The geography of prostate cancer and its treatment in Africa

Cancer of the prostate is perhaps the commonest urological malignancy affecting Africans. The incidence between different countries varies and mirrors very closely the socioeconomic status of the countries and the life expectancy. The disease has an early peak incidence at ages 55-64 years, compared to 65-74 years for whites. This is primarily due to the low life expectancy in Africans. Late presentation is a common feature in Africans. Stilboestrol is widely used in treating disseminated cancer of the prostate not only because it is cheap and effective, but also because the cardiovascular side effects of stilboestrol seem not to be serious in Africans compared to whites. Further study of cancer of the prostate gland in indigenous Africans should provide vital data on the epidemiology and aetiology of this important cancer and may shed light on why the clinical aggressiveness of the disease varies from one part of the world to another.