ABSTRACT
Prostatic cancer is a significant cause of human suffering and death. Overall prostatic cancer is the fourth most commonly diagnosed malignancy in men worldwide (1). Prostatic cancer incidence is quite variable among populations throughout the world. It is much higher in Western countries when compared to developing countries of the Middle East or Asia. In the United States where prostatic cancer is the most common malignancy diagnosed in men, the incidence rate is much higher among men of African heritage than among white men. Asian-American and HispanicAmerican men have prostatic cancer incidence rates lower than those of whites. It is estimated that there will be 184,000 prostatic cancers diagnosed in the United States in 1999 and approximately 40,000 deaths (2). Prostatic cancer is predominantly a disease of the elderly. The median age at diagnosis in the United States is approximately 71 years for whites and 69 years for blacks. Half of all American men diagnosed with prostatic cancer are 71 years of age or older and over 80% are 65 years or older.
