Journal of the College of Community Physicians (Jul 2022)

The rising trend of prostate cancer: where does Sri Lanka stand?

  • Thanuja A. Wickramatunga,
  • Nirma Alpitiarachchi,
  • Saddharma Weerakoon,
  • Chathurika J. Kariyawasam

DOI
https://doi.org/10.4038/jccpsl.v27i5.8434
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 27, no. 5

Abstract

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Introduction: Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer among men across the world and it shows an increasing trend. In Sri Lanka it is the fifth most common cancer among men. Prostate cancer is rare in men younger than 40, but the chance of having prostate cancer rises rapidly after age 50. Objectives: To analyse the prostate cancer incidence trends and age at diagnosis in Sri Lanka from 2005 to 2019. Methods: A study was conducted on patients with prostate cancer in Sri Lanka during 2005-2019 using data from the National Cancer Registry, Sri Lanka (NCR-SL). Age standardized rates (ASR), crude incidence rates (CR) and age specific rates were used to determine the trends of prostate cancer in Sri Lanka during this period. Trend analysis of the incidence rates and age standardized rates were performed using joinpoint regression analysis and p<0.05 was used to determine the statistical significance of the trends. Results: Both the CR and ASR of prostate cancer in Sri Lanka has increased from 2005 to 2019. The CR of prostate cancer was 3.1 per 100 000 population in 2005, while it was 9.5 per 100 000 population in 2019. The ASR shows a statistically significant increasing trend during 2005-2019 with an average annual percent change (AAPC) of 8.9 % (95% CI: 7.6, 10.3). In this study, the age at diagnosis was 65 years and above in almost 76.8% of cases and the highest number of cases was seen in the age group of ≥75 years. The commonest morphological type is adenocarcinoma, which comprised more than 50% of the total prostate cancers reported throughout this period. Conclusions & Recommendations: The CR and ASR of prostate cancer have nearly tripled with a statistically significant increasing trend from 2005 to 2019 in Sri Lanka. Age at presentation was c::65 years in nearly two-thirds of the cases. Planning a preventive programme targeting males to reduce modifiable risk factors is timely. Further studies are recommended to study other risk factors which are associated with prostate cancer in Sri Lanka.

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