Prostate cancer decreasing in Israeli Jews, rising for Arabs - study

The Health Ministry in Jerusalem has just published data on prostate cancer for 2021 and the trends in morbidity and mortality from the disease between 1996-2021. In the last decade and a half, there has been a decrease in the incidence of prostate cancer among Jews, compared to an increase in the incidence of the disease among Arabs. This runs counter to the ministry’s recently released data on colorectal cancer that has decreased among Jews and remained stable among Arabs. 

The survival rate from the disease has increased in the general population over the years, but the death rate from prostate cancer in Israel is very low compared to the rest of the world because of early detection and careful follow up. 

In 2021, 3,351 men were diagnosed with it and 525 died of the disease. The ministry’s National Center for Disease Control reported that in 2021, 3,351 men were diagnosed with it (94% of them Jews and others and 6% Arabs.)

Among Arabs, from 1996-2006 there was a significant increase in the incidence of prostate cancer. From 2007-2014 a significant decrease of approximately 7.5% was observed in this rate. After that, from 2015-2021, there was a distinct upward trend of about 3.5% in the occurrence of the disease among Arabs. 

Prostate cancer can appear after the age of 50 and over, with the highest number of cases among Jews at the age of 70 to 74 and among Arabs at the age of 75 and over.

Prof. Lital Keinan-Boker, director of the national center, noted that the fact that the incidence rate here is high relative to the rest of the world and very low in the death rate from prostate cancer shows the importance of diagnosing the disease and the quality treatment given to patients, which leads to better chances for survival.

The prostate is a small walnut-shaped gland in males that produces the seminal fluid that nourishes and transports sperm. There is no unique symptom that signals the disease, but it may cause difficulty urinating, blood in the urine and semen, decreased sexual function, trouble urinating, bone pain, and losing weight without trying. These symptoms should not be ignored, but they do not mean you have prostate cancer. It’s more likely they’re caused by something else, such as prostate enlargement. 

No test for prostate cancer

There’s no single test for prostate cancer. Urologists will probably conduct blood tests, a physical prostate examination (known as a digital rectal examination, an MRI scan, and a biposy.  The blood test, called a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test, measures the level of PSA and may help detect early prostate cancer, but this test is not routinely used to screen for the cancer, as results can be unreliable; the PSA level can also be raised by other, non-cancerous conditions.

Treatments include radiotherapy, either on its own or together with hormone therapy and/or surgically removing the prostate. 

Newer treatments, such as high-intensity focused ultrasound and cryotherapy, aim to reduce side effects.