Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers in men — most will develop the disease if they live long enough. But it is not always deadly, and the number of cases often depends on how hard doctors look for it. By Richard Hodson, infographic by Mohamed Ashour.
Global influence
The rate of prostate-cancer diagnosis varies more than 25-fold around the world. The incidence rate within a country is influenced by trends in diagnostic testing, which vary from place to place, as well as by the age and ethnic mix of a population.
Ethnicity effects
On the Caribbean island of Martinique men have a 26% chance of being diagnosed with prostate cancer by age 74 — the highest in the world. But in Bhutan, the risk is just 0.14%. Ethnicity may play a part. English black men have much higher rates of the disease than Asian men2.
Looking for trouble
The rate of prostate-cancer diagnosis in the United States spiked after the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test was introduced in 1986 (ref.3). Testing men without symptoms is no longer recommended. In places where the test is used less, such as the United Kingdom, rates have increased only gradually4.
How deadly
Prostate is the second most common cancer in men worldwide, just behind lung cancer. But for every 30 lives lost to lung cancer, just 8 men will succumb to prostate cancer1.
A matter of time
Age is the greatest risk factor for prostate cancer. Most (97%) prostate cancers occur in men over 50. As they get older, men are more likely to develop prostate cancer5.
Man on the inside
The prostate gland is a male organ involved in sexual function. Its size ranges from that of a walnut to that of a small apple, and can become enlarged as a result of cancer, inflammation or benign prostatic hyperplasia.
Survival story
When prostate cancer is diagnosed early, before it has spread, chances of survival are much higher5.
A century of treatment
For localized prostate cancer, the most common intervention is surgical removal of the prostate — radical prostatectomy. If cancer has spread beyond the prostate it cannot be cured. Suppressing male hormones slows growth, but tumours can become resistant. Since 2004, therapies to target resistant metastatic cancer have gained US Food and Drug Administration approval.
References
International Agency for Research on Cancer
National Cancer Intelligence Network
National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program
Cancer Research UK
Siegel, R. L. et al. CA Cancer J. Clin. 65, 5–29 (2015).
Related links
Related links
Related links in Nature Research
Statistics: Attacking an epidemic
Advances in prostate cancer treatment
Emerging mechanisms of resistance to androgen receptor inhibitors in prostate cancer
Mummy diagnosed with prostate cancer
Related external links
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hodson, R. Small organ, big reach. Nature 528, S118–S119 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/528S118a
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/528S118a
This article is cited by
-
Towards the differential diagnosis of prostate cancer by the pre-treatment of human urine using ionic liquids
Scientific Reports (2020)
-
Sox5 contributes to prostate cancer metastasis and is a master regulator of TGF-β-induced epithelial mesenchymal transition through controlling Twist1 expression
British Journal of Cancer (2018)