According to a Lancet analysis published on Thursday, the number of new prostate cancer cases worldwide will more than double over the next two decades as poorer countries catch up with richer nations’ ageing.
According to latest findings by the medical journal, the number of new cases annually will rise from 1.4 million in 2020 to 2.9 million by 2040.
According to the study’s authors, the increase in instances is due to increased life expectancy and shifts in the global age pyramid.
Prostate cancer is the most widespread cancer amongst men, accounting for about 15 per cent of cases. It mostly emerges after the age of 50 and becomes more frequent as men age.
As life expectancy improves in developing countries, the number of prostate cancer cases also increases, the researchers said.
They 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 is in the cause of lung cancer. A link with weight has been established but it is not yet known if this a direct cause of prostate cancer.
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.
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