Early prostrate screenings are important

September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. According to the American Cancer Society prostate cancer can often be successfully treated, and is the most common cancer among men except for skin cancer. In the early stages you may not notice any symptoms. This is why regular screenings are important.

Different types of cancer have different risk factors. Risk factors such as smoking can be changed. Others, such as age and family history cannot.

Having one or more risk factors does not mean you will definitely get the disease. Many people having one or more factors never get cancer, while others get cancer and may have had few or no known risk factors.

Researchers have found several components which might affect a man’s risk of getting this disease.

Age — Prostate cancer is rare in men younger than 40, however the chance of getting the disease rapidly increases after age 50. Approximately 6 in 10 cases of prostate cancer are found in men older than 65.

Race/ethnicity — Prostate cancer occurs more often in African-American and Caribbean men of African ancestry than in men of other races.

Geography — Prostate cancer is most common in North America, northwestern Europe, Australia and on Caribbean islands. It is less common in Asia, Africa, Central America and South America.

Family history — Prostate cancer seems to run in some families, suggesting in some cases there may be an inherited or genetic factor. Still, most prostate cancers occur in men who have no family history of the cancer. Having a father or brother with it more than doubles a man’s risk of developing this disease. The risk is higher for men having a brother with it than for those having a father with the disease. The risk is even higher for men with several affected relatives, particularly if their relatives were young when the cancer was discovered.

Gene changes — Several inherited gene changes seem to raise the risk of prostate cancer, but they probably account for only a small percentage of cases overall.

Diet — Men who eat a lot of red meat or high-fat dairy products appear to have a slightly higher chance of getting prostate cancer. These guys also tend to eat fewer fruits and vegetables. However, it’s unclear which of these factors is responsible for raising the risk.

Obesity — Being obese does not seem to increase the overall risk of getting this cancer. Studies have found obese men have a lower risk of getting a low-grade form of the disease, yet a higher risk of getting more aggressive prostate cancer. The reasons are not clear.

Smoking – Most studies have not found a link between smoking  and getting prostate cancer.

Chemical exposures — There is some evidence firefighters can be exposed to chemicals which may increase their risk of prostate cancer. A few studies have suggested a possible link between exposure to Agent Orange, a chemical used widely during the Vietnam War, and the risk of this cancer. The Institute of Medicine considers there to be limited/suggestive evidence of a link between Agent Orange exposure and this disease.

Inflammation of the prostate — Some studies have suggested prostatitis, an inflammation of the prostate gland, may be linked to an increased risk of prostate cancer. Inflammation is often seen in samples of prostate tissue also containing cancer.

Sexually transmitted infections — Researchers have looked to see if sexually transmitted infections such as gonorrhea or chlamydia may increase the risk of prostate cancer since they can also lead to inflammation of the prostate. So far, studies have not agreed and no firm conclusion has been reached.

Vasectomy — Some studies suggest men who have had a vasectomy have a slightly increased risk for prostate cancer. Research on this possible connection is still under way.

For more information please visit www.cancer.org.

Prostate cancer can often be found early with a simple blood test. It’s extremely important to make an appointment to talk with your health care professional.