Why prostate cancer cases around the world are likely to double by 2040

Prostate cancer is already one of the most common types of cancer in the world.

However, according to a new Lancet study, the number of new prostate cancer cases among men around the world is predicted to double by 2040.

Let’s take a closer look.

Why cases are likely to double?

The report published on Thursday suggests that annual prostate cases are projected to rise from 1.4 million in 2020 to 2.9 million in 2040.

The study revealed that annual deaths are set to rise by 85 per cent from 375,000 in 2020 to almost 700,000 over the 20-year period, mainly among men in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). They say the true death toll will probably be higher.

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Researchers behind the study said the rise in cases is linked to increased life expectancy and changes in the age pyramid around the world.

According to the AFP, as life expectancy improves in developing countries, the number of prostate cancer also increases, they said.

The researchers stressed that public health policies could not affect the change as they could with lung cancer or heart diseases.

Hereditary factors are much less manageable than, for example, smoking, which is the cause of lung cancer. A link with weight has been established but it is not yet known if this is a direct cause of prostate cancer, as per the news agency.

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Researchers also said that health authorities had to encourage earlier screening in developing countries as the disease is often diagnosed too late to give an effective treatment.

“As more and more men around the world live to middle and old age, there will be an inevitable rise in the number of prostate cancer cases. We know this surge in cases is coming, so we need to start planning and take action now,” said Prof Nick James, the lead author of the study.

The findings will be presented at the European Association of Urology’s annual congress in Paris on Saturday.

What is prostate cancer?

Prostate cancer is a type of cancer that occurs in a man’s prostate, a walnut-sized gland, located below the bladder and in front of the rectum in men, that produces seminal fluid, which helps in nourishing and transporting sperm, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

While some forms of prostate cancer spread more slowly than others, some are more aggressive and call for additional therapies, including radiation, surgery, hormone therapy, or chemotherapy.

What are its symptoms?

Prostate cancer symptoms can include feeling as though your bladder has not emptied completely, wanting to urinate more frequently, especially at night, having to rush to the toilet and having blood in your urine or semen.

According to The Guardian, one may not always have prostate cancer if they experience these symptoms. Benign prostate enlargement is a disorder that causes many men’s prostates to grow with age. A loss of appetite, inadvertent weight loss, testicle, back, or bone pain are indicators that prostate cancer may have spread.

How common is prostate cancer in India?

Prostate cancer is prevalent, second only to skin cancer in the world. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that 13 people out of every 100 who have prostates will eventually get prostate cancer.

India Today cited the Lancet report as stating that 33,000 to 42,000 new cases of prostate cancer are detected each year in India, making up three per cent of all cancer cases.

The annual age-standardised incidence is 4.8 cases per 100,000 people. Over the past 25 years, the incidence has risen by about 30 per cent nationwide and by 75–80 per cent in urban populations.

Most men arrive at the clinic with metastatic illness because there is insufficient systematic Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) testing and little awareness about prostate cancer.

Approximately two-thirds of patients with incident disease die, notwithstanding the difficulty in estimating mortality due to under-reporting of cancer-related fatalities and the absence of cancer sites in death certificates.

“A unified national cancer patient database collating data from multiple registries, stored in a public electronic repository, would build the foundation for understanding the burden of prostate cancer in India,” the Lancet authors wrote.

How is it treated?

Treatment for prostate cancer depends on multiple factors, including the overall condition and how fast the cancer is spreading, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Doctors may ask the patient to get screenings, scans, biopsies, therapies, or surgery.

With inputs from agencies