How common is prostate cancer in Hong Kong and what can you do to treat it?

Former US President Joe Biden’s personal office announced on Sunday the 82-year-old had recently been diagnosed with an “aggressive form” of prostate cancer, while in Hong Kong, 59-old-old Briton and corporate governance activist David Webb said this month he was preparing to transfer his online database Webb-site to other interested parties, as he did not have long to live after his 2020 diagnosis.

From politicians like Biden and former South African President Nelson Mandela to business magnate Warren Buffett and celebrities such as Ian McKellen and local veteran opera singer Law Kar-ying, the disease has afflicted many globally.

The Post looks at the how common prostate cancer is in Hong Kong and the methods for treating it.

1. What is prostate cancer and how common is it in the city?

The prostate is a gland roughly the size of a walnut situated in the male reproductive system between the base of the bladder and the urethra.

Prostate cancer can occur when abnormal genetic changes lead to the development of malignant tumours within the gland, with the potential to spread to other areas of the body, especially the bones and lymph nodes in the pelvic region.

According to the Hospital Authority, prostate cancer was the fourth most common in the city after lung, breast and colorectum cancer as of 2022, with 2,758 new cases recorded that year. It was also the third most common cancer in men.

Prostate cancer saw the highest rate of increase – 69 per cent – over a 10-year period from 2012. It accounted for 16 per cent of new cancer cases in Hong Kong men in 2022, with the median age of diagnosis at 71.