Adenocarcinoma (or carcinoma for short) is the type of cancer developing from epithelial cells, the type of cell which lines internal organs and bodily surfaces. If it weren’t for the epithelial cell we’d all be a soft gelatinous mass of slimy goo. Epithelial cells compose the inner and outer surface of our organs so that things stay separate and generally useful.
The prostate supplies most of the ejaculatory stuff that nourishes the sperm on their fantastic voyage up the female reproductive tract into prospective fatherhood. The other main portion of the ejaculate is the sperm themselves which are produced in the testes and which swim up the vas deferens to hang out in the seminal vesicles until they get their marching orders during orgasm.
The prostate is sort of like the male breast, a hormonally influenced organ that produces a milky white substance. In fact, under the microscope, the breast tissue looks a lot like prostate tissue. Unlike breasts, prostates do not come in pairs and generally are not as fun to look at.
The prostate contains thousands of microscopic passageways that join one another and connect to the urethra, or pissing tube that runs from the bladder, through the middle of the prostate, and then through the penis. These microscopic passageways are lined by epithelial cells which in fact produce the prostatic contribution to the ejaculate. In addition to nutrition for the spermies, the prostatic epithelial cells produce a large amout of PSA.
The purpose of the PSA is to liquify the gelatinous goop of the ejaculate so that the sperm can swim unhindered once they have been splurted closer to their goal. Although PSA made in the epithelial cells is meant to be released into the prostatic tubes and eventually leave the body under pleasurable circumstances, some of it leaks into blood circulating through the prostate and makes its way into the bloodstream where it can be detected by the PSA blood test.
Epithelial cells need to replace themselves because like all things that provide a useful function, they wear out and die. New prostate cells are prod