We show here for the first time that the expression of the excreted factors macrophage inhibitory cytokine 1 (MIC-1) (also called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug activated gene-1 [NAG-1], growth/differentiation factor 15 [GDF-15], and prostate derived factor [PDF]), as well as platelet derived growth factor A (PDGF-A) are deregulated in overt cancerous and tumor adjacent human tissues, when compared to donor tissues from disease-free individuals, thereby providing further evidence of prostate field cancerization. This evidence concerns the gene GDF15 and neoplasm.