Etiological and epidemiological considerations in prostatic cancer

This paper presents a survey of the factors implicated or suspected of involvement in the occurrence of prostatic cancer. Influences of age, racial and geographical factors, time trends, socioeconomic and sexual factors, venereal diseases, heredity, environmental factors, prostatic adenoma, associated diseases, virus and endocrine status are reviewed. Except for age, race and possible but not well defined local and environmental factors, very little is known about the causes favouring the development of the disease. The author stresses the importance of collaborative studies to improve our knowledge of this common cancer.