Few things generally make most men squeamish, but problems with the equipment downstairs are usually enough to get the attention of even the most rugged fellows. Though men will often know their external equipment quite well, their knowledge of those internal male parts is often much less well rounded. However, ignorance is rarely bliss and does not make those parts any less important. Consequently, efforts to prevent cancer in one of those male parts, the prostate, are worthy of attention.

The prostate is a gland that wraps surrounds the urethra, the tube that carries urine out of the body, and is located at the bottom of the bladder. Its function is for the creation of some of the parts of what makes up semen and it responds to levels of the male hormone androgen that are present. Very important for most men is that many of the nerves that are wired to the penis travel quite closely to the prostate.

As the second most common cancer affecting men, 1 in 6 will experience Prostate Cancer in their lifetime. In fact, 1 in 4 cancer cases for men are for Prostate Cancer. In the the UK, Canada, Australia and the US, the disease will annually affect some 35,000, 25,000, 20,000 and 192,000 men, respectively. The disease is also the second leading cause of cancer death in men in all of these countries despite being a slow growing cancer.

While Prostate Cancer can occur rarely in younger men, any man over 45 is at risk and the risk increases with age. As many as 60% of the cases of Prostate Cancer diagnosed are for men over 70 making increasing age a key risk factor for the disease.

However, there are important genetic factors for the disease as well. Men of African ancestry are 61% more likely to develop Prostate Cancer and 2.5 times more likely to die from the disease than Caucasians. Men with a brother who was diagnosed with the cancer are 3 times more likely to develop the disease themselves. Having more than one direct relative such as your father, a brother or a son with Prostate Cancer increases your risks by 4 times.

So if the risk of the cancer increase with age and it has genetic characteristics, one might question what prevention can do to reduce the risk. After all, prevention requires effort and nobody wants to make an effort for minimal gains. Fortunately, there are a number of ways of reducing the risk of developing the disease that are within a person's control.

One important means of reducing Prostate Cancer risk is the frequently mentioned value of exercise. In a study from Duke University Prostate Center, the researchers found that the risk of developing the cancer was 85% higher for men who were sedentary as compared to men who had the equivalent of 3 to 6 hours of walking per week. Furthermore the risk of the cancer being the most aggressive form was 2.3 times higher in those who were sedentary as compared to those who only did the equivalent of 1 to 3 hours of walking per week. Clearly, even a little bit of regular activity can reduce the risks considerably.

Related to exercise, another means of reducing risk for the cancer is associated with weight management. Research performed, in part, by the UCLA School of Medicine found that the risk factor for development of the cancer in obese men was 98% higher than for men of normal weight. An equally troubling finding from the same study, however, was that in obese men, blood tests were much less likely to detect the cancer. Maintaining a healthy diet cuts both of these risks.

Moving on from obesity, another means of reducing risk is associated with diet. A research review performed at the University of Melbourne concluded that migrant Greek men who retained their traditional Mediterranean diet were also able to retain their low risk for Prostate Cancer though specific statistics were not provided. The Mediterranean diet includes olive oil, tomatoes, fish, lots of vegetable and is low in red meat.

Other research has also pointed to the benefits of diet in reducing the risks from this cancer. When researchers at National Cancer Institute in Bethesda performed a study on more than 1300 Prostate Cancer patients, they found from the results that diagnosed patients who ate plenty of broccoli and cauliflower were 49% less likely to have developed the aggressive form of the disease. While the research shows no prevention of the cancer entirely, it does indicate a way to reduce the risk of the most lethal form.

One last dietary contribution to Prostate Cancer prevention comes in the form of green tea. Italian researchers from the University of Parma and University of Modena found that providing green tea extract to men significantly reduced the men's risk for the cancer. Based on their limited study, the researchers saw the risk for Prostate Cancer decrease by more than 9 times in those taking the green tea extract. While the study needs follow up validation, these numbers definitely indicate possibilities for prevention though diet.

Though it is easy to look at the genetic and age-related risks associated with developing prostate cancer and decide that your fate is already set, doing so ignores the facts. Living well can reduce prostate cancer risks significantly. Sufficient exercise and eating appropriate foods have numerous benefits to our health including that of our prostates. Just remember to get tested for the cancer regularly as well because ignorance is rarely bliss.

Related Links

http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/cancerstats/types/prostate/
http://www.prostate.org.au/articleLive/
http://www.prostatecancer.ca/Prostate-Cancer/Prostate-Cancer/Statistics.aspx
http://www.prostatecancerfoundation.org/site/c.itIWK2OSG/b.70619/k.446E/Risk_Factors.htm
http://www.cancer.ca/canada-wide/about%20cancer/cancer%20statistics/stats%20at%20a%20glance/prostate%20cancer.aspx?sc_lang=en
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/prostate
http://depts.washington.edu/hprc/docs/cancer-info-sheet.pdf
http://www.jurology.com/article/S0022-5347(05)64541-7/abstract
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE5A552T20091106
http://www.goldjournal.net/article/S0090-4295(08)00722-X/abstract
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/121542267/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2005-04/aafc-gts041205.php
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSCOL17182620070831

The science always points to exercise as a means of avoiding cancer. It's just too bad that few people enjoy doing it, myself included...

We must be aware of our health because there is a tendency that we will lose it if we will not watch. Eating vegetables will help us to prevent diseases. And also, exercising and notice your weight too.

Scary recent news is the finding associating aggressive prostate cancers with asymtomatic Trichomonas infections (cause a vaginitis in women sometimes though often asymtomatic).
Will Trichomonas in men become like Papillomavirus (which causes warts) and cervical cancer is to women?

That is a pretty nasty finding. I just hope that they can develop a urine test that can tell the difference between the aggressive and the those that grow much more slowly. Earlier would be better.

My husband was diagnosed with prostate cancer and has been undergoing radiation treatment. He is in his 60's and very active for his age. He walks daily and I make sure he eats a healthy diet. But none of this seemed to help because he still got prostate cancer. I do agree we should all look after our bodies better but sometimes its just not enough. There was no history of prostate cancer or any cancer for that matter in his family, so it was such a shock, to say the least.....