When diagnosed early, prostate cancer is one of the most treatable and even curable forms of cancer. Though there are a variety of prostate cancer risk factors, the cancer is usually slow-growing, and the causes of the disease are multifactorial and can include the following.
- Age – Prostate cancer is rare in young men, but after age 45 to 50 the risk progressively increases. 60% of prostate cancer diagnoses are in men 65 or older, and the average age of a prostate cancer patient is 66 years old. However, other factors could cause prostate cancer to develop earlier, and these causes are listed below.
- Genetic Link – Men with a family history of prostate cancer have double the risk of developing the disease. The risk is even higher for men with several affected relatives, particularly if their relatives were young at the time of diagnosis. Scientists have identified several inherited genes that seem to increase risk, but they probably account for only a small fraction of cases. Genetic testing for these genes is not yet available.
- Ethnicity – Ethnic origin also plays a part in the development of prostate cancer: men of African heritage seem to be at highest risk, and men of Far Eastern descent the lowest. Men who are at higher risk (family history or African origin) are screened at an earlier age in order to find the cancer at its earliest stages when the potential for cure is the highest. At Comprehensive Urology, we recommend that African American men be screened at the age of 40, regardless of their family history of prostate cancer.
- Diet – Maintaining a healthy diet is an important step when it comes to reducing your risk of prostate cancer. There have been studies linking prostate cancer to a high animal fat and red meat diet, and it may be possible to reduce the risk of developing cancer by cutting down on dairy foods, red meats, and other foods rich with saturated fats.Exposure to certain agricultural pesticides may be associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer. There is also a weak association between prostate cancer and cadmium exposure. Additionally, some studies have linked a previous history of prostate infection to a higher risk of developing cancer.