Prostate Cancer: Know the Risk Factors

WebMD Guest Blogger, David McLeod, MD

Prostate cancer is a life-changing illness that afflicts one man in six in the United States. It is the second most common cause of cancer death among American men, and, in 2008, according to the Centers for Disease Control, it is predicted to take over 28,000 lives without warning signs or symptoms.

The Department of Defense allocates a considerable amount of funding each year for research and development of treatment for prostate cancer. As the director of the Center for Prostate Disease Research (CPDR), I am constantly touting early detection. Although prostate cancer is a leading cancer in men, it has a cure rate of more than 90% with early detection and treatment. There is disagreement regarding screening, but the decision to screen is between the patient and his physician.

Research shows there are some obvious risk factors, and those who fall into these categories need to be especially careful. These include:

1. Race: African-American men are more likely to develop prostate cancer than men of other races or ethnic groups, and the disease is likely to advance more rapidly.

2. Weight: Men who are overweight are more prone to develop prostate cancer.

3. Family history: If you have an immediate family member who suffered from prostate cancer, your risk for prostate cancer is nearly doubled.

Should any of these situations apply to you, you should request prostate screening by the age of 40. If none of the above risk factors are present, prostate screening should begin by age 50. This disease can no longer be thought of as only an "old man's disease."

Diet may be another risk factor in this disease. Diets high in red meat and fat have been linked to the onset of many types of cancer to include cancer of the prostate. While it has not been proven as a valid treatment, there is great body of evidence that shows that a healthy lifestyle along with a healthy diet can have drastic effects on the body's ability to resist cancer.

Currently the standard method for early detection of prostate cancer is to have a digital rectal exam (DRE) in which your physician can detect if the prostate is enlarged or might contain a tumor.

This exam, along with a simple blood test to detect a protein (prostate specific antigen - PSA) which is usually elevated when there is a presence of prostate cancer or benign prostate hypertrophy (BPH) should be done together. These tests should be performed annually as part of a routine physical examination.

If you're diagnosed with prostate cancer, talk to your doctor, then get second and third opinions. For more information on prostate cancer, please visit us at: http://www.cpdr.org/

David G. McLeod, MD
Professor of Surgery, Uniformed Services University and
Director, Center for Prostate Disease Research, Walter Reed Army Medical Center

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