Prostate Cancer

Prostate Cancer Disease Scope


 

• Prostate cancer is the third most prevalent cancer disease in Israel and the most prevalent cancer among men in Israel. In 2016, 2,040 Israeli men were diagnosed with prostate cancer and about 410 died of the disease. 30,278 men diagnosed with prostate cancer since 1990 live in Israel today, 10,057 of which were diagnosed in the last five years.
  
  
• Prostate cancer survival rate in Israel is 97%. By international comparison, Israel is ranked 36 in morbidity and 90 in mortality.
  
  
• The Israel Cancer Association publishes recommendations for men on how to reduce the risk of developing prostate cancer.
  
  
• Risk factors other than aging are family history which establishes that men who have a father affected by the disease are at a twofold increased risk of contracting this type of cancer; similarly, improper diet, obesity, lack of physical exercise, excessive alcohol consumption and smoking may increase the risk of developing the disease.
  
  
• ICA Vice Chair Miri Ziv said that "according to leading health organizations, among them the U.S. Preventive Services Taskforce (USPSTF), the recommendation for men up to age 70 (who are at high risk, with a family history of a father, brother or son who developed prostate cancer) is to consult their physician regarding the advantages and disadvantages of early screening of prostate cancer. Should cancer be detected, it is important to decide together with the physician on desired approach, whether it be immediate medical treatment, active follow-up, or even a second opinion according to the relevant type of treatment and deciding on the type of treatment preferred by the patient. According to new statistics, the incidence rates, that is, the rate of new cases, is relatively high, but the mortality rates are low - a sign of the optimal treatment given in Israel."
  
  
• Prof. Lital Keinan-Boker, Director of the Israel Center for Disease Control at the Ministry of Health and chairman of the Israel Cancer Association Committee on Prevention & Early Detection said: "Prostate cancer is the most prevalent cancer in men in Israel, number one among Jews (17.0% of all new incidence), and third most prevalent in Arab men after lung cancer and colorectal cancer (9.1% of all new incidence). Prostate cancer is the fourth most prevalent cancer mortality cause among men in Israel (7.4%) after lung cancer, colorectal cancer and pancreatic cancer. Among Jewish men alone, prostate cancer was the fourth most prevalent cancer mortality cause (7.7%) after lung cancer, colorectal cancer and pancreatic cancer. Among Arab men too, prostate cancer was the fourth most prevalent cancer mortality cause (5.6% of all cancer mortality) after lung cancer, colorectal cancer and urine bladder cancer."

The Most Updated Statistics as of September 2019

Due to the complexity of data collection, the most updated information at the National Cancer Registry refers to 2016 collected data, but is the most updated data currently available.

• Prostate cancer is the third most prevalent cancer disease in Israel and the most prevalent cancer among men in Israel. In 2016, 2,040 Israeli men were diagnosed with prostate cancer.
  
  
• As of now, 30,278 men diagnosed with prostate cancer since 1990 live in Israel today, 10,057 of which were diagnosed in the last five years.
  
  
• Prostate cancer is the fourth most prevalent cancer disease in Israel in terms of cancer mortality. In 2016, 410 men died of the disease. The majority of mortality was seen in Jewish men and "other" men compared to Arab men, and increased with age (less than 1% of the patients are diagnosed under the age of 50.) Most morbidity across all population groups is in ages 65 and up.
  
  

• The incidence trends (number of new cases) in 1996 - 2016 show a distinct increase through the mid 2000's in all population groups (Jews, Arabs, "others"), followed by a distinct decrease. The incidence in "other" men were the highest and those of Arab men were the lowest throughout the entire period. These trends match the availability of the PSA test in Israel, starting in the 90's. In 2002, new instructions were published not to recommend this test for men age 75 and up, and in 2008, the recommendations were updated, advising to avoid taking the test as an elective screening until after hearing about the advantages and disadvantages of taking the test. The decrease indicated in prostate cancer incidence in Israeli men in recent years seems to reflect those changes as well. 
  
  

• Prostate cancer mortality trends (Globocan 2018) during 1996-2016 indicated a distinct decrease in Jewish and Arab men during the entire period. In “other” men, however, a distinct increase was seen throughout the period, but only about 3.28%.
  
  

International Comparison

• According to the World Health Organization (Globocan 2018), prostate cancer is the second most prevalent in men around the world in terms of incidence (1,276,106 new cases in 2018) after lung cancer, and the fifth most prevalent cause for mortality around the world (358,989 death cases in 2018) after lung cancer, liver cancer, stomach cancer and colorectal cancer.
  
  
• Compared to countries with the highest prostate cancer incidence rates in the world, Israel is ranked 36 in prostate cancer morbidity (the age standardized date of incidence per 100,000 of 244.6). The highest ranking countries are Australia (579.9 per 100,000), New Zealand (526.0) per 100,000) and Ireland (430.8 per 100,000).
  
  
• Compared to countries with the highest prostate cancer mortality rates in the world, Israel is ranked 90 in mortality (the age standardized date of incidence per 100,000 of 104.7) along with Benin, West Africa. The highest ranking countries are Mongolia (221.6 per 100,000), Hungary (203.2 per 100,000) and Moldova (191.8 per 100,000).
  
  
• To sum up, Israel is ranked relatively high in terms of annual diagnosis rates, but relatively low in terms of mortality rates. That is, the recovery rates are very high.
  
  

 Internet Support

• The ICA operates an advisory forum on prostate cancer on the ICA website, under the direction of Prof. Avishai Sela, a member of the ICA Urology Committee and Head of the Oncology Institute at Assaf Harofeh Medical Center in Zrifin. The forum enables healthy individuals, patients and survivors consult physicians on matters relating directly or indirectly to prostate cancer.
  
  

Group Support

• The ICA offers complimentary prostate cancer support groups around Israel. The groups meet every two weeks and the meetings are led by a senior clinical psychologist at one of ICA's 'Strong Together' support centers that serve as a community home for patients, survivors and their families. For more information and registration, click here or call +972-3-572.16.78.

Celebrities affected by Prostate Cancer

• Celebrities worldwide have courageously shared their stories of battling prostate cancer in recent years. Among them, the award-winning American Actor Robert DeNiro, U.S. General Colin Powell, former U.S. presidential candidate Bob Dole, former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, Actor Ben Stiller, Tycoon Warren Buffet, former Secretary of State John Kerry, Actor Ryan O'Neal, British Actor Stephen Fry as well as acclaimed British Actor Ian McKellen, known as Gandalf from the famous trilogy, Lord of the Rings. 
  
  
• Former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, announced in October 2007 that signs of prostate cancer had been detected in his body, and since then has undergone surgery and recovered.
  
  
• A public survey conducted by ICA has shown that 81% of the public believe that celebrities who share their disease on the media give strength to other cancer patients. 
  
  
• The ICA salutes this openness of heart and encourages celebrities who got sick to share their stories and by doing so, empower patients coping with their own disease.
  
  
• The ICA believes that public exposure of cancer motivates the healthy population to undergo screening and helps patients deal with the disease. 
  

  
  The ICA Recommendations for Reducing the Risk of Prostate Cancer

  
  Studies have shown that adopting a healthy lifestyle can help reduce the risk of developing different types of cancer, including prostate cancer. The ICA recommends the male population to reduce the risk of developing prostate cancer in the following ways:
  
  
• Adopt a balanced diet: it is recommended to eat a lot of vegetables and fruit as well as high fiber foods, and avoid eating high calorie foods rich in sugar and fat. Minimize the consumption of processed, smoked, fried, salted and canned foods. Reduce red meat consumption and choose water over sweet drinks.
  
  
• Consider regular consumption of tomatoes: there is scientific evidence that high and regular consumption of tomatoes, fresh or cooked, such as shakshuka sauce, etc., may help reduce the risk of developing prostate cancer. Therefore, one should consider a regular intake of tomatoes as part of the daily diet.
  
  
• Keep a balanced body weight and avoid weight gain: it is best to maintain a proper BMI of 18.5 to 24.9.
  
  
• Perform regular physical exercise: it is recommended to perform at least 30 minutes of rigorous physical exercise a day, to raise one's heartbeat, such as: brisk walking, running, biking, swimming, etc. 
  
  
• Avoid smoking completely: refraining from smoking cigarettes in particular and all tobacco and nicotine products in general, including hookah and e-cigarettes, can reduce the risk of morbidity. According to scientific studies, there is no safe level of smoking, therefore, smokers must stop smoking completely in order to avoid the risks of smoking. It is also recommended to avoid passive smoking and third-hand smoking, including exposure to cancerous, toxic particles that attach to clothing, hair and carpets.
  
  

  The ICA Recommendations for Symptoms Requiring Medical Attention
  
  
  

  As said, the Ministry of Health and ICA guidelines for early detection of cancer diseases do not include a sweeping recommendation for screening. However, the ICA does recommend paying attention to symptoms requiring medical attention. The main symptom requiring examination is difficulty in urinating. In addition, one or more of the following symptoms may occur:
  
  

  • Difficulty initiating urination.
    
    
  • Weak urine flow.
    
    
  • Urination takes longer, or stops and resumes intermittently. 
    
    
  • A need to urinate more frequently during the day, though the overall amount is small.
    
    
  • A sudden need to urinate at night, unlike before.
    
    
  • An urgent need to urinate at any given time, with hardly being able to control it.
    
    
  • Feeling like urination is incomplete, though no further urine is excreted. 
    
    
  • Pain or burning sensation when urinating.
    
    
  • Blood in semen.
    
    
  • Decline in sexual functioning.
  
  If any of the above symptoms appear, the ICA recommends consulting a physician, preferably a urologist, for further inquiry. In most cases, it is not cancer, but proper, timely diagnosis will allow for suitable treatment.