Objective: To describe the epidemiological situation of prostatic cancer in France on the basis on a large population sample.
Material and methods: This study uses incidence data derived from French cancer registers, and mortality data obtained from death certificates. Crude rates and rates standardized for the world population are calculated. The variation of these rates is analysed by a log-linear model (adjusted for age, department and period).
Results: The incidence of prostatic cancer in France in 1990 was 200 to 300/100,000 between the ages of 60 and 70 years and more than 600/100,000 after the age of 70 years. 73% of cases were diagnosed after the age of 70 years. The incidence increased annually by 8.76% between 1982 and 1990. An estimated 22,600 cases were diagnosed in France in 1990. The increased incidence of localized or local stages is due to the use of diagnostic tests (PSA and ultrasound-guided biopsies), as this increase accelerated after 1987. The crude mortality rate was 33.4/100,000 (384/100,000 between the ages of 75 and 85 years). It increased by 2.56% per annum from 1982 to 1990, but essentially for men over the age of 75 years.
Conclusion: These findings tend to make prostatic cancer a public health priority, but this affirmation must be moderated by the fact that this disease has a low impact on loss of life expectancy.