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The type of prostate cancer that you have is an important piece of information that your healthcare team uses to decide on treatment and determine your prognosis. Different types of prostate cancer act in different ways and may need different treatments.

To find out the cancer type, healthcare professionals in the lab look at the cancer cells with a microscope. The way the cells look and how they react to various tests give clues about the kind of cells that are involved in the cancer. The results often are given in a pathology report.

Most prostate cancers, also called malignant neoplasms of the prostate, are carcinomas. Carcinoma is a general term for cancer that starts in epithelial tissue. Epithelial tissue forms a lining in many places in the body, such as the outer lining of the skin and the inside lining of many organs. In the prostate, epithelial tissue lines the glands and ducts.

Types of prostate carcinoma include adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, small cell carcinoma, neuroendocrine carcinoma and others. A pathology report uses terms like these to describe the cancer cells. The report often is written for healthcare professionals, so it can be hard to understand.

Here's a look at the terms used to describe the different types of prostate cancer. Use this information to get ready to talk with your healthcare professional about your cancer type and what it means for your prognosis.