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