Editorial

He is the best physician who is the most ingenious inspirer of hope. Samuel Taylor Coleridge One third of all newly diagnosed cancers in men is prostate cancer, which accounts for 10 % of cancer deaths. In 2008, an estimated 186,320 men were diagnosed with prostate cancer and approximately 28,660 died of the disease. The lifetime risk is 1 in 6 with a risk of dying of 1 in 30, and most men with prostate cancer die of other causes. Individuals with one first degree relative diagnosed with prostate cancer have twice the lifetime risk, whereas this increases to four times if two or more relatives are affected before the age of 70. It is estimated that 5 % to 10 % of all cases are hereditary, an area of intense research. The higher incidence in Western countries suggests the influence of environmental factors. High fat consumption is thought to increase the risk by two- to threefold. Ethnicity also plays an important role with a higher incidence of pros-tate cancer in African American men as compared to White men.1 The role of screening remains controversial. Although the management of prostate cancer appears complex and convoluted, the initial approach is relatively straightforward. Local disease is treated by either radical prostatectomy or radiation therapy with curative intent. Both, however, are associated with significant side effects2: Side effects of radical prostatectomy • Erectile dysfunction (20%-100%) • Urinary incontinence (0%-4%