Background: Prostate cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in men. It is the fourth most common cancer and the fourth leading cause of cancer death among men after liver, lung and bladder cancer in northern Africa, with an estimated 7548 new cancer cases and 5000 deaths from cancer in 2012, the most recent year for which international estimates are available ( GLOBOCAN 2012 ). Aim: The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence and the epidemiologic characteristics of prostate cancer in Morocco. Methods: This is a descriptive retrospective analysis of prostate cancer cases, diagnosed and treated at Al Azhar Oncology Center in Rabat between 2005 and 2015. Results: During the period of study, there were 644 new cases diagnosed with prostate cancer at Al Azhar Oncology Center, accounting for 20% of all new cases of cancer in men reported during this period. The average age of the patients at diagnosis was 68.1 ± 9.6 years (range 8-97 years). The risk of developing prostate cancer is associated with advancing age, 97.7% of cases were diagnosed in men aged 50 years and older, with 85.1% of new cancer cases occurring among those aged 55-79 years. Among all detected cases, 6.5% were diagnosed with metastatic disease and 4.8% died during the study period. Conclusion: Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of death from cancer in elderly men. Early detection to improve prostate cancer outcome and survival remains the cornerstone of prostate cancer control.
Prostate Cancer in Morocco: The Epidemiological Evidence
