OBJECTIVES: Screening programs have resulted in prostate cancer (PC) diagnoses increasing and being made both earlier in the disease state and the patient’s life. Understanding the clinical and cost burden of PC and its associated treatment options is imperative for optimization of healthcare resources. METHODS: A structured literature review of three publication databases (PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library) was undertaken. Literature review was focused on publications with a major focus on "Prostatic Neoplasms" or containing the term "Prostate Cancer". Secondary search criteria restricted results to contain information on epidemiology, cost of illness, adverse events, or treatment protocols. To ensure that recent estimates and practice guidelines were evaluated, literature was restricted to those published on or after January 1, 2009. Abstract screening selected publications reporting data from European countries and other nations with developed healthcare systems. RESULTS: Age‑standardized incidence rates for PC ranged from 4.5 to 170.2 cases per 100,000 males per year, and was 110.8 per 100,000 males per year in the EU. The annual percentage increase in PC ranged from 2.8% in Australia to 8.6% in China. The cost of PC management in Europe was highest in France (EUR 722 million). Key cost drivers were identified as the initial year of care, radical prostatectomy, and terminal care. Compared with other EU countries, higher use of radical prostatectomy and lower use of active surveillance in France result in a higher cost burden. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of PC is increasing in the majority of countries with data available. The cost of illness is rising accordingly, and the cost differential between active surveillance and intervention is substantial. Selecting the optimal treatment per patient is likely to be an important aspect in limiting the increase in the PC burden.