Toward a better understanding of the comparatively high prostate cancer incidence rates in Utah.
BACKGROUND
This study assesses whether comparatively high prostate cancer incidence rates among white men in Utah represent higher rates among members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS or Mormons), who comprise about 70% of the state's male population, and considers the potential influence screening has on these rates.


METHODS
Analyses are based on 14,693 histologically confirmed invasive prostate cancer cases among men aged 50 years and older identified through the Utah Cancer Registry between 1985 and 1999. Cancer records were linked to LDS Church membership records to determine LDS status. Poisson regression was used to derive rate ratios of LDS to nonLDS prostate cancer incidence, adjusted for age, disease stage, calendar time, and incidental detection.


RESULTS
LDS men had a 31% (95% confidence interval, 26%-36%) higher incidence rate of prostate cancer than nonLDS men during the study period. Rates were consistently higher among LDS men over time (118% in 1985-88, 20% in 1989-92, 15% in 1993-1996, and 13% in 1997-99); age (13% in ages 50-59, 48% in ages 60-69, 28% in ages 70-79, and 16% in ages 80 and older); and stage (36% in local/regional and 17% in unstaged). An age- and stage-shift was observed for both LDS and nonLDS men, although more pronounced among LDS men.


CONCLUSIONS
Comparatively high prostate cancer incidence rates among LDS men in Utah are explained, at least in part, by more aggressive screening among these men.
Department of Health Science, College of Health and Human Performance, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA. Ray_Merrill@byu.edu
Ray M
RM
Merrill
Sterling C
SC
Hilton
Charles L
CL
Wiggins
Jared D
JD
Sturgeon
D000368:Aged; D034682:Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008498:Medical Record Linkage; D008875:Middle Aged; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D020728:Transurethral Resection of Prostate; D014589:Utah / Q000453:epidemiology
D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen