[Prostate tumor and its diagnosis]

Prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia(BPH) are common diseases of in elderly men. Prostate cancer is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in men in western countries. In Japan, especially, prostate cancer deserves our attention, because Japan has already become one of the most rapidly aging societies in the world. The morbidity and mortality rates of prostate cancer in Japan are now increasing steadily in recent years, although those rates are still very low compared with the rates in western countries. Fortunately, an excellent tumor marker, PSA, is available to detect early stage prostate cancer. In Gunma prefecture, we started mass screening for prostate cancer in the Ohta district(one city, three towns and one village) in 1981. In 2000, 36 of 70 cities, towns, and villages conducted mass screening for prostate cancer. We obtained the important results from long-term follow-up of mass screening for prostate cancer in Gunma prefecture. That is, patients who were detected by mass screening were in an earlier stage and survived longer than patients who were found out in hospitals. Lastly, I present the report of the PSA Ad Hoc Committee of the Japanese Urological Association in 2000.