What increases my risk of prostate cancer?

These risk factors can increase your chance of developing prostate cancer: 

• Age: The risk increases with age. It usually affects men over 50. Nearly 2 in every 3 prostate cancers are diagnosed in men over 65.
• Family history: Your risk is higher if you have a brother or father with the disease. It is also higher if your relative developed prostate cancer at a younger age or if you have more than one relative with the disease. The 2 genes identified as increase risk are the Brca1 and Brca2 genes. Men with Brca2 are twice as likely to develop prostate cancer.
• Race: Black men are at a higher risk of developing prostate cancer.

Having a risk factor doesn’t mean you will get cancer. Very often people with no risk factors get the disease. If you’re worried, talk to your GP or talk to one of our cancer nurses. Call the Support Line on 1800 200 700 or visit a Daffodil Centre. 

Reducing your risk of prostate cancer

The most important things you can do to reduce your risk is:

• Be a healthy weight
• Eat a healthy diet
• Be physically active
• Know your family history and have a discussion with your GP about the pros/cons of PSA/DRE testing.

Read more about cancer risk-reduction tips.