Prostate Cancer: Are You At Risk?
Prostate Cancer Is The Most Common Of Cancers Among American Men
All men over the age of 50 should get a PSA (prostate specific antigen) test once a year. Early diagnosis and treatment of prostrate cancer greatly increases the odds of survival.
The prostate gland, located at the base of the penis, surrounds the urethra and produces seminal fluid. The American Cancer Society reports over 230,000 men will be diagnosed with cancer of the prostate this year. And even though the great majority (seven to one) will not die, prostate cancer is still the number two cancer killer of men in the U.S. – after lung cancer.
Primarily A Disease of the Elderly
Prostate cancer is mostly a disease of the elderly – median age at diagnosis is 72. However, the risk of prostate cancer, rare in the 40s, increases rapidly after the age of 50.
Over 70 percent of the cases are diagnosed in men 65 and older. As much as 80 percent of men 80 years and older have cancer of the prostate.
Cause of Prostate Cancer?
The exact cause of prostate cancer is not known. In general, cancer is caused by mutations in the DNA of cells that cause those cells to grow and divide rapidly.
Family History
DNA is inherited from your parents. So men who have a father, grandfather, uncle or brother diagnosed with prostate cancer have double the risk of getting it; odds rapidly increase if more than one male relative is affected. About 5-10 percent of all prostate cancers are due to DNA mutations that were passed along at birth, according to ProstateDisease.org.
Race or Ethnicity A Factor
The incidence of prostate cancer is 50 percent greater in African-American men than in white American males. Why? Many suspect diet, especially a high intake of fat.
One study in 1996 by the National Cancer Institute showed that prostate cancer increased significantly (1.8 to 2.8 times) among black men who frequently ate pork, eggs and beef. Among the 284 black and white men studied, the major dietary risk was a high consumption of fat. Prostate cancer also decreased among those who frequently consumed carrots, spinach, collards and poultry, a low fat diet.
Dietary Impact
A diet high in fruits and vegetables and low in fat is considered a good way to reduce the risk of prostate cancer.
Japanese men living in Japan rarely have prostate cancer, but when they move to the U.S. the incidence increases greatly.
Interestingly, a study of 8,000 Japanese men who moved from Japan to Hawaii showed that their risk of prostate cancer increased substantially as they adopted a Western diet (A prospective study of demographics, diet, and prostate cancer among men of Japanese ancestry in Hawaii, Cancer Research, 1989).
By contrast, those who consumed traditional Japanese foods such as rice and bean curd (tofu) on a regular basis, even after migrating to the West, statistically had a significant lower risk of developing cancer.
Though the science is not conclusive, many researchers see an increased risk of prostate cancer in men who consumed large amounts of butter, cheese, eggs, and margarine, which are all characteristics of the American diet.
Other Risk Factors
- A history of some benign prostatic disease, including prostatitis and some types of hyperplasia, may increase the risk of prostate cancer.
- High testosterone could play an important role. Although the mechanism of prostate cancer development is not understood, hormones, including the male androgenic hormone, could promote the development of prostate cancer.
- Obese men have a much higher risk of getting the disease. Keeping physically active and at a healthy weight may reduce the risk of prostate cancer.
Treating Prostate Cancer with IGRT
Prostate Cancer: Treatment Choices
