Prostate Cancer Risk Factors

There are several risk factors affecting the likelihood of developing prostate cancer and these include:

Age

The risk of prostate cancer increases steadily with age and it is rare in men under 50

Family History

Your risk is higher if you have close relatives (a father, uncle or brother) who have had prostate cancer. Scientists have identified several inherited genes that seem to increase prostate cancer risk. The first of these is called HPC1 (abbreviated from Hereditary Prostate Cancer Gene 1). But there are many other genes described that are mutated and may be responsible for hereditary prostate cancer. None of these are prominent causes of hereditary prostate cancer, and research on these genes is still preliminary. Genetic tests are not yet available. It is also possible that mutated forms of the genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 (which greatly increase a woman's risk of developing breast or ovarian cancer) may have a slight to moderate link with increased risk of prostate cancer.

Hormone Levels

High levels of Androgens (the male hormones, notably testosterone) may contribute to prostate cancer risk in some men. Some studies have also noted that men with high levels of another hormone, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), are more likely to develop prostate cancer.

Race:

It seems that race plays a role in the development of prostate cancer with men possessing an African heritage having their risk factor increased by 60% compared with men of European ancestry. Men with Asiatic ancestry seem to have a lower risk.

Nationality:

Prostate cancer is most common in North America and northwestern Europe. It is less common in Asia, Africa, Central America, and South America. The reason for this is not well understood, but we know that is not simply due to better screening in North America and Europe.

Diet:

Men who have a large amount of high-fat dairy products in their diet appear to have a slightly higher chance of developing prostate cancer; though this may be because these men also tend to eat fewer fresh fruit and vegetables.

Vasectomy:

Some earlier studies suggested that men who have had a vasectomy may have a slightly increased risk for prostate cancer, but this link has not been consistently found; though it may be the case that the risk is higher in men who were younger than 35 when they had a vasectomy.