In contrast, prostate cancer is found more commonly in the peripheral zone, where it arises from atypical luminal cells or their stem cells. Abnormal cell growth and division in the prostate may, in part, be the result of activation of oncogenes. Several of these have been implicated in the pathogenesis of prostate cancer, and it is plausible that they may also underlie the benign proliferative process of benign prostatic hyperplasia.
