Causes of Prostate Cancer

As with many malignancies, the causes of prostate cancer are not fully understood. However, there are several risk factors which are known to statistically increase one's chance of developing this form of cancer and are likely related to the underlying causes. Prostate cancer is a malignant tumor and thus is similar to other cancers in that it arrises, in a general sense, from cells which have had mutations to their genetic material (DNA) which allow them to grow uncontrollably. This growth of abnormal cells leads to the formation of a tumor.

Some Known Risk Factors for Prostate Cancer:

Gender: One of the most obvious risk factors for prostate cancer is male gender. Traditionally, prostate cancer has been defined as cancer of the prostate gland in the male reproductive tract. However, the analogous gland in females, the Skene's gland, was renamed the female prostate. However, cancer of the female prostate is extremely rare as only a handful of case have been reported in the literature. Therefore, for all intents and purposes, prostate cancer is a disease of males.

Testosterone: The primary male sex hormone, testosterone, is known to stimulate the growth of many prostate tumors. Therefore, while it is not necessarily one of the initial causes of prostate cancer, it can contribute to its development and progression. For this reason, some treatments for prostate cancer have been directed at blocking testosterone function.

Age: In general, cancer of the prostate is a disease of older age. The risk is negligable below 50 years of age. After that age, the risk increases with increasing age.

Heredity and Genetics: Genetics is probably one of the important contributors to the formation of prostate cancer and can be considered one of the causes of prostate cancer. Because of this, certain family histories and ethnicities appear to be at increased risk for the disease. African American men are at increased risk. Also, if a man has had a first degree relative (father or sibling) with prostate cancer, he is at increased risk. The specific genes which may be associated with this cancer are not fully understood and much ongoing research is investigating those genes which may increase one's risk for development of prostate cancer.

Diet: Some research has suggested that a diet too high in animal fat may increase one's risk for prostate cancer. On the other hand, a diet high in fruits and vegetables may lower one's risk.

Does Benign Prostatic Enlargement Increase My Risk For Cancer?

Many men develop a condition known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) as they get older. As the name implies, this condition is a benign enlargement of the prostate without any implication of malignancy. In fact, BPH is not related to prostate cancer and does not increase a man's risk of developing cancer. The two conditions can occur simultaneously. However, other than both occuring increasingly in older age, they are not directly related. Because both BPH and cancer can cause an enlargement of the prostate gland, some patients with BPH may initially be worked up for cancer to distinguish the two different pathologies.