[Epidemiology of cancer of the prostate. Descriptive study].

Although the most frequent tumor of the male genitourinary system is cancer of the prostate, epidemiological studies on this tumor are uncommon in our setting. This study attempts to record the number of patients who were diagnosed as having prostatic cancer at La Paz Hospital (Madrid) during 1981-1987 and to determine the influence of pathological antecedents--personal and familial--in the development of the disease. The present study showed 90 patients had been diagnosed during this period. Most of the patients diagnosed as having this condition were aged 70-79 years. Most of the patients (85.6%) were living in urban areas. Only 2.2% were unmarried and without children. The mean patient age on diagnosis was lower in the group with a higher educational level. A previous history of benign hyperplasia of the prostate was present in 22.22%; tonsillectomy had been performed in 11.11%; only 5.55% had a previous history of rheumatic fever; 26.66% were obese; and 36.66% had a family history of cancer. A previous history of disease did not influence mean patient age at the time of diagnosis.