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Overall, in the UK about 1 in 12 men develop prostate cancer. Many men worry about getting prostate cancer, sometimes because one of their relatives has developed the illness. This section explains:
The cause of most prostate cancers is not known. But we do know that some things (called ‘risk factors’) increase our chances of developing cancer. If you have a particular ‘risk factor’ for cancer, this does not mean you will definitely get cancer, just as not having it does not mean that you won't get ill. It is about probability.
Smoking is a good example of this: if you smoke, it is not certain that you will develop cancer. Neither is it certain that if you don't smoke, you won't develop lung cancer. But if you smoke, your risk of developing lung cancer is far higher than if you don't. Nine out of ten people who develop lung cancer are smokers.
Risk factors for prostate cancer are not as clear-cut as smoking and lung cancer. But some risk factors have been identified.
Genes are the biological information that you inherit from your parents. They affect the way your body grows, works and looks. Changes (mutations) in genes can increase the risk of developing cancer in family members who inherit the genetic change. However, only a small number of prostate cancers (5–10% or less than one in ten cases) are thought to be due to an inherited altered gene running in the family.
Research to try to identify gene changes (mutations) that may be inherited and that could cause a higher risk of prostate cancer is ongoing, and is being carried out by many groups worldwide. Prostate cancer often seems to cluster in families, but research so far has not identified a specific ‘prostate cancer gene’ that could be the cause in most cases. It is likely that several genes may be involved and the cancer risk may be related to environmental factors too, although these have not yet been identified.
If your family is like this and you are worried about developing prostate cancer, you might want to talk to your GP.
There are currently no gene tests for prostate cancer available on the NHS. But you can talk to your doctor and arrange to have a blood test to test the level of prostate specific antigen (PSA) in your blood. The PSA level is usually raised in a man with prostate cancer, but it may also be raised for other reasons, so it is not a straightforward screening test. However, if you have a strong family history of prostate cancer and you are worried, regular PSA tests may be helpful. You can read more about this test in our section Understanding the PSA Test.
It has been found that in a small number of cases, a change (mutation) in the breast cancer genes, BRCA1 and particularly BRCA2 can be linked with prostate cancer. So, if there is a strong history of breast cancer in your family and a BRCA gene mutation has been found in your family, you may want to discuss the risk of prostate cancer with your doctor. Your GP may refer you to your local genetics centre for further advice and possibly gene testing.
It is thought that your risk of developing prostate cancer is significantly increased if you have:
In general, the more relatives there are on the same side of the family with prostate cancer, the more closely related to you they are and the younger the age at diagnosis, the greater the risk that the cancers are caused by an inherited gene mutation.
Other risk factors can play a bigger role than family history in the development of prostate cancer. Like inherited gene mutations, some of these factors cannot be changed (such as age and race), but you may want to consider other lifestyle factors such as diet and environment. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle can reduce your risk of developing cancer, but cannot guarantee that you won’t get it.
Age Prostate cancer is mainly a disease of older men and is rare in men under 50. However, as with many cancers, your risk of getting prostate cancer gets higher as you get older. Prostate cancer is very rare in men under 40 but about one third of men over the age of 50 will have some cancer cells within their prostate. By the age of 80, about half of all men will have a form of prostate cancer, but this will not affect their daily life and most will die from other causes.
Prostate cancer differs from most other cancers in the body, because small areas of cancer within the prostate are very common and may stay dormant (and so be harmless) for many years. However, in some men, the cancer can grow more quickly, and in some cases may spread to other parts of the body, particularly the bones.
Race Certain ethnic groups have a higher chance of developing prostate cancer than others: for example, African Caribbean or African American men are more likely to have this type of cancer than white men.
Asian men are least likely to develop prostate cancer. Some experts think this may be due to traditional diets in Asian countries. However, if men from these areas move to countries where the rates of prostate cancer are higher, and adopt their lifestyle, their chances of getting prostate cancer can increase.
Diet There is some evidence to suggest that diet plays a part in the risk of developing prostate cancer, but this is not yet completely clear. Current thinking is that a diet that is high in animal fats may increase the risk of developing the disease. Red meat (beef, lamb and pork) in particular, contains a lot of saturated fat and so does dairy produce (butter, full fat milk, cheese, eggs and cream).
Eat a healthy diet A healthy diet is one that limits the intake of red meat, animal fat and salt, and includes plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables. It is recommended that we eat at least 5 portions of fruits and vegetables per day. Drinking plenty of water and fruit juices also helps.
If you are worried about prostate cancer, it would be helpful to cut down on red meat, animal fat and salt in your diet. Eating a healthy diet will also lower your risk of developing other cancers, as well as other illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes.
Some studies have suggested that supplements such as vitamin E and selenium may offer some protection against prostate cancer. Also lycopenes that are found in tomatoes and tomato products may help to protect against prostate cancer. You should check with your GP before taking these, and can find the recommended daily dosage plus more information about this from the Prostate Research Campaign.
Give up smoking Smoking is the single biggest cause of cancer that can be avoided. About 30% of cancers (1 in 3 cases) are caused by smoking. It is responsible for around 90% (9 out of 10 cases) of lung cancer, but also plays a role in many other cancers, as well as heart disease and high blood pressure. For help, contact the NHS smoking helpline on 0800 169 0169 or visit www.gosmokefree.co.uk
Be safe with alcohol It is recommended that men drink no more than 3-4 units of alcohol per day. A unit is half a pint of ordinary strength beer, lager or cider, 1 small glass of wine or 1 single measure of spirits.
Do some regular exercise and maintain a healthy weight Take up some regular exercise. You don’t need to go to the gym; walking, cycling or gardening, a few times a week, can be enough.
Be body aware Being body aware means that you know what is normal for you and what seems a serious change. Some of the signs and symptoms of prostate cancer are listed below.
Men with early prostate cancer are unlikely to have any symptoms as these only occur when the cancer is large enough to cause symptoms. Men over 50 often have enlargement of the prostate that is not due to cancer (benign enlargement). The symptoms of both benign enlargement of the prostate and cancer of the prostate are similar and are listed below; but remember, most enlargements of the prostate are not cancer.
If you have any of these symptoms it is important to have them checked by your doctor:
Cancer of the prostate is often a slow-growing cancer and symptoms may not occur for several years. For this reason, you might want to talk to your doctor about having a regular health check which includes an assessment of the prostate and a PSA blood test.
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