Most Asian Men Show A Greater Ability To Survive Prostate Cancer Article

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Most Asian Men Show A Greater Ability To Survive Prostate Cancer

It has been known for a long time that there are variations in prostate cancer survival rates between ethnic groups and a recently published study has now come up with some supporting statistics. As a result, it should be possible to identify factors which will enable us to improve prostate cancer treatment.

Author: Donald Saunders

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Following skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most frequently seen form of cancer in American men and it is predicted that in the region of 220,000 men in the US will be diagnosed as having prostate cancer during 2007 and that approximately 27,000 men will die from the disease.

But, as with many conditions, survival rates from prostate cancer are not the same everywhere and this should give us the data which will permit us to improve our treatment methods.

A recent study compiled data on around 117,000 men diagnosed with prostate cancer (including some 108,000 white men and almost 9,000 Asians drawn from the six largest Asian ethnic groups - , South Asian, Chinese, Korean, Filipino, Japanese and Vietnamese). The study examined both survival rates and prognostic factors amongst these men.

Amongst the various findings from the study it was seen that the risk profile for Asian men was worse than that for whites, with Asian men being more likely to have advanced prostate cancer by the time of diagnosis and of being treated with a range of non-curative therapies. But, the study also found that the survival rates amongst Asian men were either the same as or better than those for white men.

These study results were especially surprising when we note that the average age at which most Asian men are diagnosed as having prostate cancer is far higher than that for white men and that their cancer is frequently further advanced, which should clearly indicate a lower survival rate.

When the figures were examined in greater detail however it was discovered that there was a significant variation between different groups of Asian men. As an example, Japanese-American men were thirty-four percent less likely to die as a result of prostate cancer, while men from South Asia (including, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Bhutan) were forty percent more likely to die from prostate cancer.

So just what does this tell us? Well, unfortunately the answer would seem to be very little. These variations are certainly big enough to be significant, however the wide variation between several largely similar groups means that it is impossible to draw any real conclusions. Unquestionably there are a variety of things, such as exercise, diet and genetics, which are a factor but several of the findings appear to be almost contradictory.

The result is that, a study which it was believed would point to differences across ethic groups which would enable us to improve prostate cancer treatment has actually produced more questions that it has answered. Actually, aside from underlining the dangers of reaching conclusions based upon too broad a group, as seen in the wide variation between the figures for Asian men as a whole and South Asian men, the study has revealed that the differences were larger than many people had believed and therefore suggest that the variations could indeed be more significant than previously believed.

As things stand, this study has not taken us any further forward however has at least highlighted the need for more investigation which will hopefully produce better data and permit us to take advantage of the higher survival rates in many Asian men in designing treatment plans for prostate cancer.

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ProstateProblemCenter.com provides information on prostate cancer from understanding prostate cancer treatment to the therapeutic use of prostate milking

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