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Rates of death and prostate cancer have decreased or stabilized in many countries. And a new study indicates that the United States has recorded the largest recent decrease in the incidence of the disease.
"Previous studies have revealed a significant variation in prostate cancer rates, due to factors such as detection practices, availability of treatment, and genetic factors," said the author of the study. study, MaryBeth Freeman. She is a senior scientist associated with surveillance research at the American Cancer Society.
"By comparing rates from different countries, we can assess the differences between detection practices and treatment improvements," Freeman said in a press release from the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). .
The researchers looked at short-term and long-term data from 44 countries with incidence data and 71 countries with prostate cancer death data.
Of the 44 countries evaluated, prostate cancer rates increased in four countries and decreased in seven, with the United States recording the largest decline. Rates remained stable in the other 33 countries.
Of the 71 countries evaluated for prostate cancer mortality rates, there were decreases in 14, increases in three, and no change in 54.
In 2012, prostate cancer was the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men in 96 countries and the leading cause of death in 51 countries, according to the study.
Freeman said the results confirm the benefits of screening for prostate-specific antigen (PSA). She noted that in the United States, incidence rates increased from the 1980s to the early 1990s, and then declined from the mid-2000s until 2015, mainly because of increased use of PSA screening.
This type of screening is less available in the poorest countries, which means that men are more likely to be diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer and more likely to die, Freeman said.
She said some countries were considering cutting recommendations for PSA testing because of fears of over treatment for prostate cancer that would never cause symptoms.
Dr. Eric Horwitz, professor of medicine at the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, said this line of thinking is "potentially problematic".
The US Preventive Services Task Force recommends that men aged 55 to 69 be screened periodically after discussing risks and benefits with their doctor.
"Screening recommendations have been changed recently after a thorough analysis of US data and we now see more diagnoses of high-risk prostate cancer requiring treatment," said Horwitz, who did not participate in the study. # 39; study.
Freeman said that future studies should monitor trends in mortality rates and advanced stages of the disease to assess the impact of the reduction of the PSA test in several countries.
The study was to be presented Tuesday at the annual meeting of the AACR, in Atlanta. The data and conclusions presented at the meetings are generally considered preliminary until they are published in a peer-reviewed medical journal.
More information
The US National Cancer Institute has more information about prostate cancer.
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