Prostate Cancer Prevention

Unfortunately, no factors exist that allow a physician to definitively diagnose a patient prior to developing prostate cancer. However, several factors do exist that may indicate the likelihood, or possibility, of developing prostate cancer. Still, it must be kept in mind that these factors do vary between ethnicities and geographic regions.

One of the primary determining factors for developing prostate cancer is that of age. As age increases, so too does the possibility of developing prostate cancer. This can be offset in a small way by reducing the amount of animal fat in the diet, increasing the amount of fruits and vegetables, and exercising.

Chemoprevention may also be considered. Chemoprevention therapies utilize chemical agents to reverse or prevent cancer growth. However, there are too few research studies to prove the usefulness of chemoprevention on a regular basis. Chemoprevention is somewhat related to increasing fruits and vegetables in the diet with the exception that chemoprevention can provide patients with higher amounts of cancer-preventing agents than the standard diet.

Ethnic factors also play into the possibility of developing prostate cancer. For example, prostate cancer develops more quickly with higher levels of testosterone. Generally speaking, African-American males are more likely to possess higher levels of testosterone. Thus, African-American males are more likely to develop the cancer than Caucasian males. As such, it may be suggested that men with heightened levels of testosterone undergo some form of hormone injection therapy to prevent the onset of prostate cancer. As for Asian males, they are the least likely group to develop prostate cancer.