INTRODUCTION: Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men after lung cancerand it is the second leading cause of cancer death among men. In Brazil, the National Cancer Institute estimates that, excluding non-melanoma skin cancer, prostate cancer will be the most frequent type of cancer in all Brazilian regions. OBJECTIVES: To developed a recent study about prostate cancer reality among men who received medical assistance in the urology sector of ”João de Barros Barreto Universitary Hospital” in the Brazilian state of Pará. To determine prostate cancer prevalence in this population, also evaluating medical assistance provided to patients and observing if prostate cancer screening has been done according to medical literature recommendations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A descriptive prevalence study was executed. All men at the age of 40 or above who had received medical assistance in the urology sector of that universitary hospital between June 2004 and September 2007 were included in casuistics. Prontuaries regarding those patients were accessed and examined according to a previously elaborated protocol. RESULTS: 804 of patients received medical assistance in the urological sector of the cited universitary hospital. Of these, 397 patient´s prontuaries (49%) belonging to men aged 40 or above at a potential risk for developing prostate cancer could be accessed. Medical professional signatures were not found in 6.30% of all prontuaries. A percentage of 27.71% patients were not submitted to digital prostate examination and 47.61% of them did not had PSA (Prostate-Specific Antigen) dosed. Prostate cancer prevalence among studied population was 2.77%. CONCLUSION: Almost half (49%) of all patients who attended urological consults in “João de Barros Barreto Uiversitary Hospital” are at a potential risk for developing prostate cancer. Many of them were not adequately submitted to prostate cancer screening, which resulted, ultimately, in a subestimated low prevalence of prostate cancer (2,77%) founded in studied population.
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