Risk Factors
Risk Factors for Prostate Cancer Development
While it is not completely understood, there are certain risk factors that make one man more susceptible than another to develop prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer, after skin cancer, among men in the United States and Canada. Men of all ages, races, and ethnic groups can get prostate cancer. Your chances of developing Prostate Cancer do increase if:
• You are age 55 or older; being over 65 is the main risk factor and increases with age
• You are African American
• You have a father, brother or son with prostate cancer
More about these Risk Factors
Age
It is well-established that prostate cancer incidence increases dramatically with increasing age. While a very unusual disease in men before age 50, rates increase exponentially thereafter.
Family History
Approximately 15% of men with a diagnosis of prostate cancer will be found to have had a first degree male relative (brother, father, son) with prostate cancer.
Race
Prostate cancer is more common among black men than white or Hispanic/Latino men. It's less common among Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian/Alaska Native men.
Inherited Genes and Gene Mutations
Inheritance of the prostate cancer gene appears to be a complex process, though the rare autosomal gene has been suggested to cause cancer in some families. Further study has demonstrated that, controlling for all other tumor variables, treatment of the primary tumor is more likely to fail in men with a family history of prostate cancer.
Men with cells called high-grade prostatic intraepithelial meoplasia (PIN) may be at increased risk of prostate cancer. These prostate cells look abnormal under a microscope.
Researchers have found specific regions on certain chromosomes that are linked to the risk of prostate cancer. According to recent studies, if a man has a genetic change in one or more of these regions, the risk of prostate cancer may be increased. . The risk increases with the number of genetic changes that are found. Also, other studies have shown an elevated risk of prostate cancer among men with changes in certain genes, such as BRCA1 and BRCA2.
Other evidence suggesting that the degree of cumulative exposure of the prostate to androgens is related to an increased risk of prostate cancer. Androgen (hormone) levels generally parallel prostate cancer risk in various populations of men. Although there are conflicting data, a number of studies have demonstrated that levels of testosterone and, especially dihydrotestosterone are highest in black males, of intermediate levels in white males, and lowest in native Japanese. The risk for prostate cancer in these ethnic groups directly parallels these androgen levels.
Having a risk factor doesn’t mean that a man will develop prostate cancer. Most men who have risk factors never develop the disease.
