| Next to skin cancer, prostate cancer is now | | | | a significant variation between different |
| the most frequently seen form of cancer in | | | | Asian groups. As an example, |
| American men and it is predicted that just | | | | Japanese-American men were one-third less |
| about 220,000 men in the US will be diagnosed | | | | likely to die as a result of prostate cancer, |
| with prostate cancer during 2007 and that | | | | while men from South Asia (including India, |
| some 27,000 men will die from the disease. | | | | Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan and |
| | | | Bhutan) were forty percent more likely to die |
| But, as is the case with many diseases, | | | | from the condition. |
| prostate cancer survival rates are not the | | | | |
| same around the globe and this should provide | | | | So just what does this mean? Well, |
| us with data which will permit us to improve | | | | unfortunately the answer would seem to be |
| our treatment options. | | | | very little. These variations are undoubtedly |
| | | | large enough to be significant, but the wide |
| A recent study examined data on around | | | | variation between many largely similar groups |
| 117,000 men with prostate cancer (just over | | | | means that it is virtually impossible to draw |
| 108,000 white men and nearly 9,000 Asians | | | | any concrete conclusions. Certainly there are |
| drawn from the six largest Asian ethnicities | | | | a variety of things, such as exercise, diet |
| - Korean, Japanese, Filipino, Chinese, South | | | | and genetics, which are a factor but many of |
| Asian and Vietnamese). The study examined | | | | the findings appear to be almost |
| prognostic factors and survival rates for | | | | contradictory. |
| these men. | | | | |
| | | | The result is that, a study which it was |
| Amongst the various findings of the study it | | | | hoped would point to differences between |
| was seen that the risk profile for Asians was | | | | ethic groups which would permit us to improve |
| worse than that for whites, with Asian men | | | | our treatment options has actually produced |
| being more likely to suffer from advanced | | | | more questions that it has answered. |
| prostate cancer at the time of diagnosis and | | | | Actually, aside from exentuating the dangers |
| of being treated with a range of non-curative | | | | of drawing conclusions from too large a |
| therapies. But, the study also showed that | | | | group, as seen in the wide variation in the |
| the survival rates for Asian men were either | | | | figures for Asian men in general and men from |
| equal to or better than those seen in white | | | | just South Asia, the study has shown that the |
| men. | | | | differences were larger than most people had |
| | | | thought and therefore suggest that these |
| These results were particularly surprising | | | | variations might indeed be more significant |
| when we consider that the age at which Asian | | | | than previously thought. |
| men are diagnosed with prostate cancer is | | | | |
| considerably higher than that for white men | | | | As things stand, this study does not take us |
| and that their cancer is normally more | | | | any further forward but has highlighted the |
| advanced, which ought to suggest a reduced | | | | need for further investigation which will |
| survival rate. | | | | hopefully provide us with better data and |
| | | | allow us to exploit the better survival rates |
| When the statistics were examined in greater | | | | in many Asian men in putting together |
| detail however it was revealed that there was | | | | prostate cancer treatment plans. |