September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month
Prostate cancer is the 4th most common cancer worldwide. It is the 2nd most common cancer in men.
The number of people diagnosed with prostate cancer will more than double worldwide over the next 2 decades, from 1.4 million in 2020 to 2.9 million by 2040, according to findings from a Lancet Commission. More people will also die from the condition, with an estimated 700,000 patients dying by 2040 compared with 375,000 people in 2020. (
Other than skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in American men. The American Cancer Society’s estimates for prostate cancer in the United States for 2024 are:
- About 299,010 new cases of prostate cancer
- About 35,250 deaths from prostate cancer
Risk of prostate cancer
About 1 man in 8 will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime.
Prostate cancer is more likely to develop in older men and in non-Hispanic Black men. About 6 cases in 10 are diagnosed in men who are 65 or older, and it is rare in men under 40. The average age of men at diagnosis is about 66.
Deaths from prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in American men, behind only lung cancer. About 1 man in 44 will die of prostate cancer.
Prostate cancer can be a serious disease, but most men diagnosed with prostate cancer do not die from it. In fact, more than 3.3 million men in the United States who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point are still alive today.
Types of prostate cancer
Almost all prostate cancers are adenocarcinomas. These cancers develop from the gland cells (the cells that make the prostate fluid that is added to the semen).
Other types of cancer that can start in the prostate include:
- Small cell carcinomas
- Neuroendocrine tumors (other than small cell carcinomas)
- Transitional cell carcinomas
- Sarcomas
These other types of prostate cancer are rare. If you are told you have prostate cancer, it is almost certain to be an adenocarcinoma.
Some prostate cancers grow and spread quickly, but most grow slowly. In fact, autopsy studies show that many older men (and even some younger men) who died of other causes also had prostate cancer that never affected them during their lives. In many cases, neither they nor their doctors even knew they had it.
Prostate Cancer Risk Factors
A risk factor is anything that raises your risk of getting a disease such as cancer. Different cancers have different risk factors. Some risk factors, like smoking, can be changed. Others, like a person’s age or family history, can’t be changed.
But having a risk factor, or even several, does not mean that you will get the disease. Many people with one or more risk factors never get cancer, while others who get cancer may have had few or no known risk factors.
Researchers have found several factors that might affect a man’s risk of getting prostate cancer.
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Age
Prostate cancer is rare in men younger than 40, but the chance of having prostate cancer rises rapidly after age 50. About 6 in 10 cases of prostate cancer are found in men older than 65.
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Race/ethnicity
Prostate cancer develops more often in African American men and in Caribbean men of African ancestry than in men of other races. And when it does develop in these men, they tend to be younger. Prostate cancer occurs less often in Asian American and Hispanic/Latino men than in non-Hispanic whites. The reasons for these racial and ethnic differences are not clear.
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Geography
Prostate cancer is most common in North America, northwestern Europe, Australia, and on Caribbean islands. It is less common in Asia, Africa, Central America, and South America.
The reasons for this are not clear. More intensive screening for prostate cancer in some developed countries probably accounts for at least part of this difference, but other factors such as lifestyle differences (diet, etc.) are likely to be important as well. For example, Asian Americans have a lower risk of prostate cancer than white Americans, but their risk is higher than that of men of similar ethnic backgrounds living in Asia.
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Family history
Prostate cancer seems to run in some families, which suggests that in some cases there may be an inherited or genetic factor. Still, most prostate cancers occur in men without a family history of it.
Having a father or brother with prostate cancer more than doubles a man’s risk of developing this disease. (The risk is higher for men who have a brother with the disease than for those who have a father with it.) The risk is much higher for men with several affected relatives, particularly if their relatives were young when the cancer was found.
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Gene changes
Several inherited gene changes (mutations) seem to raise prostate cancer risk, but they probably account for only a small percentage of cases overall. For example:
- Inherited mutations of the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes, which are linked to an increased risk of breast and ovarian cancers in some families, can also increase prostate cancer risk in men (especially mutations in BRCA2).
- Men with Lynch syndrome (also known as hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer, or HNPCC), a condition caused by inherited gene changes, have an increased risk for a number of cancers, including prostate cancer.
Factors with less clear effects on prostate cancer risk:
Diet
The exact role of diet in prostate cancer is not clear, but several factors have been studied.
Men who eat a lot of dairy products appear to have a slightly higher chance of getting prostate cancer.
Some studies have suggested that men who consume a lot of calcium (through food or supplements) may have a higher risk of developing prostate cancer. Most studies have not found such a link with the levels of calcium found in the average diet, and it’s important to note that calcium is known to have other important health benefits.
Obesity
Being obese (very overweight) does not seem to increase the overall risk of getting prostate cancer.
Some studies have found that obese men have a lower risk of getting a low-grade (slower- growing) form of the disease, but a higher risk of getting more aggressive (faster- growing) prostate cancer. The reasons for this are not clear.
Some studies have also found that obese men may be at greater risk of having more advanced prostate cancer and of dying from prostate cancer, but not all studies have found this.
Smoking
Most studies have not found a link between smoking and getting prostate cancer. Some research has linked smoking to a possible small increased risk of dying from prostate cancer, but this finding needs to be confirmed by other studies.
Chemical exposures
There is some evidence that firefighters can be exposed to chemicals that may increase their risk of prostate cancer.
A few studies have suggested a possible link between exposure to Agent Orange, a chemical used widely during the Vietnam War, and the risk of prostate cancer, although not all studies have found such a link. The National Academy of Medicine considers there to be “limited/suggestive evidence” of a link between Agent Orange exposure and prostate cancer. To learn more, see Agent Orange and Cancer.
Inflammation of the prostate
Some studies have suggested that prostatitis (inflammation of the prostate gland) may be linked to an increased risk of prostate cancer, but other studies have not found such a link. Inflammation is often seen in samples of prostate tissue that also contain cancer. The link between the two is not yet clear, and this is an active area of research.
Sexually transmitted infections
Researchers have looked to see if sexually transmitted infections (like gonorrhea or chlamydia) might increase the risk of prostate cancer, because they can lead to inflammation of the prostate. So far, studies have not agreed, and no firm conclusions have been reached.
Vasectomy
Some studies have suggested that men who have had a vasectomy (minor surgery to make men infertile) have a slightly increased risk for prostate cancer, but other studies have not found this. Research on this possible link is still underway.
Exercise and Activity
Physical activity and exercise are critical factors in prostate health for both fighting the disease and preventing recurrence. Physical activity is shown to improve your physical and emotional health. In addition, it can be important for managing your weight, maintaining muscle and bone strength, and helping with potential side effects of prostate cancer treatment. Physical activity simply means movement of the body that uses energy. Walking, gardening, climbing the stairs, playing soccer, or dancing the night away are all good examples of being active. For health benefits, physical activity should be moderate or vigorous intensity that makes you breathe harder and your heart beat faster.
A recent study found that among men with prostate cancer, those who lead active lifestyles have better survival rates than those who do not. Other studies have indicated that obesity is tied to prostate cancer aggressiveness, doubling the risk of death and quadrupling the risk of metastasis.
Fortunately, regular physical activity and exercise have a positive impact on health and prostate cancer. Men who exercise the equivalent of only one to three hours of walking each week have an 86% lower risk of aggressive prostate cancer. Further research has demonstrated three or more hours of vigorous exercise lowered the risk of prostate cancer death by 61%.
Benefits of Regular Exercise During and After Cancer Treatment
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- Reduce anxiety and fatigue
- Improve self-esteem
- Increase feelings of optimism
- Improve heart health
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Boost muscle strength and endurance
Side effects from cancer and certain treatments such as fatigue or sleep problems can make it difficult to find the motivation and energy to be active. It may be helpful to speak with a certified health and fitness professional or a physical therapist. Talk with your treatment team for suggestions and a referral to a skilled professional.