23.01.13
Prostate cancer risk increases
The lifetime risk of prostate cancer will treble in 25 years, new statistics from Cancer Research UK show.
Boys born in 2015 will have almost three times the risk of being diagnosed with cancer at some point during their lives, compared with those born in 1990.
The lifetime risk will rise from 5% to just over 14%, largely due to the use of Prostate Specific Antigen Test (PSA), which detects a wide variety of prostate cancers, including those which will never be life-threatening.
Around 41,000 men are currently diagnosed per year, up from around 15,000 25 years ago. This is also due to men living to an older age. Despite the higher numbers of diagnosis, death rates are now 18% lower than 20 years ago, from improved treatments and early detection.
Professor Malcolm Mason, Cancer Research UK’s prostate cancer expert, said: “We’re detecting more cases of prostate cancer than ever before. And we’re carrying out an intensive amount of research to find better methods than PSA to distinguish between the minority of cases that are life threatening and do need treatment – the vipers – from the majority of cases that don’t – the grass snakes. But there is much more to be done.
“Targeting the tests at men who have a higher risk of developing prostate cancer might be a better approach than screening all men. Research has already saved lives from prostate cancer. But there is uncertainty over the best approach to treating some forms of the disease. Surgery and radiotherapy - with their potential side effects – is one option, to be balanced against the option of careful monitoring with regular checkups.”
Dr Harpal Kumar, Cancer Research UK’s chief executive, said: “Thanks to people’s generosity, our world-class scientists are leading the way to understand why some cancers are aggressive and others aren’t. We need to build on the great progress already made and develop more targeted treatments for those men whose disease is life-threatening. We also need to develop better tests that will help us to know when to leave harmless forms of the disease alone.”
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