Prostate Cancer in US Latinos: What Have We Learned and Where Should We Focus Our Attention

Abstract

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common cancer diagnosis among Latino men, with more than 13,000 diagnosed cases per year in the United States. Overall, PCa incidence among Latino men is lower than that among non-Latino Whites or Blacks, and disparities in incidence have been reported within Latino subpopulations, with Mexican Latinos having lower incidence than Caribbean Latinos. The determinants of these observed disparities remain to be identified and could result from the interplay between differences in genetic ancestry, environmental exposures, and attitudes toward screening and care, or a consequence of lack of identification of all Latino patients with PCa. Most PCa diagnoses are triggered by screening with elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA), and Latinos show lower rates of PSA cancer screening; thus, current reported rates among Latinos might be underestimated. Latinos show a higher proportion of cases diagnosed with advanced stages, along with other adverse characteristics. Disparities have been reported for clinical characteristics and survival patterns between foreign- and US-born Latinos, different socioeconomic status, and Latino subpopulations defined by country of origin. Given that PCa is the number one cancer that affects Latino men and the number four killer, it is imperative to reduce the gap of knowledge about cancer determinants and outcomes among Latinos, taking into consideration sources of heterogeneity within this population. This study reviews current knowledge on prostate cancer in Latinos and highlights important gaps of knowledge that deserve further study.