The incidence of prostate cancer is 30 times higher in North America compared with Eastern Asia

Source: GLOBOCAN 2002

Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men worldwide. Around 680 000 cases of prostate cancer were recorded in 2002, accounting for around 12 per cent of all new cancer cases in men. Incidence rates for prostate cancer were highest in North America, Australia and New Zealand and lowest in Asia. Within Africa the highest rate was in South Africa and the lowest in Northern Africa. In Europe the highest rates were in Western and Northern Europe, and the lowest rate was in Central and Eastern Europe.

Incidence rates for prostate cancer have increased in recent years. This has been largely due to the increased availability of screening for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in men without symptoms of the disease. The test detects many prostate cancers that are small and /or would otherwise remained unrecognised and which may or may not develop further into higher stage disease. One reason for the high rate in Northern America is the frequent use of PSA testing.