Incidence of prostatic cancer in Japan and Asia

The incidence of prostatic cancer has been reported to be low in Japan and Asia, compared with the USA and European countries. However, it is now on the increase in Japan. The possible etiological factors for the origin and development of prostatic cancer were examined on 187 patients with this malignancy who visited the Department of Urology, University of Tokyo during the past 16 years. No evidence that these factors were specifically related to prostatic cancer, was found. The possible etiology and differences in incidence between Japan, the USA, and European countries are discussed.