Carcinoma of the prostate: indigenous patterns

Thirty-two cases of prostatic carcinoma were collected from a 13-year series containing approximately 15,000 surgical specimens removed from Igbo patients in Nigeria, West Africa. The growths were generally well-differentiated adenocarcinomas; latent carcinoma was found in a 72-year-old man. The peak incidence was in the seventh decade. The symptom that compelled admission was usually acute urine retention. Clinical diagnosis was often possible because of an advanced state of disease, indicating the need for health education. Prospective research in Igboland may help to explain the high incidence of prostatic carcinoma in American blacks whose forefathers were from this area and neighboring localities.