Mucinous, Signet Ring, Ductal, and Sarcomatoid Variants of Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is one of the most common malignancies in men. The most common type of prostate cancer is prostate adenocarcinoma, which is well studied, both pathologically and clinically. Thus, the diagnosis and treatment of prostate adenocarcinoma is well characterized. However, there are morphologic subtypes of prostate adenocarcinoma and other carcinomas which are rarely observed in prostate, either alone or in combination with conventional adenocarcinoma. Gleason grading and the clinical course of these subtypes are less well understood, and guidelines for treatment do not exist. A knowledge of appropriate pathological diagnosis and appropriate treatment is important for improving outcomes of these patients. This chapter describes the epidemiology, pathology, clinical features of the mucinous, signet ring, ductal, and sarcomatoid variants of prostate cancer, and suggest optimal treatment options based on the data available in the literature.