Prostate Cancer Awareness – Who gets prostate cancer?

There is no single cause of prostate cancer. However, there are some factors that make developing prostate cancer more likely.

Age: The chance of getting prostate cancer rises quickly after a man reaches age 50, and almost two out of three prostate cancers are found in men over 65ii. Age is the most important factor for prostate cancer.

Race: It isn’t known why, but prostate cancer is more common in men of African or Caribbean descent and less common in men of Asian descent.

Family history: Your risk of prostate cancer is increased if close family members have had the disease.

Diet:: Men who eat a low-fibre, high-fat diet have a higher rate of prostate cancer. Research suggests that saturated fat (commonly found in processed foods, whole-milk dairy products and fatty cuts of meat) increases the production of the hormone testosterone, which may help prostate cancer cells grow.

It’s still possible to develop prostate cancer even when none of these risk factors are present.

Information from Prostate Cancer Canada: http://www.prostatecancer.ca/Prostate-Cancer/About-Prostate-Cancer