Prostate cancer risk increase with age. According to the American Cancer Society, prostate cancer is the second most common type of cancer among men in the United States. In 2020, an estimated 191,930 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed in the United States. Additionally, 33,330 men are expected to die from prostate cancer in 2020. The 5-year survival rate for men with prostate cancer is 99%.
Prostate cancer is more common than you think. It’s the most common cancer in men. 1 in 8 men will get prostate cancer However prostate cancer is not always life-threatening. Below are nine things you can do to reduce your prostate cancer risk.
1. Assess Your Risk Using the Prostate Cancer Risk Checker
If you want to check your prostate cancer risk, you can use the 30-second risk checker. The checker has three quick questions. If you are at high risk, the checker provides information on prostate-specific antigen (PSA test) used to identify early prostate cancer.
2. Maintain a healthy weight
A survey from the Journal of Clinical Oncology reports that obese men are at a high risk of prostate cancer-related death compared to non-obese men. Increased weight increases the risk of developing an aggressive, fast-growing form of prostate cancer. Losing weight will lower your prostate cancer risk.
3. Exercise Regularly to Reduce Prostate Cancer Risk
Regular exercise trims your waistline and boosts heart health. Further, regular physical activity reduces your cancer risk. A Health Professionals Follow-up Study found that regular exercise reduces the risk of prostate gland enlargement and erectile dysfun
ction by 20%.
4. Eat a Healthy Diet
The best diet for prostate cancer is one that is low in fat and high in fiber. Foods that are high in fiber include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes. Foods that are low in fat include lean proteins such as fish, poultry, and beans, as well as low-fat dairy products.
5. Limit consumption of red and processed meats
An article from Healthline reports that you are at risk of prostate cancer if you consume a diet high in meat. Meat has a high amount of heterocyclic amines (HCAs) associated with the development of several cancers.
6. Avoid Smoking and Alcohol Consumption
Smoking and alcohol consumption are some of the most important preventable risk factors for cancer. A recent study indicates that men who drink heavily from their mid-teens to almost age 50 have three times the likelihood of getting high-grade prostate cancer. Further, a Prostate Cancer Prevention TrialTrusted Source points out that alcohol drinkers have a double chance of being diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer compared to moderate drinkers.
Smoking on the other hand affects your circulating hormone level and increases exposure to carcinogens. As an article from John Hopkins Medicine explain, If you smoke, you are more likely to develop aggressive prostate cancer and die from it. If you already have prostate cancer and you continue to smoke after your treatment, the prostate cancer is more likely to come back, and you are more likely to die from it. However, if you stop smoking, your risk of dying of prostate cancer returns to that of someone who has never smoked.
7. Get Regular Screenings
Screening is a great way to assess your risk. Using a test like prostate-specific antigen (PSA), doctors can look for signs of prostate cancer and identify cancer early on, when treatment is most effective. If you have an average risk (50 years), you should get screened every three to five years. Your doctor will check the prostate gland for any lumps or abnormalities during a prostate exam. It’s not painful, but some men may feel uncomfortable during the exam.
8. Talk to your doctor about your family history of prostate cancer.
It is important to inform your doctor if you have a history of prostate cancer. The cancer run in some families which shows there may be an inherited or genetic factor. Having a father or brother with prostate cancer more than doubles a man’s risk of developing this disease. Nevertheless, most prostate cancers occur in men without a family history.
9. Consider taking a supplement with selenium, vitamin D, and omega-3 fatty acids.
A study by Nutrients Trusted Source reports that selenium supplementation lowers serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels among men with high prostate cancer risk. Selenium produces methylselenol which prevents cancer cells from spreading.
According to World Cancer Research Fund International, vitamin D is protective against prostate cancer, in particular more aggressive types of prostate cancer. A 2017 study Trusted Source found lower vitamin D levels in people with prostate cancer. The study also found that prostate cancer was more severe in people with the lowest vitamin D levels and found a correlation between low vitamin D and higher levels of inflammation in people with prostate cancer. Omega-3 fatty acids have EPA which inhibits chronic inflammation in the prostate tissue.
