Globally, the number of men diagnosed with prostate cancer is projected to double to 2.9 million by 2040, and annual deaths could rise by 85 percent, according to the largest study of its kind.
Prostate cancer is a leading cause of death and disability and is the most common male cancer in more than 100 countries. But with populations aging and life expectancy increasing globally, a new analysis predicts a sharp increase in cases and deaths over the next 15 years.
The number of diagnoses is predicted to increase from 1.4m a year in 2020 to 2.9m in 2040, which means around 330 men are diagnosed with the disease every hour.
Globally, the number of deaths is expected to increase by 85% within 20 years, from 375,000 in 2020 to 700,000 in 2040. and middle income countries.
The findings were. Published by Lancet As part of the main commission on prostate cancer, it will be presented at the annual congress of the European Society of Urology in Paris on Saturday.
Aging and increasing life expectancy mean that the number of older people around the world is increasing. While the main risk factors for prostate cancer — such as being 50 or older and having a family history of the disease — are inevitable, experts say the disease cannot be prevented through lifestyle changes or public health interventions alone.
But a broader understanding of the disease’s symptoms, screening initiatives, early diagnosis and treatment advances could still help reduce the burden and save lives, the authors of the 40-page report said.
Professor Nick James, who led the study, said: “As more men around the world live into middle and old age, the number of prostate cancer cases will inevitably increase.” “We know this is a huge spike in cases, so we need to plan and act now.”
“Evidence-based interventions, such as improved early detection and education programs, can help save lives and prevent health problems from prostate cancer in the years to come,” added James, MD, professor of prostate cancer research at the Institute of Cancer Research. London, and Consultant Clinical Oncologist at the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust.
James said new and improved ways to diagnose the disease could reduce over-diagnosis and over-treatment by detecting deadly tumors earlier.
Increasing knowledge of the signs to look for among men and their families was also key, the report said.
Prostate cancer symptoms often require frequent urination at night; He needs to go to the bathroom quickly; Difficulty in starting teasing; You feel like your bladder is not emptying completely and there is blood in your urine or semen.
These symptoms do not always mean that you have prostate cancer. Many men’s prostate glands get larger as they age because of a condition called Benign Prostate Enlargement. Signs that prostate cancer has spread include enlarged testicles, back or bone pain, loss of appetite, and unexpected weight loss.
The study indicated that more research is needed to better understand prostate cancer in black men, as most research has focused on white men.
Alfred Samuel was 54 when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2012. He worked in the entertainment industry for three decades, providing security for celebrities Beyoncé and Bob Dylan – but his shock diagnosis ended his career overnight. When tests showed that the cancer had spread, doctors said he would not be operated on, and the father of six began to despair.
However, he then joined a clinical trial and was treated with a drug that has now extended the lives of thousands of men around the world. Twelve years later, Samuel, from Harrow, north-west London, has welcomed six grandchildren into the world and is now working to raise awareness of cancer research for the second time.
“Because of the late stage at which prostate cancer was diagnosed, I wouldn’t be here today if I hadn’t been able to do a clinical trial. “It was my lifeline,” says Samuel, now 66. Registration of ethnicity in clinical trials should now be mandatory, and trials should reflect the diversity of the population, so that we can get better treatment for people like me.
Amy Rylance, head of improving care at the charity Prostate Cancer UK, said the Lancet report was a “timely call to action”. She added that health care systems need to do a better job of identifying those at higher risk: black men and men with a family history of prostate cancer or genetic risk factors such as BRCA variants.