Prostate cancer incidence rises in Singapore

Prostate cancer has been the 5th commonest cancer among men in Singapore. This is no longer so.

The incidence of Prostate Cancer among men in Singapore has risen to be the 3rd commonest cancer among men. This is according to the latest statistics from the Singapore Cancer Registry obtained by the Straits Times, Singapore and published on 1 March 2008.

The good news for prostate cancer is that the survival for prostate cancer in general is better than most other cancers. Unlike most other cancers, men with early stage prostate cancer who have undergone treatment can expect to live for 10 to 15 years or more with their cancer.

This increase in incidence of prostate cancer is in keeping with the observed trrend since 1985. In the last report of the Singapore Cancer Registry, prostate cancer was in 5th place after lung, colo-rectal, stomach and liver cancers.

The latest report shows that prostate cancer has overtaken stomach and liver cancer among men to be the 3rd commonest cancer.

One may speculate that this may be due to a fall in the incidence of stomach and liver cancers rather than a real increase in prostate cancer.

Better understanding coupled with dietary changes and effective treatment for stomach ulcers may decrease stomach cancers. Hepatitis B is one of the major cause of liver cancer in Singapore. With widespread practice of vaccination against Hepatitis B especially among children and made compulsory for newborn in Singapore together with better food hygienne especially among food-handlers, one can expect the incidence of liver cancer to diminish with time.

Is this a case of a change in ranking but not an actual increase in the number of new cases seen?

Ranking aside, the number of new cases of prostate cancer as reported showed an increase compared to the previous report. In other words, this is not a case of a climb in the ranking by default due to a decline in the other cancers.

This begs the question as to the cause of the rise in number of men with prostate cancer. Genetic factors cannot be changed. Is this due to a chnage in environmental factors or to increase detection from greater awareness both among the public and medical practitioners?

This question is certainly one of great interest to both the public and medical profession. However, more details are needed for further careful analysis before we can make any meaningful conclusions.