Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men, with about 1 in 8 men diagnosed in their lifetime – including former American president Joe Biden. But all prostate cancers are not deadly – in fact, many have growth so slow that they will never cause harm.
“There are essentially two types of prostate cancer,” said Dr. Hayley Luxton, responsible for research and commitment to Prostate Cancer UK. “I call them” pussies “and” tigers “. A cat is slow growth prostate cancer – man will not die because of this.
“Tigers are really aggressive – these men need urgent treatment, otherwise they will die.”
Autopsy studies show that more than 50% of men over the age of 90 have prostate cancer cells – many of them have never diagnosed in life.
“Most men will finally have prostate cancer cells,” adds Dr Cody Watling, a postdoctoral scholarship holder at the US National Cancer Institute. “But that it becomes clinically significant – whether it causes symptoms or spreats – is another question entirely.”
These three things count the most
So what really increases your risk of prostate cancer?
According to Science, most of your risks come down to three factors – unfortunately, uncontrollable -:
- Age – The risk increases sharply after 50 years. Most diagnoses are in men over 70 years of age.
- Ethnic – Black men are twice as likely to develop prostate cancer as white men. We do not yet know why, but genetics can play a role.
- Family history – You are more at risk if your father, brother or grandfather had it – especially if they have been diagnosed within 60 years. Family history of breast or ovary cancer can also increase the risk, especially if a mutation of a gene called BRCA2 is involved.
Watling adds that these risk factors are linked not only to prostate cancer in general, but also to aggressive diseases: “There is evidence that age, family history and black ethnicity increase your risk of overall and aggressive prostate cancer.”
And the lifestyle?
Some titles suggest that you can reduce your risk through lifestyle choices – but reality is more troubled.
“Many research has been carried out to try to disentangle if there are modifiable risk factors for prostate cancer,” said Watling, who studied the risk of food and prostate cancer at the University of Oxford. “And to date, nothing has really shown a solid evidence.”
Some studies suggest a possible link between high dairy intake, in particular milk, and a slight increase in the risk of prostate cancer, perhaps due to a growth factor called IGF-1. But, Watling says: “The evidence, there is still a little misty, and there is no really strong association.” In short, more research is necessary to identify any causal link.
A possible exception is body weight. “There is evidence that overweight is linked to a higher risk of aggressive or deadly prostate cancer,” said Watling. “But it is difficult to untangle, whether due to biology or because people with higher body weight are less likely to be detected early.”
Luxton agrees: “Maintain a healthy and balanced diet and exercise – even if it is only 10 minutes on foot – is better than doing nothing.”
What you should do
If you are over 50, or over 45 and over at risk (because you are black or have family history of cancer), prostate cancer UK recommends starting a conversation with your general practitioner.
You can check your risks in less than a minute using the online risk verifier of UK prostate.
From there, your doctor can carry out screening tests, including a blood test for prostate specific (PSA), exams, MRI analyzes and more, according to what you need.
The bottom line
The diagnosis of Joe Biden naturally shaken people, but it also aroused a flood of misleading or simplified advice. Here is the truth:
- You cannot eliminate your risk of prostate cancer.
- Most risks come from age, family history and ethnicity, not diet or lifestyle.
- That said, healthy habits are always important for aggressive prostate cancer and to reduce your risk of other diseases.
- If you are more at risk, you should start conversation with your doctor.
About our experts
Hayley Luxton is the head of research on impact and commitment to Prostate Cancer UK, responsible for identifying examples where the research program of the charity has led to the impact as well as to feed research projects and strategic initiatives to offer as much impact as quickly as possible. Before that, she conducted research at the University College in London and the Research UK cancer.
Cody Watling is a postdoctoral scholarship holder at the National Cancer Institute. His research was published in journals, in particular BMC medication,, Clinical nutrition And The British Journal of Cancer.
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