Influence of irradiation and androgen ablation on prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia

Although irradiation and endocrine therapy have been used in the treatment of prostatic carcinoma for several decades and the effects of such therapy on carcinoma and the normal prostate have been well described and although there is ample evidence linking prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) to the origin of prostatic adenocarcinoma, there is little published information on the effect of such therapies on PIN.

The extant literature on this subject is reviewed and analyzed. The literature on total androgen blockade is not extensive but adequate to draw conclusions. The literature on irradiation therapy is minimal and inadequate to draw definite conclusions.

The available evidence indicates that the prevalence and extent of PIN in prostates that have been treated with endocrine therapy is reduced from what might otherwise be expected. Irradiation therapy may have little effect on the prevalence of PIN but might influence the extent of PIN.