Singapore ranked the highest for prostate cancer rate in Asia in 2018 at 414.8 per 100,000 males (aged 55 and above), followed by the Republic of Korea and Japan at 235.8 and 229.9 respectively per 100,000 males (aged 55 and above), according to the analysis by International Agency for Research on Cancer (I.A.R.C.) of World Health Organization (W.H.O.).

Asia. As a region, Asia's average prostate cancer rate (aged 55 and above) is the lowest at 74 per 100,000 males (age 55 and above), with North America and Europe having the highest average occurrence rate at 436.23 and 383.79 respectively per 100,000 males (age 55 and above).

Prostate Cancer. Prostate cancer is cancer that occurs in the prostate — a small walnut-shaped gland in men that produces the seminal fluid that nourishes and transports sperm. Globally, prostate cancer is the second most commonly occurring cancer in men (after lung cancer) and the fourth most commonly occurring cancer overall, with close to 1.3 million new cases diagnosed in 2018.

Survival Rate. If the prostate cancer has not yet spread to other parts of the body, the 5-year survival rate for most men is nearly 100%. If the cancer has spread to other parts of the body, the 5-year survival rate dips to 30%.

Risk Factors. Knowledge of the causes of prostate cancer remains incomplete. Primary risk factors may include obesity, lack of exercise, age (over 50) and diet (diet high in processed meat, red meat, milk products or low in certain vegetables).

Note: The cancer rate listed below is the age-standardized rate per 100,000 males.