Can I Prevent Prostate Cancer?

At this time in medical science, you cannot prevent prostate cancer. There are many risk factors for prostate cancer, such as age, race and family history. But there are things you can do to possibly decrease your risk of prostate cancer.

Your Physical Condition and Diet

Your body weight, diet and physical activity levels provide you with an opportunity to possibly lower your risk of prostate cancer. For your lower risk of prostate cancer, eat at least two and a half cups of fruits and vegetables every day, keeping yourself physically fit and active while maintaining a proper, healthy weight.

Vitamins, Minerals and Other Supplements

Past studies suggested some vitamins or mineral supplements might lower prostate cancer risk. These recommended supplements included vitamin E and selenium. But neither of these were found to help reduce prostate cancer risk, in later research. Some studies today examine the relationship between soy proteins and prostate cancer. But this research has not yet provided results.

Medications for Prostate Cancer Risk Reduction

Researchers believe some drugs help reduce prostate cancer risk. These include:

• 5-alpha reductase inhibitors
  Finasteride and dutasteride studies indicate some possible reduction of prostate cancer risk. But doctors do not yet know whether benefits outweigh risks.
• Daily aspirin regimen
  Some scientists believe daily aspirin regimen lowers risk of having prostate cancer and dying from the disease. This research is still underway, to determine if benefits of aspirin regimen outweigh risks like increased risk of bleeding.

Pay Attention to Risk Factors for Prostate Cancer

To date, the best way to try to avoid getting prostate cancer is to live a healthy life with well-balanced nutrition, fitness and regular prostate screening exams. Risk factors for prostate cancer show little room for personal influence on your chances of getting the disease. But the risk factors do help you understand when you need prostate cancer screening and to pay attention to your physical health.

Risk factors for prostate cancer include:

• Age
  Your greatest chance of a prostate cancer diagnosis comes after age 50. Men over the age of 65 account for sixty percent of prostate cancer cases.
• Race and Ethnicity
  African American and Caribbean men of African descent are the most likely to die from prostate cancer. White men experience half the rate of prostate cancer death as these men, with Asian-American and Hispanic/Latino men experiencing even lower risk.
• Geography
  North American men are among those at most risk for the disease, along with northwest European, Australian and Caribbean Island men.
• Family History
  Prostate cancer runs in some families, but scientists know little of the role genes play in actually having prostate cancer. Having a brother or father with the disease doubles your risk of prostate cancer, but fewer men experience family history with prostate cancer than those diagnosed with the disease and no family history.
• Gene Changes
  Some gene changes like Lynch syndrome raise risk for prostate cancer.
• Diet
  Eating high red meat diets or those laden with high fat dairy may increase your risk of prostate cancer. Men eating fewer fruits and vegetables also experience more prostate cancer than men eating high fruit and vegetable dietary content. Too much calcium seems to play a role in prostate cancer.
• Obesity
  Being very overweight will not increase your odds of having prostate cancer, but obese men tend to experience more aggressive, deadly forms of the disease.
• Chemical Exposure
  Military men from the Vietnam War and firefighters experience an increased risk of prostate cancer, likely due to chemical exposure.