In mainland France, as in most Western countries, prostate cancer is the most frequent cancer in men. However, the incidence of this cancer is highly variable, depending on the region of the world. This variability is largely accounted for by differences in access to care, but also by environmental conditions and the ethnogeographic origins of the populations. The French West Indies--the archipelago of Guadeloupe and the island of Martinique--are unique in terms of their geography, environment and the lifestyle and origins of their populations. We report the incidence and mortality rates for prostate cancer in the French West Indies and also provide the first description of the major clinical and anatomical characteristics of this disease in this region.