What Increases Your Risk

Being older than 50 is the main risk factor for prostate cancer. A risk factor is anything that makes you more likely to get a particular disease. More than 65% of new prostate cancers are diagnosed in men who are 65 or older.¹ In addition, 90% of prostate cancer deaths occur in men who are older than 65.⁴

Your chances of getting the disease are higher if other men in your family have had it. Your risk is doubled if your father or brother developed prostate cancer. Your risk also depends on the age at which your relative was diagnosed.³ But most men who get prostate cancer have no family history of the disease.

Men whose families carry the gene changes that cause breast cancer, BRCA1 or BRCA2, are thought to be at increased risk for prostate cancer.⁵

Race and prostate cancer survival

African-American men and Jamaican men of African descent have a greater chance of getting the kind of prostate cancer that grows and spreads. Experts believe that there are many reasons for the differences in the prostate cancer disease and death rates among different races and around the world.⁶ One reason is a genetic link. Researchers have recently discovered a gene that occurs more often in African-American men and raises their risk of prostate cancer. Other genes may be involved too. It is hoped that these findings will lead to new treatments.⁷

Ethnicity and 5-year survival rate (percentage of men with prostate cancer who survive for 5 years or longer)⁸

The 5-year survival rate shows the percentage of men who are still alive 5 years or more after they are diagnosed. It is important to remember that these are only averages. Everyone’s case is different, and these numbers may not show what will happen in your case.

Asian-American men develop prostate cancer more often than Asian men living in Japan and China. But the incidence of prostate cancer in Asian-American men is lower than that in Caucasian men and much lower than that in African-American men. A Western high-fat diet may be the cause.²

Other factors that may increase your risk

• What you eat. Men who live in countries where people eat more red meat and fats are more likely to be diagnosed with and die from prostate cancer, according to some studies. Eating more lycopene, found in tomatoes and beets, may decrease the risk. Getting enough selenium and vitamin E may also help.²
• Hormones. Researchers are studying the link between high testosterone levels and prostate cancer.⁶
• Where you live. There are places in the world where the rates of prostate cancer are low, such as in Japan or China. But when Japanese or Chinese men move to countries where the rate is higher, such as the United States, their rates go up.²