A new study from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) has found a significant increase in advanced prostate cancer cases across California over the past decade. The study, published in JAMA Network Open, analyzed nearly 388,000 prostate cancer cases between 2004 and 2021.
Researchers suggest that changes in screening guidelines may be to blame for the surge in aggressive cases. The guidelines led to a reduction in routine prostate cancer screenings, potentially delaying diagnoses of advanced tumors.
The study found that advanced prostate cancer diagnoses increased by 6.7% annually from 2011 to 2021. In the San Francisco Bay Area, this rate doubled, with 15.72 cases per 100,000 men diagnosed in 2021 compared to 7.84 in 2004.
Lead author Erin Van Blarigan noted that the trend is alarming and affects all age groups, regions, and ethnicities. The study also found that mortality rates from prostate cancer plateaued after 2012.
The shift in screening guidelines, which began in 2012, led to a reduction in unnecessary treatments for slow-growing cancers. However, researchers worry that this may have missed opportunities to catch aggressive cancers early, when treatment is more effective.
California’s experience with advanced prostate cancer cases mirrors national trends but was more pronounced, with an annual increase of 6.7% compared to 4.5 nationally. Regional differences were also significant, with the Southern San Joaquin Valley and Central Coast experiencing notable increases.
Source: https://www.sfchronicle.com/health/article/ucsf-study-advanced-prostate-cancer-rise-20145015.php