Reduce Your Risk for Prostate Cancer
Some of the risk factors for prostate cancer are beyond our control to change. These include age, family history, and race.
Risk of developing prostate cancer increases with age. More than 95% of prostate cancer cases are diagnosed in New Mexican men age 55 or older. More than 70% of cases are diagnosed in men age 65 or older.
Men who have one first-degree relative (father or brother) with prostate cancer have a two-fold risk of developing this disease. For men who have two or more relatives with prostate cancer, this increases to a five-fold risk.
African American men have a high risk of developing prostate cancer – about twice that of non-Hispanic white men.
More information is available in the National Cancer Institute’s publication, Understanding Prostate Changes: A Health Guide for All Men.
Here are some steps you can take to reduce your risk for developing prostate cancer.
- Maintain a healthy weight. A study published in 2003 found that death rates from prostate cancer increased significantly with an increase in Body Mass Index.*
- Limit intake of foods that are high in animal fats, and eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Studies suggest this may reduce the risk for prostate cancer. In addition, a healthy diet reduces the risk of other diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure.
- Don’t use tobacco products. If you do, stop. Although smoking has not been linked to the development of prostate cancer, some studies show that smokers are at higher risk for more aggressive disease, or for cancer that spreads more quickly.
- Some dietary supplements are being studied to see if they can reduce the risk for developing prostate cancer. The Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT) is a research study funded by the National Cancer Institute to find out if selenium and vitamin E can help prevent prostate cancer.
* Body Mass Index (BMI) is a measure of height and weight that can indicate the percentage of body fat. A BMI of 18.5 – 24.9 is considered normal weight. A BMI of 25.0 – 29.9 is considered overweight, and a BMI of 30.0 or higher is considered obese. For more information, or to calculate your BMI, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Last updated on 02/25/2005 11:08 pm.
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