What causes prostate cancer?
Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA. In recent decades, prostate cancer has emerged as one of the most common diseases among older men, particularly in Western society. Several years ago, only age, race, and family history were known risk factors for this disease. However, today, much progress has been made towards discovering nutritional and hormonal risk factors for prostate cancer. Biomarkers, including testosterone and insulin-like growth factor, and nutritional factors, especially meat, fat, and dairy intake, have been linked to greater risk of disease. Higher consumption of selenium and vitamin E, fructose/fruits, and tomatoes all have been associated with reduced occurrence of prostate cancer, but as yet their efficacy for prevention remains unproven. The challenge of understanding the enigmas of this disease will continue into future decades, as we convert current knowledge into preventive and therapeutic recommendations.
The exact causes of prostate cancer are not known. But like other types of cancer, prostate cancer develops when your body rapidly produces unnecessary cells. These out of control cells can form clumps that can become cancer. Doctors and researchers believe there are certain factors that raise your chances of getting the disease. These are called risk factors for prostate cancer. Among those risk factors are the genes you inherit, including those determining your race. Others relate to smoking, obesity, diet, hormones, and exposure to certain chemicals. However, not everyone with risk factors develops prostate cancer. Others, who have no risk factors, can still develop the disease. The following is a listing of the most common risk factors. • Genetic risk factors – About 9 percent of prostate cancers are caused by a “cancer susceptibility gene,” which is passed from parents to their children. If you have a father or brother who has had prostate cancer, you are at a slightly higher risk
Men who consume large amounts of fat — particularly from red meat and other sources of animal fat — are most likely to develop advanced prostate cancer. The disease is much more common in countries where meat and dairy products are dietary staples than in countries where the basic diet consists of rice, soybean products, and vegetables. The underlying factor linking diet and prostate cancer is probably hormonal. Fats stimulate increased production of testosterone and other hormones, and testosterone acts to speed the growth of prostate cancer. High testosterone levels may stimulate dormant prostate cancer cells into activity. Some findings suggest that high testosterone levels also influence the initial onset of prostate cancer. Eating meat may be risky for other reasons: Meat cooked at high temperatures produces cancer-causing substances that directly affect the prostate. A few other risk factors have been noted. Welders, battery manufacturers, rubber workers, and workers frequently
