HEREDITARY PROSTATE CANCER

Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer diagnosed in men: 1 in 6 men develops prostate cancer. 

Age and gender are the greatest risk factors for developing prostate cancer.  Between the ages of 40-59, a man's chance to develop prostate cancer is about 1 in 100.  Between the ages of 60-79, the risk increases to 1 in 8.

The highest rate of prostate cancer in the U.S. occurs in African-American men; Caucasians have the second highest rates.

1st-degree male relatives (fathers, brothers, sons) of affected men are 2-3 times more likely to develop prostate cancer than those without a family history of prostate cancer.

Approximately 10% of all cases of prostate cancer are thought to be inherited.

Characteristics of inherited prostate cancer:

• 2 or more family members diagnosed with prostate cancer before age 55
• 3 or more family members with prostate cancer
• history of prostate cancer on either the mother's or the father's side of the family

A man is 11 times more likely to develop prostate cancer if:

• he has 3 or more affected 1st-degree relatives
• he has 2 affected relatives in the same generation diagnosed before than 55 years of age

Hereditary prostate cancer has been associated with mutations in several different genes, located on different chromosomes.  Testing is available on a research basis, but may not be appropriate for everyone.