Prostatic carcinoma: a Pakistani perspective

As in many countries of the world, prostatic adenocarcinoma is extremely common in Pakistan. In a study carried out in our section, it was the third commonest malignancy in males, comprising almost 7% of all malignant neoplasms. Furthermore, another investigation revealed it to be the commonest malignant neoplasm in males in the seventh and eight decades, comprising 15% and 25% of respectively of all malignant neoplasms in these age groups. Recent data extracted from radical prostatectomy specimens in our department have revealed that the majority of carcinomas are advanced (like most other cancers in our country) when they are first diagnosed or treated. The majority of cases in which radical prostatectomy was performed showed not only advanced stage (pT3a or pT3b) but also exhibited extra-prostatic extension and positive surgical margins. For a cancer which is so common in our population, the diagnostic and therapeutic modalities available are extremely limited.