Prostate Cancer in Israel: 3,421 Diagnoses a Year, and What the Figures Mean for PSA Testing

A Ministry of Health report published on September 17, 2026, records 3,421 new prostate cancer cases in Israel in 2023 and 520 deaths from the disease that year. Alongside the scale of disease, the ministry describes a long-term decline in mortality rates. These are population-wide data, not an instruction for every man to request a test for PSA.

This distinction matters particularly when the numbers reach the headlines. A report published now does not necessarily describe diagnoses from recent months, and the number diagnosed in a particular year does not say how many will need the same treatment.

What the new report contains

According to the Ministry of Health's National Cancer Registry, 93% of new cases in 2023 were diagnosed among Jews and others, and 7% among Arabs. "Jews and others" is the population category used by the report.

Risk rises with age, particularly after 50. The highest incidence rate among Jews and others was observed at ages 70-74, and among Arabs at ages 75 and above. It is important to distinguish incidence rates, which describe diagnoses relative to population size, from the total number of cases.

The ministry also notes that at the end of 2023, 14,505 men who had been diagnosed in 2019-2023 were living in Israel. Some had recovered and some were still living with the disease. This is not the number of all men in Israel ever diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Why diagnosis counts and mortality rates tell different stories

The Ministry of Health notes that diagnostic trends over the years were also influenced by changes in recommendations and use of the test for PSA. A change in diagnosis counts therefore does not, by itself, indicate a corresponding change in mortality or prove that the disease has become more dangerous.

The distribution of cases between population groups is not a direct comparison of individual risk either: meaningful comparison requires accounting for group sizes and age structures. The figures provide a national picture but do not replace an assessment of a particular person.

PSA elevation is not a cancer diagnosis

A test for PSA measures a protein produced by the prostate in the blood. According to the Israel Cancer Association, elevated levels can also occur in noncancerous conditions, including benign enlargement or inflammation. An abnormal result requires interpretation in its medical context, not a conclusion based on the highlighted line on the form.

Further evaluation may include a repeat test, a doctor's examination, MRI or biopsy, depending on the findings. Not every high result leads down the same path, and not every diagnosis requires immediate treatment.

Early detection may offer benefits, but testing also has costs: further investigations, anxiety, and detection of tumors that might never have caused harm during a person's lifetime. The association notes that the Ministry of Health does not recommend blanket screening for all men.

What to bring to a conversation with your doctor

Instead of arriving only with the question "Do I need PSA?", bring previous results, a medication list, and information about prostate cancer in your family. Ask what the test might change in your own case, and what the next step would be if the result were abnormal.

New difficulty urinating or blood in the urine warrants medical evaluation. These symptoms are not specific to cancer, but they are reasons for examination in their own right, separate from the discussion of screening.

The new report provides a good reason to understand risk and discuss it. Decisions about testing or treatment should follow the individual picture, not the diagnosis count in a headline.

The information in this article is general and does not replace personal medical advice.