Public Health

Low level of public awareness of prostate cancer in Japan

TOKYO, May 28 (Reuters) - Urology researchers in Japan are concerned that
the Japanese public is not adequately aware of prostate cancer, despite the fact that it is the cause of 4,000 to 5,000 deaths annually here.

Dr. Shin Egawa of the Department of Urology, Kitasato University School of
Medicine in Kanagawa, and colleagues conducted a 30-point survey of persons in "human dry dock" programs. Since 1954, Japan has had these short-term hospitalizations for thorough physical examinations that are frequently available from companies as part of their employee health maintenance program.

Dr. Egawa reports finding that "[o]ne third of the participants were
unfamiliar with this malignancy." The Kanagawa researchers found that "[71%] of the subjects had heard of digital rectal examination, but only 16% and 8%, respectively, were familiar with the terms transrectal ultrasonography and PSA [prostate-specific antigen] testing."

"Japanese people may possibly be less informed about prostate cancer than African-American males," Dr. Egawa commented. "Educational programs should be established and put into effect to instill adequate awareness of prostate cancer in Japan. In a better-informed society, more effort would be directed toward prevention and thus early stage prostate cancer would be detected more often."

The situation in Japan is "totally different from the US. There is no
education in this country about prostate cancer at all," Dr. Egawa told
Reuters Health.

"People should be more aware of that danger [of death from prostate
cancer]," Dr. Egawa added. "I have a patient with prostate cancer who is
approximately 65 years old. I told him and his wife who accompanied him [of his diagnosis]. His wife said, 'I have never heard of that disease at all. I don't believe that.' That was surprising to me; probably that reflects most people's attitude toward this disease."

Int J Urol 1998;5:146-151.

by Sandra Katzman