Doctors cannot always explain why one person gets cancer and another does not. However, scientists have studied general patterns of cancer in the population to learn what lifestyle choices and environmental factors may increase a person’s chance of developing cancer. Some prostate cancer risk factors are:

• Age – the chance of having prostate cancer increases after age 50

• Race – prostate cancer has a higher rate of incidence among African-American males

• Nationality – prostate cancer is most common in North America and Northwestern Europe

• Family History – the disease seems to run in some families, suggesting an inherited factor

• Smoking – according to the American Cancer Society, some studies have suggested that men who smoke may be more likely to die of prostate cancer. Researchers are not sure why such causality may exist.

• Diet – men who eat a large amount of red meat and/or high-fat dairy products seem to have a slightly higher chance of prostate cancer

• Exercise – some studies suggest that men who exercise vigorously have a lower rate of prostate cancer

* Risk factors obtained from the American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute websites.