Prostate cancer in Latin America: An opportunity to save lives amid high mortality rates

Latin America has a critical opportunity to improve prostate cancer survival rates, but faces significant cultural and diagnostic access barriers, according to oncologist Enrique Pulido. While the region's incidence is lower than North America's, its mortality is disproportionately higher, signaling a widespread delay in detection.

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Latin America has a real opportunity to improve its survival indicators, but to do so it must overcome cultural and diagnostic access barriers.

Globally, prostate cancer is the fourth most common cancer, with 1.5 million new cases and 397,000 estimated deaths annually, according to GLOBOCAN 2024. One in eight men will be diagnosed in their lifetime. A study in European Urology highlighted that Latin America and the Caribbean have some of the highest mortality rates worldwide, comparable to sub-Saharan Africa.

Pulido debunked the myth that prostate cancer only affects older men, citing a 47-year-old patient with metastatic disease. Early-onset tumors can have a hereditary component, with BRCA2 and BRCA1 gene mutations increasing risk and potentially leading to a worse prognosis. Identifying these mutations is crucial for patient treatment and family genetic counseling.

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The myth that this is 'for old people' needs to be debunked.

Regarding diagnosis, Pulido noted that prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is not infallible, as elevated levels can stem from benign conditions. Rectal exams have a 60-70% sensitivity, while multiparametric MRI approaches near 100% accuracy. He also emphasized journalists' role in driving change.

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Identifying these alterations is key not only for the patient's treatment but for the genetic counseling of their relatives.

With global prostate cancer cases projected to nearly double by 2040, reaching 2.9 million annually, early detection programs in Latin America are urgent. Pulido stressed that reducing the gap requires not only technology but also education and political commitment.

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With projections indicating that the global burden of prostate cancer could double by 2040, reaching almost 2.9 million annual cases, the implementation of early detection programs in Latin America becomes an urgency.