Who is at risk for prostate cancer?
It is clear that the fundamental risk factor for prostate cancer is age. From 1986 to 1990 the average annual incidence rate was 22.7 cases per 100,000 men under age 65 and 884.1 cases per 100,000 men of age 65 and over. Thus if you were over 65 you were nearly 40 times more likely to have prostate cancer than if you were under 65! It is also apparent that African Americans have significantly higher incidence than white Americans, while Asian immigrants to the US have much lower incidence rates. One recent report appears to give credence to a long-held belief that men with diets high in saturated fats are at greater risk of developing prostate cancer than men with low fat diets. After the publication of a number of studies, there now appears to be relatively little evidence to support earlier suggestions that men who have a vasectomy are at any greater risk of developing prostate cancer than other men who do not have a vasectomy. Again, however, this conclusion is not definitive.
All men are at risk. The most common risk factor is age. More than 75 percent of men diagnosed with prostate cancer each year are over the age of 65. African American men have a higher risk of prostate cancer than white Americans. Dramatic differences in the incidence of prostate cancer are seen in different countries, and there is some evidence that a diet higher in animal fat may, in part, underlie these differences in risk. Genetic factors also appear to play a role, particularly for families in whom the diagnosis is made in men under 60 years of age. The risk of prostate cancer rises with the number of close relatives who have the disease.
All men are at risk. The most common risk factor is age. More than 75 percent of men diagnosed with prostate cancer each year are over the age of 65. African American men have a higher risk of prostate cancer than white Americans. There is some evidence that a diet higher in animal fat may, in part, underlie these differences in risk. Genetic factors also appear to play a role, particularly for families in whom the diagnosis is made in men under age of 60 years. The risk of prostate cancer rises with the number of close relatives who have the disease. It is generally recommended that men who are at high-risk begin screening at age 40 and men who are not at high-risk begin screening at age 50.
All men are at risk. The most common risk factor is age. More than 75 percent of men diagnosed with prostate cancer each year are over the age of 65. African American men have a higher risk of prostate cancer than white Americans. Dramatic differences in the incidence of prostate cancer are seen in different countries, and there is some evidence that a diet higher in animal fat may, in part, underlie these differences in risk. Genetic factors also appear to play a role, particularly for families in whom the diagnosis is made in men younger than 60 years of age. The risk of prostate cancer rises with the number of close relatives who have the disease.
