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  Thursday, November 20, 2008
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Risk Factors

Anything that increases a person's chance of developing a disease is called a risk factor. Prevention means avoiding the risk factors and increasing the protective factors that can be controlled so that the chance of developing cancer decreases.

Prostate Cancer can often be associated with known risk factors for the disease.

Many risk factors are modifiable though not all can be avoided. Researchers have discovered several causes of prostate cancer.

Risk Factors:

Age
Prostate cancer is rarely seen in men younger than 50 years old. The chance of developing prostate cancer increases as men get older.

Family History of Prostate Cancer
A man whose father, brother, or son has had prostate cancer has a higher-than-average risk of developing prostate cancer.

Race
The risk of prostate cancer is dramatically higher among blacks, intermediate among whites, and lowest among native Japanese. However, this increase in risk may be due to other factors associated with race. Studies have shown a link between levels of testosterone and prostate cancer risk, with black men having the highest levels.

Other potential risk factors include alcohol consumption, smoking, and other dietary habits.


Prevention Techniques:

Chemoprevention
Chemoprevention is the use of specific natural or man-made drugs, vitamins, or other agents to reverse, suppress, or prevent cancer growth. Several agents, including difluoromethylornithine (DFMO), isoflavonoids, selenium, vitamins D and E, and lycopene have shown potential benefit in studies. Further studies are needed to confirm this.

Diet and Lifestyle
A diet high in fat, especially animal fat, may be associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer. Increased dietary intake of fruits and vegetables has been associated with a reduced risk of prostate cancer in some studies.

Hormonal Prevention
Studies are underway to discover the role of certain drugs, such as finasteride, that reduce the amount of male hormone as preventive agents for prostate cancer.


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