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Health Topics

Prostate Cancer

24 February 2025

Introduction

In 2022, prostate cancer was the third commonest cancer in men and accounted for 16.0% of all new cancer cases in males.

Incidence

In 2022, 2 758 new cases of prostate cancer were diagnosed. The crude incidence rate of prostate cancer was 82.2 per 100 000 male population. The age-standardised incidence rate* of prostate cancer was 33.9 per 100 000 standard population. 

Number of new cases and crude incidence rate of prostate cancer, 1983 to 2000 (View)

Number of new cases and crude incidence rate of prostate cancer, 2001 to 2022 (View)

Mortality

Prostate cancer was the fourth leading cause of male cancer deaths in Hong Kong. In 2023, a total of 522 men died from this cancer, accounting for 6.1% of male cancer deaths. The crude death rate of prostate cancer was 15.2 per 100 000 male population. The age-standardised death rate* of prostate cancer was 5.3 per 100 000 standard population. 

Number of registered deaths and crude death rate of prostate cancer, 1981 to 2000 (View)

Number of registered deaths and crude death rate of prostate cancer, 2001 to 2023 (View)

Trends of incidence and mortality

The age-standardised incidence rate of prostate cancer had an upward trend over the past 40 years (average annual percentage change (AAPC)# between 1983 and 2022: 3.4%) and over the past 10 years (AAPC between 2013 and 2022: 2.6%).

The age-standardised death rate of prostate cancer had an upward trend over the past 43 years (AAPC between 1981 and 2023: 1.5%), while no significant trend was observed over the past 10 years.

Age-standardised incidence and death rates of prostate cancer, 1981 to 2023

Age-standardised incidence and death rates of prostate cancer, 1981 to 2023

Notes: * Age-standardised incidence / death rates are compiled based on the world standard population specified in GPE Discussion Paper Series: No.31, EIP/GPE/EBD, World Health Organization, 2001.
# AAPC of age-standardised incidence / death rates is a summary measure of the trends in the age-standardised incidence / death rates over a specified interval estimated from joinpoint regression.
Data in the above charts from 1996 onwards are compiled based on the population estimates under the "resident population" approach instead of the "extended de facto" approach.
Classification of diseases and causes of death is based on the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD) 10th Revision from 2001 onwards. Figures from 2001 onwards may not be comparable with figures for previous years which were compiled based on the ICD 9th Revision.
Sources: Census and Statistics Department
Department of Health
Hong Kong Cancer Registry, Hospital Authority


Prostate cancer corresponds to codes 185 in ICD-9 and C61 in ICD-10.

For more information about cancer statistics in Hong Kong, please visit the website of the Hong Kong Cancer Registry.

For health information relating to cancer, please visit the Cancer Online Resource Hub.