Prostate cancer in Saudi Arabia: A review of the literature (1975-1996).

This paper presents the current available information on prostate cancer in Saudi Arabia. This review of the literature includes most epidemiological studies on cancer in Saudi Arabia that were published in the Saudi medical literature. The reviewed papers presented the experience of medical centers in the Central, Eastern, Western and Southern regions of Saudi Arabia. Papers on prostate cancer that were presented during the annual Saudi Urological Meetings were also analyzed. There was no single paper previously published on this specific cancer in the Saudi medical literature. Four papers related to local experience of prostate cancer were presented in the annual Saudi Urological Conferences, and all reported infrequent encounters with this disease. The data gathered from multiple medical centers in the different regions of the Kingdom indicates that the reported incidence of prostate cancer has been steadily falling in Saudi Arabia over the past 20 years. The information presented here sheds some light on this cancer, and calls for the close observation of any future changes in the frequency of this disease and its related morbidity and mortality.