Distinguishing Prostate Cancer from Hyperplasia

The prostate gland is the most common site of neoplastic disorders in men. The knowledge of the pathogenesis of benign prostate hyperplasia and prostate cancer is still under investigation. X-ray fluorescence analysis using synchrotron radiation seems to be an appropriate technique to study the elemental composition of biological tissues. The measurements presented in this paper were carried out on the L-beam line at the HASYLAB, DESY (Germany). The observed concentrations of Fe, Cu, Mn, and Zn are significantly higher in cancerous tissues, as compared to normal and hyperplastic ones. Our results reveal also the existence of the two types of hyperplasia.