Prevalence and management of prostate cancer among East Asian men: Current trends and future perspectives

Abstract

Objectives: Previously East Asian men had been considered less likely to develop or die of prostate cancer. Emerging research and the onset of prostate-specific antigen screening in East Asian countries suggests that this may not be the case. We sought to analyze epidemiology and molecular genetic data and recent trends in the management of prostate cancer among East Asian men.

Methods and materials: We performed literature searches using PubMed, Embase, and Google Scholar to examine current literature on prostate cancer in East Asian men. Additionally, articles were searched for further references related to the topic.

Results: Recent studies have reported increasing incidence of prostate cancer identified in East Asian men. Prostate cancer mortality has increased and is currently the fourth leading cause of death among men in Shanghai, China. Although prostate cancer was considered less aggressive among East Asian men, studies suggest that it is similarly aggressive to prostate cancer in Western populations. Molecular markers such as the TEMPRESS:ERG fusion gene and PTEN loss may provide novel methods of screening East Asian men for prostate cancer. National-level guidelines for prostate cancer screening and management are only available in Japan.

Conclusions: The prevalence of prostate cancer in East Asian men is likely similar to that in Western male populations. East Asian men present at higher stages of prostate cancer, likely because of a lack of standardized screening protocols. Urologists in Western countries should screen East Asian men for prostate cancer using the same standards as used for Western men.

Keywords: East Asia; Molecular epidemiology; Molecular genetics; Prostate cancer; Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening; Racial disparity.