In the shadow of the ongoing war and ahead of International Prostate Cancer Awareness Day, the Israel Cancer Association presents new data, scientific research, and recommendations regarding the most common cancer among men in Israel.According to the Israel Cancer Association's estimate, in 2024, approximately 2,800 men are expected to be diagnosed with prostate cancer, and about 530 are likely to die from the disease.
According to data from the Ministry of Health, published last year, during 2020, 2,629 men were diagnosed with invasive prostate cancer. In that year, prostate cancer was the fifth most common cause of cancer death among men, with 498 Israelis dying from it.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of the World Health Organization predicts that by 2045, about 4,300 Israeli men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer.
According to the Globocan index of the World Health Organization, the number of prostate cancer cases worldwide in 2022 was 1,467,854, and the number of deaths was estimated at about 397,430 men.
Moshe Bar-Haim, CEO of the Israel Cancer Association, explained: "Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in Israel, and every month about 233 new patients are diagnosed. The risk of developing it can be dramatically reduced by adopting a healthy lifestyle. Smoking should be completely avoided, consumption of processed food should be reduced, physical activity should be performed, and a healthy body weight should be maintained. It's never too late, and at any age, one can start."For those who were already diagnosed with prostate cancer, Lena Kurtz-Almog, ICA sex therapist, adds and emphasizes: "Israelis dealing with prostate cancer experience a direct or indirect impact on sexual function and their sense of masculinity. Many of them, regardless of their age, find it difficult to talk about this intimate topic. I call on those dealing with prostate cancer to turn to us. Direct assistance can be received in a free personal meeting, telephone counseling, or by answering an anonymous question on the sexual counseling forum on the ICA website."
Support Group for Men - Free of ChargeThe Israel Cancer Association operates a support group for men dealing with prostate cancer. The group meets once every two weeks at Beit Mati, at the Israel Cancer Association in Givatayim, guided by Orit Spira, MSW, director of the Rehabilitation and Support Department of the Israel Cancer Association. The meetings are free of charge but require pre-registration. Phone: 03-5721678 or via the following form.New Brochure - Free of ChargeThe Israel Cancer Association has updated an information brochure on prostate cancer with the assistance of senior urologist Prof. Ofer Nativ, former head of the Urology Department at Bnai Zion Medical Center. The brochure includes updated information about advanced methods for predicting the presence of aggressive prostate cancer through a simple blood test. The brochure can be received free of charge by mail or email and can also be viewed at the following link.Anonymous Sexual CounselingThe Israel Cancer Association operates a sexual counseling forum on the Association's website, managed by the sexuality therapist at the Israel Cancer Association, Lena Kurtz-Almog. To enter the forum, click here.
The ICA operates a forum on prostate, kidney, and bladder cancer, managed by senior oncologist Prof. Avishay Sella, a member of the Urology Update Committee of the Israel Cancer Association. To enter the forum, click here.
Scientific evidence links physical activity with a reduced risk of developing many types of cancer, but in the case of prostate cancer, the evidence so far has not been conclusive. A new study conducted in Sweden examined the relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness-focused physical activity and the risk of morbidity and mortality from prostate cancer.
The study examined data collected between 1982-2019 among 57,652 Swedish men aged 18-79 (median age 41.4) with no history of prostate cancer, who performed at least two cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) ergometric tests at least 11 months apart during a median follow-up period of 6.7 years. Among the participants, 592 (1%) men were diagnosed with prostate cancer and 46 died from prostate cancer.
Participants were divided into three groups according to changes in their cardiorespiratory fitness index: a group of those who had an increase of more than 3% in their level of physical activity, a group of those whose level of physical activity remained stable (change of ±3%), and a group of those whose level of physical activity decreased by more than 3%. Data analysis showed that men who had an increase of 3% or more in physical activity had a significantly lower risk of developing prostate cancer compared to those whose level of physical activity remained the same. Compared to men whose fitness level decreased, men who increased their cardiorespiratory fitness were at a 35% lower risk of developing prostate cancer. No association was observed between changes in physical activity levels and mortality from prostate cancer.
The study results support the importance of encouraging the public to increase their level of cardiorespiratory fitness as a means of reducing the risk of prostate cancer. The study was published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine from the British Medical Journal in the April 2024 issue. Click here for the research summary.
The Israel Cancer Association is a non-profit organization, and all its services are provided to patients and healthy individuals free of charge, thanks to public donations since its establishment in 1952. The Association works in all ways to promote research, prevention methods, early diagnosis, and improvement of treatment and rehabilitation means for patients and survivors. The Association has about 3,000 volunteers spread across about 70 branches throughout the country, who are partners in promoting the fight against cancer in the local community. Prof. Moshe Mittelman has been serving as the volunteer chairman of the Israel Cancer Association in recent years. Alongside him, Mr. Leon Recanati has been serving as the deputy chairman of the Association voluntarily since 1988. Among others, Prof. Ido Wolf, Prof. Baruch Brenner, and Prof. Sigal Tal have been active in the managing committee of the Israel Cancer Association in recent years. All members of the managing committee and the expert advisory committees of the Israel Cancer Association have been working voluntarily since its establishment in 1952. This includes, among others, Prof. Ronit Satchi-Fainaro and Prof. Eitan Friedman, members of the Association's Research Committee, as well as Prof. Aaron Ciechanover, Nobel Prize laureate in Chemistry for 2004, who serves voluntarily as the Honorary President of the Israel Cancer Association.