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Understanding your prostate cancer risk

Are you at risk for developing prostate cancer in your lifetime? Learn about the risk factors for prostate cancer. Understanding your risks can help you talk with your health care provider about what steps you may want to take.

Risk Factors

No one knows what causes prostate cancer, but certain factors increase your risk of getting it.

  • Age. Your risk increases as you get older. It is rare before 40 years old. Most prostate cancers occur in men age 65 and older.
  • Family history. Having a father, brother, or son with prostate cancer increases your risk. Having a father with prostate cancer about doubles a man's own risk. Having a brother with prostate cancer about triples a man's own risk. A man who has 2 or more first degree family members with prostate cancer is 4.3 times at greater risk than someone who has no family members with prostate cancer.
  • Race. African American men have about twice the risk of men of other races and ethnicities. Prostate cancer may occur at a younger age, too.
  • Genes. Men with a BRCA1, BRCA2 gene mutation have a higher risk of prostate cancer and some other cancers. The role of genetic testing for prostate cancer is still being evaluated.
  • Hormones. Male hormones (androgens) like testosterone, may play a role in the development or aggressiveness of prostate cancer.

A Western lifestyle is linked with prostate cancer, and dietary factors have been intensively studied. However, results are inconsistent.

Having risk factors for prostate cancer does not mean you will get it. Some men with several risk factors never get prostate cancer. Many men without risk factors develop prostate cancer.

How to Reduce Your Risk

Most risk factors for prostate cancer, such as age and family history, cannot be controlled. Other areas are unknown or not yet proven. Experts are still looking at things like diet, obesity, smoking, and other factors to see how they may affect your risk.

As with many health conditions, staying healthy is your best defense against illness:

  • Do not smoke.
  • Get plenty of exercise.
  • Eat a healthy low-fat diet with plenty of vegetables and fruits.
  • Maintain a healthy weight.

It is a good idea to talk with your provider before taking dietary supplements. Some studies have shown that certain supplements may increase the risk for prostate cancer, although this is unproven:

  • Vitamin E. Taken by itself, this supplement may increase your risk. It is not known if taking selenium with vitamin E reduces the risk.
  • Folic acid. Taking supplements with folic acid may increase your risk, but eating foods high in folate (a natural form of the vitamin) may help protect AGAINST prostate cancer.
  • Calcium. Getting high levels of calcium in your diet, either from supplements or dairy products, may increase your risk. But you should talk with your provider before cutting back on dairy products.

It is a good idea to talk with your provider about your risk for prostate cancer and what you can do about it. If you have a higher risk, you and your provider can talk though the benefits and risks of prostate cancer screening to decide what is best for you.

When to Call the Doctor

Contact your provider if you:

  • Have questions or concerns about your prostate cancer risk
  • Are interested or have questions about prostate cancer screening

References

National Cancer Institute website. Genetics of prostate cancer (PDQ) - Health professional version. www.cancer.gov/types/prostate/hp/prostate-genetics-pdq#section/all. Updated February 15, 2024. Accessed February 19, 2024.

National Cancer Institute website. Prostate cancer prevention (PDQ) - Patient version. www.cancer.gov/types/prostate/patient/prostate-prevention-pdq#section/all. Updated October 20, 2023. Accessed February 19, 2024.

National Cancer Institute website. Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER). Cancer stat facts: prostate cancer. seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/prost.html. Accessed February 19, 2024.

US Preventive Services Task Force website. Final recommendation statement prostate cancer: screening. www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/prostate-cancer-screening. Released May 8, 2018. Accessed February 19, 2024.

Text only

  • Prostate cancer

    Prostate cancer

    Animation

  •  

    Prostate cancer - Animation

    As men get older, they have a lot of new worries to deal with, from hair loss, weight gain, perhaps even erectile dysfunction. In addition, cancer is one of the biggest concerns that older men face, especially prostate cancer, which is the leading cause of cancer death in men over 75. Younger men may not be very familiar with their prostate, the walnut-shaped gland that wraps around the urethra, the tube that carries urine out of the body. But as they get older, the prostate can start to cause problems. Men over the age of 60 are at increased risk for prostate cancer, especially if they're of African descent, they have a father or brother with the disease, or they eat a lot of burgers and processed meats in their daily diet. It can be hard to pinpoint prostate cancer symptoms, because they usually start late in the disease and they can mimic symptoms of a benign, enlarged prostate, which is also more common in older men. Symptoms like a slow urine stream, dribbling, blood in the urine, or straining while urinating can be signs of either condition. An enlarged prostate can also confuse the results of a PSA test, which is used to screen for prostate cancer. So, if your doctor thinks you might have prostate cancer, you may need a biopsy, which is a procedure that removes a small piece of prostate tissue and sends it to the lab to check for cancer. Then a scoring system called the Gleason grade is used to tell how fast your cancer might spread. Your Gleason grade will help decide what treatment you get. Early-stage prostate cancers that haven't spread are often removed with surgery, and then treated with radiation therapy to kill any remaining cancer cells. Prostate cancer surgery may affect your ability to have sex and control urine, so talk about these issues with your doctor before you have the procedure. Because prostate cancer tends to grow very slowly, your doctor may want to just monitor you with PSA tests and biopsies, and avoid treatment unless the cancer starts to spread. Prostate cancer that has spread is usually treated with surgery, chemotherapy, or hormone therapy. If your doctor discovers prostate cancer in its early stages, before it spreads, it's pretty easy to treat, and even cure. Treatments can also slow down prostate cancer that's spread, and extend your survival. Before you have to deal with a prostate cancer diagnosis, ask your doctor for ways to prevent and screen for the disease. Eating a healthy, low-fat diet that's high in healthy omega-3 fatty acids might help lower your risk. There are also drugs called finasteride and dutasteride that are used in some men to prevent prostate cancer. Talk with your doctor about the pros and cons of these drugs, as well as the possible benefits and risks of having your PSA levels tested.

  • Prostate cancer

    Prostate cancer

    Animation

  •  

    Prostate cancer - Animation

    As men get older, they have a lot of new worries to deal with, from hair loss, weight gain, perhaps even erectile dysfunction. In addition, cancer is one of the biggest concerns that older men face, especially prostate cancer, which is the leading cause of cancer death in men over 75. Younger men may not be very familiar with their prostate, the walnut-shaped gland that wraps around the urethra, the tube that carries urine out of the body. But as they get older, the prostate can start to cause problems. Men over the age of 60 are at increased risk for prostate cancer, especially if they're of African descent, they have a father or brother with the disease, or they eat a lot of burgers and processed meats in their daily diet. It can be hard to pinpoint prostate cancer symptoms, because they usually start late in the disease and they can mimic symptoms of a benign, enlarged prostate, which is also more common in older men. Symptoms like a slow urine stream, dribbling, blood in the urine, or straining while urinating can be signs of either condition. An enlarged prostate can also confuse the results of a PSA test, which is used to screen for prostate cancer. So, if your doctor thinks you might have prostate cancer, you may need a biopsy, which is a procedure that removes a small piece of prostate tissue and sends it to the lab to check for cancer. Then a scoring system called the Gleason grade is used to tell how fast your cancer might spread. Your Gleason grade will help decide what treatment you get. Early-stage prostate cancers that haven't spread are often removed with surgery, and then treated with radiation therapy to kill any remaining cancer cells. Prostate cancer surgery may affect your ability to have sex and control urine, so talk about these issues with your doctor before you have the procedure. Because prostate cancer tends to grow very slowly, your doctor may want to just monitor you with PSA tests and biopsies, and avoid treatment unless the cancer starts to spread. Prostate cancer that has spread is usually treated with surgery, chemotherapy, or hormone therapy. If your doctor discovers prostate cancer in its early stages, before it spreads, it's pretty easy to treat, and even cure. Treatments can also slow down prostate cancer that's spread, and extend your survival. Before you have to deal with a prostate cancer diagnosis, ask your doctor for ways to prevent and screen for the disease. Eating a healthy, low-fat diet that's high in healthy omega-3 fatty acids might help lower your risk. There are also drugs called finasteride and dutasteride that are used in some men to prevent prostate cancer. Talk with your doctor about the pros and cons of these drugs, as well as the possible benefits and risks of having your PSA levels tested.

    A Closer Look

     

    Review Date: 1/6/2022

    Reviewed By: Richard LoCicero, MD, private practice specializing in Hematology and Medical Oncology, Longstreet Cancer Center, Gainesville, GA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Internal review and update on 02/20/2024 by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

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