Risk factors for prostate cancer
There are a few risk factors that can increase a man's chance of developing prostate cancer. It is very important for a man to know these risk factors so that he knows his chances of developing the disease. The risk factors of prostate cancer include: age, family history, race, lifestyle, and diet. This article will discuss these risk factors in more detail.
Age
Age is one of the biggest risk factors for prostate cancer. The majority of men who are diagnosed with prostate cancer are over the age of 65. Men under the age of 40 have a very small chance of developing prostate cancer. According to the Prostate Cancer Foundation, only 1 in 10,000 men who are under 40 years of age will get prostate cancer. Unfortunately, once a man is over the age of 40 the rate goes to 1 in 38 men, and then, for men between the ages of 60 and 69, 1 in 15 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer.
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Family History
Family history is another risk factor of prostate cancer. This risk factor, as with age, cannot be controlled. If a man has had a brother, a son, or a father that has developed prostate cancer, they have a higher risk of developing this disease. When a man has a family member who has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, they are twice as likely to also have prostate cancer. And if the man has two or more family members who have prostate cancer they are four times more likely to get it as well. If the family member(s) that developed prostate cancer developed it at a young age (under 60) they have even higher risk of being diagnosed with prostate cancer.
It is even possible for a man to have an increased risk of developing prostate cancer if any of his close female relatives have been diagnosed with breast cancer. It is possible that the man has inherited the faulty gene that could cause cancer to develop in his prostate.
Race
Another risk factor for the development of prostate cancer is race. For some unknown reason, African American men are much more likely to develop prostate cancer, and they are also more likely to die from it. Caucasian men have less of a chance to develop prostate cancer compared to African American men.
Lifestyle and diet
Since a man can not affect his age, family history of the disease, and race, it is very important that he takes care of his body the best he can and reduce the risks of prostate cancer that he can control, lifestyle and diet. Lifestyle and diet also have a big role in the development of prostate cancer. If a man is overweight, he has a higher chance of developing prostate cancer. And if he has a high fat diet, this can also increase his risk. These two risk factors usually go hand in hand since men who have a high fat diet also tend to be overweight.
A man should choose to consume a healthy diet, full of fruits and vegetables, and limited in red meat and other high fat food choices. If a man participates in regular exercise it can also help to reduce his risk of developing prostate cancer as well as many other diseases.
And since age, family history, and race are not risk factors that can be controlled, men, especially as they get older, also need to pay attention to their body and any symptoms they may be experiencing. Catching prostate cancer in an early stage can be a man's best defense against the disease.
