Challenges and Recommendations on
Non-Metastatic Castration Resistant Prostate Cancer in Latin America

An estimated 1.1 million men worldwide were diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2012, accounting for 15% of the cancers diagnosed in men. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men (after skin cancer), but it can often be treated successfully. The prostate gland makes fluid that forms part of the semen. The prostate lies just below the bladder and surrounds the urethra. Almost all prostate cancers are adenocarcinomas, which are cancers developed from the gland cells, which make the prostate fluid. While prostate cancer often has no early symptoms, advanced prostate cancer can cause men to urinate more often or have a weaker flow of urine. Prostate cancer in its early stages usually grows very slowly and is highly curable. As a result, early diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer before symptoms occur is of tantamount importance. Most prostate cancer-related deaths are due to advanced disease, which results from any combination of lymphatic, hematogenous, or contiguous local spread. As a result, improving early diagnosis of prostate cancer, as well as physician awareness of treatment options for late-stage disease, can play a large role in reducing the burden of prostate cancer in Latin America.

In November of 2018, the Americas Health Foundation (AHF) convened a meeting of Latin American experts on prostate cancer in the Region, including oncologists and urologists to develop recommendations for improving awareness, prevention, and treatment of prostate cancer. The resulting article, "Challenges and Recommendations on Non-Metastatic Castration Resistant Prostate Cancer in Latin America", has been published in Cancer Control. Click here to read the full article.