Prostate cancer (CaP) is the leading cancer among men of African descent in the USA, Caribbean, and Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The estimated number of CaP deaths in SSA during 2008 was more than five times that among African Americans and is expected to double in Africa by 2030. We summarize publicly available CaP data and collected data from the men of African descent and Carcinoma of the Prostate (MADCaP) Consortium and the African Caribbean Cancer Consortium (AC3) to evaluate CaP incidence and mortality in men of African descent worldwide. CaP incidence and mortality are highest in men of African descent in the USA and the Caribbean. Tumor stage and grade were highest in SSA. We report a higher proportion of T1 stage prostate tumors in countries with greater percent gross domestic product spent on health care and physicians per 100,000 persons. We also observed that regions with a higher proportion of advanced tumors reported lower mortality rates. This finding suggests that CaP is underdiagnosed and/or underreported in SSA men. Nonetheless, CaP incidence and mortality represent a significant public health problem in men of African descent around the world.

Background: African American (AA) men suffer a higher prostate cancer (PCa) burden than other groups. Objective: We aim to determine the impact of race on the risk of upgrading, upstaging, and positive surgical margins (PSM) at radical prostatectomy (RP) among men eligible for active surveillance. Design, setting, and participants: We studied men with low-risk PCa treated with RP at two centers. Low clinical risk was defined by National Comprehensive Cancer Network criteria. Outcome variables were upgrading, upstaging, and PSMs at surgery. Associations between race and the outcomes were evaluated with logistic regression adjusted for age, relationship status, diagnostic prostate-specific antigen level, percentage of positive biopsy cores, surgical approach, year of diagnosis, and clinical site. Results and limitations: Of 9304 men diagnosed with PCa, 4231 were low risk and underwent RP within 1 yr. Men were categorized as AA (n = 273; 6.5%), Caucasian (n = 3771; 89.1%), or other racial/ethnic group (Other; n = 187; 4.4%). AA men had a significantly younger mean age (58.7 yr; standard deviation: AE7.06), and fewer (85%) were married or had a partner. Upgrading (34%) and upstaging (13%) rates did not significantly differ among the groups. The PSM rate was significantly higher in AA men (31%) than in the Caucasian (21%) and Other (20%) groups ( p < 0.01). We found an association between race group and PSM rate ( p < 0.03), with higher odds of PSMs in AA men versus Caucasian men (odds ratio [OR]: 1.64; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.08-2.47). No statistically significant associations between race and rates of upgrading and upstaging were found. This study was limited by the relatively low proportion of AA men in the cohort. Conclusions: Among clinically low-risk men who underwent RP, AA men had a higher likelihood of PSMs compared with Caucasian men. We did not find statistically significantly different rates of upgrading and upstaging between the race groups. Patient summary: We analyzed two large groups of men with what appeared to be lowrisk prostate cancer based on the initial biopsy findings. The likelihood of finding worse disease (higher grade or stage) at the time of surgery was similar across different racial groups.

Objectives: Ethnic differences in prostate cancer incidence are well documented, with African-Americans having among the highest rates in the world. Ethnic differences in genotypes for genes associated with androgen metabolism including SRD5A2 and CYP3A4 also may exist. The aim of this study was to evaluate differences in these genotypes by ethnicity. Methods: We studied cancer-free controls representative of four groups: 147 African Americans, 410 Caucasian-Americans, 129 Ghanaians, and 178 Senegalese. PCR-based genotype analysis was undertaken to identify two alleles (V89L, A49T) at SRD5A2 and *1B allele at CYP3A4. Results: Differences were observed for V89L (variant frequency of 30% in Caucasians, 27% in African Americans, 19% in Ghanaians, and 18% in Senegalese, p = 0.002) and were observed for CYP3A4*1B (variant frequencies of 8% in Caucasians, 59% in African Americans, 81% in Ghanaians, and 78% in Senegalese, p = 0.0001). Pooled data combining the present data and previously published data from from Asian, Hispanic, and Arab cancer-free controls showed significant ethnic differences for SRD5A2 and CYP3A4 polymorphisms. Overall, Asians were least likely to have alleles associated with increased prostate cancer risk, while Africans were most likely to have those alleles. Conclusions: These results suggest that ethnicity-specific differences in genotype frequencies exist for SRD5A2 and CYP3A4. Africans and African-Americans have the highest frequency of those alleles that have previously been associated with increased prostate cancer risk. Future studies should address whether allele frequency differences in part explain differences in prostate cancer incidence in these populations.

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Although prostate cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality for African men, the vast majority of known disease associations have been detected in European study cohorts. Furthermore, most genome-wide association studies have used genotyping arrays that are hindered by SNP ascertainment bias. To overcome these disparities in genomic medicine, the Men of African Descent and Carcinoma of the Prostate (MADCaP) Network has developed a genotyping array that is optimized for African populations. The MADCaP Array contains more than 1.5 million markers and an imputation backbone that successfully tags over 94% of common genetic variants in African populations. This array also has a high density of markers in genomic regions associated with cancer susceptibility, including 8q24. We assessed the effectiveness of the MADCaP Array by genotyping 399 prostate cancer cases and 403 controls from seven urban study sites in sub-Saharan Africa. Samples from Ghana and Nigeria clustered together, whereas samples from Senegal and South Africa yielded distinct ancestry clusters. Using the MADCaP array, we identified cancer-associated loci that have large allele frequency differences across African populations. Polygenic risk scores for prostate cancer were higher in Nigeria than in Senegal. In summary, individual and populationlevel differences in prostate cancer risk were revealed using a novel genotyping array.Significance: This study presents an Africa-specific genotyping array, which enables investigators to identify novel disease associations and to fine-map genetic loci that are associated with prostate and other cancers.

Prostate cancer is the second most common malignancy in males and the sixth leading cause of cancer mortality in men with a relatively higher death rate in men of African descent. In the United States and other parts of Europe, more than 80% of diagnosed prostate cancer is localized, and 80-90% of these men receive some form of treatment. The projected data may not be a direct reflection of the disease in the sub-Saharan region as less than 40% presents with localized disease. Results from prostate cancer screening have shown that most African men in the sub-region have little knowledge of the disease. There are recommended international guidelines for the management of localized prostate cancer, however, a guideline in a local context could be ideal.

Urolithiasis is a global pathology with increasing prevalence rate. The lifetime recurrence of urolithiasis ranges from 10–75% creating a public health crisis in affected regions. The epidemiology of urolithiasis in most parts of Africa and Asia remains poorly documented as incidence and prevalence rates in these settings are extrapolated from hospital admissions. The surgical management of kidney and ureteral stones is based on the stone location, size, the patient’s preference and the institutional capacity. To date, the available modalities in the management of urolithiasis includes external shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL), percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL), ureterorenoscopy (URS) including flexible and semirigid ureteroscopy. However, regarding the lack of endourological equipment and expertise in most parts of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), most urological centers in these regions still consider open surgery for kidney and ureteral stones. This review explores the current trend and surgical management of upper tract urolithiasis in SSA with insight on the available clinical guidelines.

Men with rising prostate specific antigen after radiotherapy for prostate cancer most often experience recurrence in dominant tumor sites. Whether failure is due to inadequate targeting, dosing or intrinsic radiation resistance remains unknown to our knowledge. Further study is warranted.