Worldwide Prostate Cancer Epidemiology: Differences Between Regions, Races, and Awareness Programs

Prostate cancer, according to the World Health Organization, is the second most common cause of cancer worldwide. With an estimated 1.1 million people affected by prostate cancer in 2012, composing 15% of all new cancer cases worldwide, this condition poses a significant burden of mortality and morbidity on society. Even though the burden of prostate cancer is present worldwide, there are disparities in mortality rates worldwide. While in Sub-Saharan Africa and Caribbean, the age-adjusted mortality rates are as high as 24 per 100,000, in Asia the age-adjusted mortality rates are as low 2.9 per 100,000. Specific countries in Sub-Saharan Africa like Uganda have a prostate cancer mortality rate as high as 38.8 per 100,000, which is close to the incidence rate of 48.2 per 100,000. Even though in the United Kingdom the incidence rate is much higher at 111.1 per 100,000, the mortality rate is comparable to that of Sub-Saharan Africa at 22.8 per 100,000. As demonstrated in this global review of prostate cancer, the age-adjusted incidence rate and mortality rate are closer together in Sub-Saharan Africa than in high income countries. Also, there are disparities in age-adjusted mortality rates of prostate cancer. There is plausibly a large gap in data on incidence and mortality rates of prostate cancer, leading to potential underreporting of incidence rates. There are also different awareness related gaps in developing and developed countries. Improved surveillance systems need to be established in order to improve early detection screening programs and prioritized interventions for evidence-based policy for prostate cancer in all countries.