Underlying Features of Prostate Cancer-Statistics, Risk Factors, and Emerging Methods for Its Diagnosis

Abstract

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most frequently occurring type of malignant tumor and a leading cause of oncological death in men. PCa is very heterogeneous in terms of grade, phenotypes, and genetics, displaying complex features. This tumor often has indolent growth, not compromising the patient's quality of life, while its more aggressive forms can manifest rapid growth with progression to adjacent organs and spread to lymph nodes and bones. Nevertheless, the overtreatment of PCa patients leads to important physical, mental, and economic burdens, which can be avoided with careful monitoring. Early detection, even in the cases of locally advanced and metastatic tumors, provides a higher chance of cure, and patients can thus go through less aggressive treatments with fewer side effects. Furthermore, it is important to offer knowledge about how modifiable risk factors can be an effective method for reducing cancer risk. Innovations in PCa diagnostics and therapy are still required to overcome some of the limitations of the current screening techniques, in terms of specificity and sensitivity. In this context, this review provides a brief overview of PCa statistics, reporting its incidence and mortality rates worldwide, risk factors, and emerging screening strategies.

Keywords: biomarkers; incidence; mortality; prostate cancer; risk factors.

Figure 1

(A) Most diagnosed types of cancer among men worldwide, 2020. Nonmelanoma skin cancer was included in calculations of top cancer per country. (B) Leading cause of cancer deaths among men worldwide, 2020. Source: GLOBOCAN 2020 [1].

Figure 2

Estimated number of new cases and deaths from prostate cancer from 2020 to 2025. Source: GLOBOCAN 2020 [1,5].

Figure 3

Modifiable and unmodifiable prostate cancer risk factors.

Figure 4

PCa diagnosis pathway.

Figure 5

Cancer development and progression can lead to changes in the levels of volatile organic metabolites, which can be used to define a volatilomic biosignature for diagnostic purposes.