ABSTRACT
Introduction Prostate cancer is the most frequently occurring cancer in men in most Western countries, and in the United States it is the second leading cause of cancerrelated deaths after lung carcinoma. In Europe, an estimated 2.6 million new cases of cancer are diagnosed each year. Prostate cancer constitutes about 11% of all male cancers in Europe, and accounts for 9% of all cancer deaths among men within the European Union (EU). Among factors that determine the risk of developing clinical prostate cancer, age (70% of all cases occur in men older than 65 years old) and heredity have been recognized as important risk factors.
