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Of all cancer types, prostate cancer is most closely linked to genetic risk factors.

While genetic risk cannot be changed, changes in lifestyle can make a difference when it comes to prostate cancer prevention.

Knowing your risk may empower you to make preventive lifestyle choices.

Preventing prostate cancer starts with knowing your risk – deCODEme calculates your genetic risk

Genetic risk factors play a significant role in the development of prostate cancer

Although genetic risk factors play a significant role in determining who develops prostate cancer and who doesn’t, there are other risk factors that can make a difference when it comes to prostate cancer prevention.

Assessing prostate cancer risk in terms of family history, genetics and lifestyle factors, may increase a man´s awareness of what factors he can take control of to be proactive in preventing the disease. Growing evidence shows that certain dietary and behavioral factors could lower prostate cancer risk in some cases:

Dietary factors suggested to reduce risk of prostate cancer

Men living in the Western parts of the World reportedly have higher rates of prostate cancer than people living in Far Eastern countries such as China and Japan. However, men who have moved from the Far East to the U.S. for example, have increased rates of prostate cancer. Researchers think that this may be due to the Western diet. While the results of research studies on diet and prostate cancer are not yet clear, you may be able to reduce your risk of prostate cancer by changing the way you eat.

The American Cancer Society= suggests eating less red meat and fat and eating more vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.

For more about dietary factors and prostate cancer prevention, see here.

Can medications prevent prostate cancer?

A 2008 study of the drug finasteride (Proscar®) found that men taking the drug were less likely to develop prostate cancer than men taking a placebo (“sugar pill”). The however was found to cause side effects, and the researchers concluded that the benefit in reduced risk of prostate cancer and urinary problems must be weighed against sexual side effects and increased risk of high-grade prostate cancer also detected in the study.

At this time it is not clear whether taking finasteride to lower the risk of prostate cancer is a good idea or not. The results of further studies are needed, and this will become clearer over the next few years. In the meantime, other drugs that may help prevent prostate cancer are also being tested in clinical trials.

More information about ongoing prostate cancer research can be found here.

Prostate cancer treatment can be very successful if the disease is caught early

Early detection is key to beating prostate cancer

Prostate cancer can often be found early by testing the amount of PSA in your blood. Another way prostate cancer is found early is when the doctor does a digital rectal exam. Because the prostate gland lies just in front of the rectum, the doctor can feel if there are any bumps or hard places on the prostate that might turn out to be cancer.

Treatment options for prostate cancer depend on stage when diagnosed and other factors

It is important to keep in mind that every man is different and every case of prostate cancer is different. Treatment options vary with these differences.

For early prostate cancer that has not spread outside the prostate gland, the most common treatment options are:

• Active Surveillance, which involves no treatment, but watching closely for signs of whether or not the disease is progressing. All prostate cancer treatments have side effects. In cases where the diseas shows no signs of progressing, deferring treatment may be weighed against the side-effects.
• Surgery, which either involves removal of only the cancerous part of the prostate, or all of it and other nearby areas if necessary (the surgery known as prostatectomy. Surgery is the most common treatment option for men under 70 years old, with cancers confined to the prostate.
• Radiation therapy can kill cancer cells either through external beam radiation therapy, by implanting tiny radioactive seeds through brachytherapy, or by radiosurgery.

For advanced or metastatic prostate cancer that has spread to other parts of the body, the most common treatment options are:

• High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) is a new and promising treatment, which destroys cancer cells by heating them with highly focused ultrasonic beams. This treatment has been used more in Europe, but it is not yet commonly employed in the United States.
• Hormone Therapy, or Androgen Deprivation Therapy, does not cure prostate cancer. Androgen hormones (such as testosterone) stimulate prostate cancer cells to grow. By starving them of these hormones, they can shrink or at least grow more slowly.
• Chemotherapy uses medications that are toxic to cancer cells and are generally used to treat prostate cancers that have become resistant to hormone therapy.

More information

Read more about new developments in research and treatment for prostate cancer, from the American Cancer Society, here.

This content was last reviewed on February 09, 2010.

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