The Lancet: Prostate Cancer Cases Expected to Double Worldwide between 2020 and 2040, New Analysis Suggests

Cases of prostate cancer are projected to double from 1.4 million per year in 2020 to 2.9 million per year by 2040, with low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) predicted to see the highest increases in cases, according to The Lancet Commission on prostate cancer which will be launched by a presentation at the European Association of Urology Congress.  

The number of annual prostate cancer deaths worldwide is predicted to rise by 85% over the 20-year period, from 375,000 deaths in 2020 to almost 700,000 deaths by 2040. The true numbers will likely be much higher than the recorded figures due to under-diagnosis and missed opportunities for data collection in LMICs. 

Most of these deaths are expected to be in LMICs, due to the rising number of cases and increasing mortality rates in these countries. Deaths from prostate cancer have declined in most high-income countries (HICs) since the mid-1990s.  

Prostate cancer is already a major cause of death and disability, accounting for 15% of all male cancers. It is the second most common cause of cancer deaths in UK men and the most common form of male cancer in more than half of the world’s countries.

Read the full article by EurekAlert! here