The Incidence of Carcinoma of Prostate: An Epidemiological Survey

Abstract

Although I have been interested in prostatic cancer for many years I feel that I am here under false colours. I am neither a statistician nor a epidemiologist. Figures, particularly in statistical tables, induce a state in me bordering on catalepsy. You cannot, therefore, expect from me a critical analysis of mortality tables, relative incidence data and other such abstruse data. Dr. Liavåg has dealt with the behaviour of one type of prostatic cancer, and Professor Dhom has discussed very specific intracellular changes. I shall be concerned with the more general problem of the distribution of prostatic cancer in different populations and the factors which may influence this distribution. Several other workers have studied this problem. As a general rule each has found one or more apparent relationships which require more information before they can be accepted or disproved. Unfortunately in almost every case further investigation tends to refute the original association, with two exceptions. The exceptions are of course the low incidence of clinical cancer in Japan and the influence of age, about which I shall say more later.