OBJECTIVE: The key aim of this study is to assess the burden of prostate cancer in Ghana and to evaluate how the impact of prostate cancer among West Africans compares with that among African Americans, whose reported incidence rates are among the highest in the world. West Africans and African Americans share genetic ancestry but have very different lifestyles and environmental exposures. The study aim will be achieved by establishing lower and upper bounds on the true incidence of prostate cancer in the capital city of Accra. The secondary aim of the study is to establish epidemiological, biochemical, and genetic profiles of West Africans for comparisons with African Americans to provide etiologic clues for prostate cancer. DESIGN: The study will consist of two components: 1. a clinical survey, a. divided into a five-year retrospective, and b. a 3-year prospective phase, and 2. a population screening survey.
