Latest UK figures show increase in prostate cancer diagnoses and falling death rate

The latest figures show that the number of men in the United Kingdom receiving a diagnosis of prostate cancer has risen to more than 40 000 a year, mainly because of greater use of prostate specific antigen (PSA) testing.

Cancer Research UK reported that 40 841 cases of prostate cancer were recorded in 2009, the most recent year for which incidence figures are available. The data were collected by regional cancer registries in England and the three national cancer registries in Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

The incidence of prostate cancer has increased markedly over the past 20 years, rising from around 14 000 cases in 1989. Analysis of the …