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CancerQuest > Introduction to Patient Information > Introduction to Cancer by Type > Prostate Cancer: Introduction > Prostate Cancer: Risk Factors

Prostate Cancer: Risk Factors

Factors that may influence risk of developing prostate cancer include:

• Age
• Family History of Prostate Cancer
• Race
• Dietary Factors

The relative effects of these and other risk factors in any given case of cancer is variable and very difficult to determine with accuracy at this time.

Age

Risk of prostate cancer increases dramatically with age. Most patients are diagnosed with the disease over the age of 50.⁽¹⁾ For more information about the relationship between age and cancer, refer to the Mutation section.

Family History of Prostate Cancer

It is possible to inherit dysfunctional genes that lead to the development of a familial form of a particular cancer type. Individuals with a family history of prostate cancer are therefore at an increased risk of developing the disease. The degree of risk depends upon the type of relative affected. For example, risk is higher if an immediate family member has been diagnosed with prostate cancer.⁽²⁾ The more closely related an individual is to someone with prostate cancer, the more likely they will share the same genes that predisposed the affected individual. Risk increases with the number of relatives affected.

Studies have linked several prostate cancer susceptibility genes to different locations within the genome.⁽³⁾The mechanisms by which these genes lead to cancer, however, are still not well understood.

Race

African American men have the greatest incidence of prostate cancer in the United States. Cancer survival rates are greatly affected by the stage at which a cancer is detected. Compared to both European American and Hispanic men in the United States, African American males are also more likely to be diagnosed at a more advanced stage. Reasons for these differences among ethnic groups are still unclear. Such differences may be due to a combination of genetic, environmental, and/or social factors.⁽⁴⁾

Dietary Factors

It is very difficult to identify dietary items that cause a particular cancer. Studies indicate that many dietary factors may influence prostate cancer risk. It has been suggested that a diet rich in dairy and meat products may be associated with an higher risk, while a diet rich in fish and tomato-based products may be associated with lower risk of prostate cancer.⁽⁵⁾

References for this page:

1. What Are The Risk Factors For Prostate Cancer? American Cancer Society. (Accessed October 2010) [http://www.cancer.org/Cancer/ProstateCancer/DetailedGuide/prostate-cancer-risk-factors]
2. Cox B, Sneyd MJ, Paul C, Skegg DC. "Risk factors for prostate cancer: A national case-control study." Int J Cancer (2006) [epub ahead of print] [PUBMED]
3. Verhage BA, Kiemeney LA. "Inherited predisposition to prostate cancer." European Journal of Epidemiology (2003); 18(11):1027-1036 [PUBMED]
4. Consedine NS, Morgenstern AH, Kudadjie-Gyamfi E, Magai C, Neugut AI. "Prostate cancer screening behavior in men from seven ethnic groups: the fear factor." Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev (2006) Feb;15(2):228-37. [PUBMED]
5. Wolk A. "Diet, lifestyle and risk of prostate cancer." Acta Oncologia (2005) 44:277-281 [PUBMED]