Risk factors
Prostate cancer mainly affects men over the age of 50. Younger men can be affected but this is rare. The risk of developing prostate cancer rises with age. Your risk also increases if a close family member (father or brother) has prostate cancer. The risk increases further if more than one close relative has prostate cancer, or if your relative was under the age of 60 when they were diagnosed.5 In the UK, African Caribbean men are three times more likely to develop prostate cancer than white men 6 .
No one knows how to prevent prostate cancer but diet and a healthy lifestyle may be important in protecting against the disease. If you would like more information, you can read our information on diet and prostate cancer.
The information on this page comes from our booklet 'Know your prostate: a guide to common prostate problems'. You can order printed publications about the prostate gland and prostate cancer from our publications page.
References used in the production of this page
5. Johns LE, Houlston RS. A systematic review and meta-analysis of familial prostate cancer risk. BJU International 2003; 91: 789-794.
6. Ben-Shlomo Y, Evans S, Ibrahim F, et al The Risk of Prostate Cancer amongst Black Men in the United Kingdom: The PROCESS Cohort Study. Eur Urol 2008; 53(1):99-105.