A private practice experience with adenocarcinoma of the prostate in men less than 50 years old

We have found a sharp increase in the number of men less than 50 years old with adenocarcinoma of the prostate. In the last 4 years we have found 9 new patients less than 50 years old, which far exceeds the expected number. Prompted by this increase we reviewed our experience with prostatic carcinoma in young men. Our findings of 11 of 256 patients (4 per cent) and good survival from 6 months to 15 years (90 per cent) are at variance with previously published reports. We attribute the increased number of patients with adenocarcinoma of the prostate to our willingness to biopsy small "unimportant" nodules in the prostate. Whether these findings reflect an actual increase in the incidence of prostatic carcinoma in young men or simply an increase in the frequency of diagnosis of previously unrecognized lesions is not clear.