Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Prostate cancer epidemiology in the United States

  • Topic Paper
  • Published:
World Journal of Urology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

Prostate cancer is a significant public health issue in the United States. It is the most commonly diagnosed non-skin cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death. The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2011, 240,890 men were diagnosed with prostate cancer and 33,720 men died of it.

Methods

A review of the peer-reviewed literature was conducted: American Cancer Society, National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results. Program data were assessed to describe trends in incidence, mortality, and survival rates and look at other predictors of risk of prostate cancer diagnosis and death.

Results

Since 1985, there have been significant changing trends in prostate cancer incidence, mortality, and survival rates, as well as changes in the age distribution of the population diagnosed and even in the distribution of pathologies at diagnosis. Major risk factors for diagnosis include age, family history, race, and screening behavior.

Conclusion

While prostate cancer remains largely a disease diagnosed in older men (over age 65), screening has increased risk of diagnosis among men in their 40s and 50s. The incidence rates and 5-year survival rates are heavily influenced by the introduction of serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and widespread screening. The effects of PSA usage and screening on mortality rates are less certain. Outcome studies among men treated with radical prostatectomy show that greater than 30% relapse rates are common. This suggests that many men who are diagnosed with “localized early stage disease” actually have “apparently localized early stage disease,” which is really low volume metastatic disease.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Siegel R, Ward E, Brawley O, Jemal A (2011) Cancer statistics, 2011: the impact of eliminating socioeconomic and racial disparities on premature cancer deaths. CA Cancer J Clin 61:212–236

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Altekruse SF, Krapcho M, Neyman N, Aminou R, Waldron W, Ruhl J, Howlader N, Tatalocich Z, Cho H, Mariotto A, Eisner MP, Lewis DR, Cronin K, Chen HS, Feuer EJ, Stinchcomb DG, Edwards BK (2010) SEER cancer statistics review, 1975–2007. National Cancer Institute, Bethesda

    Google Scholar 

  3. Merrill RM, Feuer EJ, Warren JL et al (1999) Role of transurethral resection of the prostate in population-based prostate cancer incidence rates. Am J Epidemiol 150:848–860

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Potosky AL, Miller BA, Albertsen PC, Kramer BS (1995) The role of increasing detection in the rising incidence of prostate cancer. JAMA 273:548–552

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Catalona WJ, Smith DS, Ratliff TL et al (1991) Measurement of prostate-specific antigen in serum as a screening test for prostate cancer. N Engl J Med 324:1156–1161

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Crawford ED, DeAntoni EP, Etzioni R et al (1996) Serum prostate-specific antigen and digital rectal examination for early detection of prostate cancer in a national community-based program. The prostate cancer education council. Urology 47:863–869

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Boyle P (2003) Screening for prostate cancer: have you had your cholesterol measured? BJU Int 92:191–199

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Brawley OW, Jani AB (2007) Race and disparities in health. Curr Probl Cancer 31:114–122

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Lu-Yao G, Albertsen PC, Stanford JL et al (2008) Screening, treatment, and prostate cancer mortality in the Seattle area and Connecticut: fifteen-year follow-up. J Gen Intern Med 23:1809–1814

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Lu-Yao GL, Potosky AL, Albertsen PC et al (1996) Follow-up prostate cancer treatments after radical prostatectomy: a population-based study. J Natl Cancer Inst 88:166–173

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Wright JL, Salinas CA, Lin DW et al (2009) Prostate cancer specific mortality and Gleason 7 disease differences in prostate cancer outcomes between cases with Gleason 4 + 3 and Gleason 3 + 4 tumors in a population based cohort. J Urol 182:2702–2707

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Jani AB, Master VA, Rossi PJ et al (2007) Grade migration in prostate cancer: an analysis using the surveillance, epidemiology, and end results registry. Prostate Cancer Prostatic Dis 10:347–351

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Draisma G, Boer R, Otto SJ et al (2003) Lead times and overdetection due to prostate-specific antigen screening: estimates from the European randomized study of screening for prostate cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst 95:868–878

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Etzioni R, Penson DF, Legler JM et al (2002) Overdiagnosis due to prostate-specific antigen screening: lessons from US prostate cancer incidence trends. J Natl Cancer Inst 94:981–990

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Welch HG, Albertsen PC (2009) Prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment after the introduction of prostate-specific antigen screening: 1986–2005. J Natl Cancer Inst 101:1325–1329

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Magheli A, Rais-Bahrami S, Humphreys EB et al (2007) Impact of patient age on biochemical recurrence rates following radical prostatectomy. J.Urol 178:1933–1937; discussion 1937–1938

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Hemminki K (2012) Family risk and familial survival in prostate cancer. WJUR X:XXX–XXX

  18. Brandt A, Bermejo JL, Sundquist J, Hemminki K (2010) Age-specific risk of incident prostate cancer and risk of death from prostate cancer defined by the number of affected family members. Eur Urol 58:275–280

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Marshall JR (2012) Diet and prostate cancer prevention. WJUR X:XXX–XXX

  20. Hayes RB, Ziegler RG, Gridley G et al (1999) Dietary factors and risks for prostate cancer among blacks and whites in the United States. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 8:25–34

    Google Scholar 

  21. Giovannucci E (2011) Commentary: serum lycopene and prostate cancer progression: a re-consideration of findings from the prostate cancer prevention trial. Cancer Causes Control 22:1055–1059

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Giovannucci E (2005) Tomato products, lycopene, and prostate cancer: a review of the epidemiological literature. J Nutr 135:2030S–2031S

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Calle EE, Rodriguez C, Walker-Thurmond K, Thun MJ (2003) Overweight, obesity, and mortality from cancer in a prospectively studied cohort of US adults. N Engl J Med 348:1625–1638

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. McGreevy KM, Hoel BD, Lipsitz SR, Hoel DG (2007) Impact of nutrients on insulin-like growth factor-I, insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 and their ratio in African American and white males. Public Health Nutr 10:97–105

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Rebbeck T (2012) Using a global approach to inform prostate cancer prevention and control. WJUR X:XXX–xxx

  26. Major JM, Cross AJ, Watters JL et al (2011) Patterns of meat intake and risk of prostate cancer among African-Americans in a large prospective study. Cancer Causes Control 22:1691–1698

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Amling CL, Kane CJ, Riffenburgh RH et al (2001) Relationship between obesity and race in predicting adverse pathologic variables in patients undergoing radical prostatectomy. Urology 58:723–728

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Lange EM, Sarma AV, Ray A et al (2008) The androgen receptor CAG and GGN repeat polymorphisms and prostate cancer susceptibility in African-American men: results from the Flint Men’s Health Study. J Hum Genet 53:220–226

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Tseng M, Giri V, Watkins-Bruner D, Giovannucci E (2009) Dairy intake and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D levels in men at high risk for prostate cancer. Cancer Causes Control 20:1947–1954

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Bennett CL, Ferreira MR, Davis TC et al (1998) Relation between literacy, race, and stage of presentation among low-income patients with prostate cancer. J Clin Oncol 16:3101–3104

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Fedewa SA, Etzioni R, Flanders WD et al (2010) Association of insurance and race/ethnicity with disease severity among men diagnosed with prostate cancer, National Cancer Database 2004–2006. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 19:2437–2444

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Whittemore AS, Kolonel LN, Wu AH et al (1995) Prostate cancer in relation to diet, physical activity, and body size in blacks, whites, and Asians in the United States and Canada. J Natl Cancer Inst 87:652–661

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Hoffman RM, Harlan LC, Klabunde CN et al (2003) Racial differences in initial treatment for clinically localized prostate cancer. Results from the prostate cancer outcomes study. J Gen Intern Med 18:845–853

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Klabunde CN, Potosky AL, Harlan LC, Kramer BS (1998) Trends and black/white differences in treatment for nonmetastatic prostate cancer. Med Care 36:1337–1348

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Shavers VL, Brown M, Klabunde CN et al (2004) Race/ethnicity and the intensity of medical monitoring under ‘watchful waiting’ for prostate cancer. Med Care 42:239–250

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Shavers VL, Brown ML, Potosky AL et al (2004) Race/ethnicity and the receipt of watchful waiting for the initial management of prostate cancer. J Gen Intern Med 19:146–155

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Optenberg SA, Thompson IM, Friedrichs P et al (1995) Race, treatment, and long-term survival from prostate cancer in an equal-access medical care delivery system. JAMA 274:1599–1605

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Conflict of interest

The author reports no conflicts of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Medicine, and Epidemiology, Emory University, American Cancer Society, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Otis W. Brawley

Authors
  1. Otis W. Brawley
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Otis W. Brawley.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Brawley, O.W. Prostate cancer epidemiology in the United States. World J Urol 30, 195–200 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00345-012-0824-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00345-012-0824-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation