The rise in prostate cancer has prompted calls for a change in testing

Scientists have called on countries to overhaul prostate cancer testing in order to focus more attention on vulnerable groups. New research predicts that global deaths due this disease will nearly double within 20 years.

According to a study published on Thursday, low- and middle-income nations need to be prepared to prevent a dramatic rise in deaths. Richer nations should focus more attention on young men who are at greater risk.

The document of the Lancet Commission emphasizes the urgent need to review diagnostic practices, as the increase in prostate cancer is due to the increasing life expectancy worldwide.

Nick James, professor and lead author of the UK Institute of Cancer Research and the commission, said: “We are going to see a big increase in cases in high-income nations and an even bigger increase in low-and middle-income ones, due to the ageing of the population.”

The only way to minimize the damage is to implement programmes that allow early diagnosis and treatment.

The commission estimates that the number of deaths due to prostate carcinoma each year will increase by 85 percent from 2020. Over the same period, case numbers will double to 2.9mn.

In 2020, the most deadly prostate cancers were in Africa and Caribbean, including Zimbabwe, Barbados, and Ivory Coast. The high rates of prostate cancer mortality in 2020 are due to both the late diagnosis as well as the increased risk that Black men have for developing the disease.

Nearly one-sixth (or a third) of all male cancers are prostate cancers. This makes it the most common cancer in over half of the nations of the world. In the last 30 years, deaths from prostate cancer have decreased in the majority of high-income countries. This is partly due to increased testing and public health campaigns.

According to research, low- and middle-income nations will need to prepare for the strain that the anticipated surge in cases will place on their health resources. The research suggests that countries with low and middle incomes should prepare for the strain on health resources due to an expected surge in cases.

Professor James N’Dow is a member of Horizons Trust & Horizons Clinic and a founder in The Gambia. He said that improved outreach programmes were needed to inform people about the signs and symptoms to watch for, and what they should do next. Implementing these alongside investments in cost-effective, early diagnostic systems is key to preventing death.

The report stated that high-income countries need to re-evaluate their use of “informed choices” for blood protein tests on older men. The prostate-specific testing technique is not without its drawbacks, such as the fact that it can flag cancers which may never show symptoms or require no treatment.

The Lancet Commission’s research showed that the PSA screening test is not accurate when it is used to screen men without symptoms. Naser Turabi was the director of evidence implementation at Cancer Research UK and wasn’t involved in the Lancet Commission study. It can lead to overdiagnosis and missed cancers.

The commission said that richer nations should invest more in public awareness campaigns, and MRI scans of younger men at greater risk. This would include those with a history of the illness, who are of African descent or have a BRCA2 genetic mutation.

The commission said that more research among different ethnic groups is needed to broaden understanding of prostate carcinoma beyond studies based primarily on data collected from white men.