The prostate is a uniquely male organ, and only male patients are likely to develop prostate cancer. In addition to gender factors, age, race and family history are the main risk factors for prostate cancer.
Age
The biggest risk factor for prostate cancer is age.
Men over age 50 have a significantly higher risk of prostate cancer than men under age 50. In the United States, about 2/3 of prostate cancers are diagnosed in men over 65 years of age.
In addition, the older a patient is at the time of diagnosis, the less aggressive his or her prostate cancer usually is.
Family history
Men who have a family member with prostate cancer are at higher risk of developing prostate cancer.
According to the American Cancer Society, men with a father or brother with prostate cancer have a doubled risk of prostate cancer, and those with a brother with prostate cancer have a higher risk of developing the disease than those with a father with prostate cancer. Men who have multiple family members with the disease are at higher risk, and these men should begin prostate cancer screening at age 40.
Studies have identified several genes that may increase the risk of prostate cancer, and it is estimated that hereditary prostate cancer accounts for only 5 to 10 percent of all prostate cancer cases.
Race
Black men in the United States are about 60% more likely to develop prostate cancer than white men, and the cancer is generally more malignant. However, Japanese and men living locally in Africa have a low incidence of prostate cancer. When they immigrate to the United States, the odds increase dramatically in these populations.
This suggests that cancer is not only related to race, but may also be related to environmental factors such as a high-fat diet and excessive red meat intake, but the detailed mechanisms are not known.
Diet
Studies suggest that a high-fat diet may be a risk factor for prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is more common in countries where meat and dairy products are the mainstay of the diet than in those where rice, soy products, and vegetables are the basic diet.