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The worldwide incidence of prostatic cancer derived from data published by the Union Internationale contre le Cancer and the International Red Cross Committee has been estimated to be 200,000 new cases each year. Cases occur predominantly in the USA (75 per 100,000) and in northern Europe (40 per 100,000), whereas the incidence is low in Asia. Comparison of clinical series and autopsies confirms the high incidence of cancer in older age groups, although not all cases are seen clinically. Mortality increases more slowly than the incidence of the disease, indicating that diagnosis and treatment are increasingly effective. Aetiological factors remain the subject of much discussion, without any criteria appearing to be dominant.