Pathologic characteristics of soft tissue and osseous metastases

Of the one in six men expected to develop prostate cancer over a lifetime period,2 35% to 40% of these patients are expected to eventually experience a rise in serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) signaling either local or metastatic spread.5 Within the subgroup of patients with metastatic disease, bone metastases are considered the hallmark of advanced prostate cancer. The paradox with prostate cancer is that while the incidence of prostate cancer in both North America and Europe has increased, in part due to PSA screening, the mortality rate has remained fairly stable.1,3,4,6 The low death rate indicates that many men are alive long after the initial diagnosis of prostate cancer, and a significant proportion of these patients, after a relatively long latency period, develop both soft tissue and osseous metastases.