In most countries, prostate cancer incidence and mortality rates decreased or were stable in the most recent five-year period, but increasing trends were seen in some countries, according to a study published online Dec. 11 in European Urology,

Elizabeth J. Schafer, MPH, from the American Cancer Society in Atlanta, and colleagues examined worldwide patterns and trends in prostate cancer incidence and mortality using data from the Cancer Incidence in Five Continents series and the World Health Organization mortality database.

The researchers found that the estimated prostate cancer rates varied 13-fold for incidence and 9.5-fold for mortality across regions in 2022, with the highest incidence rates seen in Australia/New Zealand, North America, Northern Europe, and Latin America and the Caribbean. , and the highest mortality rates seen in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean. During the most recent five-year period, incidence and mortality rates increased in 11 of 50 countries and nine of 59 countries included in the study, respectively, mostly in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Central and Eastern Europe. In 38 countries, there were decreases observed in mortality rates, mainly in Europe, Oceania, and Latin America and the Caribbean.

“These findings reinforce the need for improvements in access to early detection and treatment services to mitigate the undue high burden of the disease in these countries,” the authors write. “Furthermore, improvements in data availability and quality, particularly in low- and middle-income countries in Asia and Africa, will enhance our understanding of current disparities and prioritization of early detection and treatment approaches.”

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