Background Pim-1 plays an important role in the apoptosis, proliferation, differentiation of cancer cells and progression of cancer. In this study we detected the expression of pim-1 mRNA in normal prostate, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and prostate cancer (Pca) and explored its diagnostic value for Pca.Methods The prostate tissues were collected from 23 patients with Pca, 37 patients with BPH, and 3 healthy volunteers. Pim-1 mRNA expression levels in these samples were determined by the quantitative real-time PCR (QRT-PCR). The differences of expression were calculated based on a standard curve.Results The ratio of pim-1 mRNA to β-actin in the normal prostate, BPH, and Pca were 1.05±0.04, 2.57±0.74 and 4.45±0.63, respectively. The differences among Pca, BPH and NT were significant (P＜0.05, respectively).Conclusion Detecting pim-1 mRNA expression by QRT-PCR provides a reliable metric for the diagnosis of Pca.