E-mail This

Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer diagnosed in American men. After deaths due to lung cancer, prostate cancer is the next leading cause of death among men in the United States. Prostate cancer has a strong familial tendency; history of prostate cancer in a father or a brother doubles the risk of developing this cancer. The risk increases five fold when more than one close member of the family has it. The exact reason for this association is unknown. It may be due to common dietary or environmental factors or it may have a genetic component.

Prostate cancer becomes increasingly more common with advancing age; it is commonly found in men over 65. Less than 1% are found in under 50. Often these tumors are very small and non-aggressive, causing no effects on health.

Diet plays a very important role in the development and progression of certain cancers. Dietary factors are implicated in about 50% of all cancers, and a diet with high fat content has been associated with increased risk of having this disease. A high-fat diet has been correlated with increased production of testosterone and clinical studies have shown that administration of testosterone causes prostate cancer in laboratory animals.

Mortality from prostate cancer is low in countries where diet is low in fat. In such places like Japan, where their diet has four times less fat than the western diet, Japanese men have the lowest incidence of the cancer. Low-fat diet may also substantially reduce the risk of developing prostate cancer. Black American men are at a much higher risk than those living in Africa, since their diet is also lower in fat.

Read more about prostate cancer >>