According to a Lancet analysis published on Friday, the number of new prostate cancer cases worldwide will more than double over the next two decades as poorer countries catch up with the ageing of richer nations.
“Our findings suggest that the number of new cases annually will rise from 1.4 million in 2020 to 2.9 million by 2040,” stated the medical journal, citing a study of demographic shifts.
According to the study’s authors, the increase in instances is due to increased life expectancy and shifts in the global age pyramid.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among males, accounting for approximately 15% of cases. It usually appears after the age of 50 and increases in frequency as men age.
According to the experts, as life expectancy rises in developing countries, so does the incidence of prostate cancer.
They emphasized that public health initiatives could not influence the change in the same way that they did with lung cancer or heart disease.
Hereditary variables are far less treatable than, say, smoking, which is a cause of lung cancer. Weight has been linked to prostate cancer, however it is unclear whether this is the actual cause.
Researchers also stated that health officials in developing nations needed to urge earlier screening because the disease was frequently discovered too late to provide effective treatment.