Prostate cancer is a condition that affects men. This cancer is often slow-growing but can still be a serious threat. While at first, prostate cancer may not present symptoms at all, the most common symptoms of prostate cancer include difficulty urinating, pelvic pain, and blood present in urine. In the latter stages of prostate cancer, you may also experience fatigue from the low red blood cell count.

There are a number of factors which can lead to you having a higher chance of developing prostate cancer, including:

1. Age
The risk for prostate cancer drastically increases for men as they progress in age. In fact, over 80% of cases of this disease are found in men over the age of 65. This is due to the fact that mutations in the body gradually accumulate over the course of an individual’s lifespan. The older an individual is the higher their risk is for most forms of cancer as the amount of the patient’s body has accumulated is greater the older you get.

2. Family history
Perhaps the strongest single factor that can determine whether or not you are likely to develop this form of cancer is your family history. Almost 20% of all prostate cancer is familial prostate cancer which runs in families. It is believed that the shared genetic history and environment of family members are what lead to the enhanced risk of developing the condition. Overall the chances of directly inheriting it are fairly low however with only 5% of cases being the result of hereditary prostate cancer. If you have three or more first-degree relatives that have this condition then it is likely you could have hereditary prostate cancer. If you suspect that you may be at risk then the best thing you can do is to get regular checkups with your doctor to make sure that if you do develop the condition is caught early.

3. Ethnicity and lifestyle
While the exact reason is not known it has been shown that the chances of developing prostate cancer are far higher for men that live in North America or Europe. It is suspected that those with sedentary lifestyles with a little physical activity and to eat diets that are high in processed foods are at higher risk. The combination of these lifestyle factors can strongly affect the likelihood that you will develop this type of cancer or any type of cancer for that matter. If you do live in one of these types of locations then making sure that you get plenty of physical activity and eating a healthy diet can help to limit your risk.

4. Diet
There has been no direct cause shown from a poor diet and prostate cancer however there have been many studies that have been capable of showing that there is definitely a link between the two. The likelihood of developing prostate cancer is far higher in people who are obese. On top of that, the amount of people who are of a healthy weight that developed the condition is far lower than average. Eating a diet high in processed foods has also shown to be a probable carcinogen. Limiting your intake of healthy foods and increasing your physical activity can both help to prevent the development of this type of condition.