MALE GENITAL CANCERS

Background. The estimated 165,000 cancers of the male genital system t hat will occur in the United States during 1993 represent one fourth o f the expected 600,000 newly diagnosed cancers in American males for t he year. Methods. Data were collected by the Surveillance, Epidemiolog y, and End Results (SEER) program. This paper examines histologic data collected by the SEER program from 1973-1987 and focuses on incidence , stage at diagnosis, and survival for the dominant histologic types o f cancer that occur in the four major topographic divisions of the mal e genital system: prostate gland, testis, penis, and scrotum, Some les s common histologic types within each organ are also discussed. Result s. The incidence of male genital cancer has increased rapidly over the period of study. Cancers of the prostate, most of which are adenocarc inomas, represent more than 92% of all male genital cancers. Among ado lescents and young men, germ cell cancers of the testis predominate, b ut decline rapidly in occurrence after 40 years of age. Blacks had hig her incidence rates for prostate cancer than whites; however; the situ ation was reversed for testicular cancer. Survival increased dramatica lly for testicular cancer. Cancers of the penis and scrotum of any his tologic type are uncommon in the United States. Conclusions. The incre ased incidence of prostate adenocarcinomas and testis germ cell tumors indicates the need for further etiologic studies as a basis for preve ntion efforts.