Stages types and grades
Rare types of prostate cancer include:
prostate cancers - the more common type is small cell prostate cancer
prostate cancer
prostate cancer - also called urothelial carcinoma of the prostate
of the prostate
of the prostate
You might have more than one type of prostate cancer at the same time. For example, adenocarcinoma mixed with a rare type of prostate cancer.
Rare types of prostate cancer can be difficult to diagnose and may grow quickly and spread. Treatment is often different to the treatment for more common prostate cancers.
Find out more about the stage and grade of prostate cancer
Adenocarcinomas develop in the gland cells. These line the prostate gland and the tubes (ducts) of the prostate gland. Gland cells make prostate fluid.
Adenocarcinomas are the most common type of prostate cancer. Nearly everyone with prostate cancer has this type.
There are 2 types of adenocarcinoma of the prostate:
Most people have this type. It develops in the gland cells that line the prostate gland.
Ductal adenocarcinoma starts in the cells that line the of the prostate gland. It tends to grow and spread more quickly than acinar adenocarcinoma.
These cancers develop from neuroendocrine cells in the prostate. There are different types including small cell and large cell neuroendocrine cancers. The more common type is small cell prostate cancer.
Small cell prostate cancer tends to grow faster than other types of prostate cancer. Doctors also call it small cell carcinoma. Most small cell prostate cancers have spread to other parts of the body by the time they are diagnosed. This is metastatic prostate cancer.
You can have small cell prostate cancer at the same time as the common type of prostate cancer (adenocarcinoma). And you can develop it after certain hormone treatments for prostate adenocarcinoma. Doctors call this treatment related neuroendocrine prostate carcinoma.
You can also have small cell prostate cancer without having had prostate cancer in the past. But this is less common.
Find out more about small cell prostate cancer
These cancers develop from flat cells that cover the prostate. They tend to grow and spread more quickly than adenocarcinoma of the prostate.
There are different types of squamous cell prostate cancers. These include basal cell prostate cancer. You might also hear this called adenoid cystic (basal cell) carcinoma of the prostate. It is very rare.
Transitional cell carcinoma of the prostate starts in the cells lining the This type of cancer usually starts in the bladder and spreads into the prostate. But rarely it can start in the prostate and may spread into the bladder entrance and nearby tissues.
This is sometimes called urothelial carcinoma of the prostate.
Other rarer cancers can develop in the prostate, these include:
sarcoma
lymphoma
The treatment for lymphomas and sarcoma is different to prostate cancer treatment.
Last reviewed: 19 May 2025
Next review due: 19 May 2028
Doctors use Grade Groups and other information to divide prostate cancer into 5 groups called the the Cambridge Prognostic Group (CPG). The stage tells you the size of the cancer and whether it has spread.
Small cell prostate cancer is a rare type of prostate neuroendocrine cancer. It is very different from the most common type of prostate cancer. It grows more quickly and often spreads.
You have a number of tests to check for prostate cancer. These may include a digital rectal examination, a PSA blood test, scans and a biopsy.
You may have a choice of treatments such as surgery or radiotherapy. Or your doctor might suggest that they monitor your cancer instead of treatment straight away.
Prostate cancer doesn't usually cause any symptoms in the early stages.
Prostate cancer is cancer that starts in the prostate gland. The prostate gland is found at the base of the bladder and is about the size of a walnut.
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