Prostate cancer affects one in six men, and is the most common, non-skin cancer in America, according to the Prostate Cancer Foundation. The prostate is a small, walnut-shaped gland producing seminal fluid that transports and nourishes sperm. This cancer typically grows slowly and does not spread beyond the prostate. As is the case with many cancers, its causes are not fully known, yet certain risk factors are.
Age
Age is the greatest risk factor for prostate cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. While rare before the age of 40, a man's risk increases rapidly after the age of 50, with nearly two out of three prostate cancers found in men older than the age of 65. The Prostate Cancer Foundation agrees, stating that one in 15 men between the ages of 60 and 69 develop this disease.
Ethnicity
Prostate cancer occurs in African-American men more frequently than in men of other races. The Prostate Cancer Foundation states that men of this race are 60 percent more likely to develop this disease than Caucasian men, and are 2.5 times as likely to die from it.
Family History
The risk of developing prostate cancer increases if other men in a person's family has it, or has had it. Men with a father or brother who have a history of this disease are twice as likely to develop it themselves. The risk increases if the relative is younger than 55, or if three or more relatives suffer from prostate cancer, according to the Prostate Cancer Foundation.
Nationality
A man's locale contributes to his risk for developing prostate cancer. Men who live in the United States have a risk factor of 17 percent, while men in rural China face a mere 2 percent risk, as the Prostate Cancer Foundation explains. While the exact cause for this is not known, the American Cancer Society states that prostate cancer is most common in North America, Australia and northwestern Europe, and less prevalent in Asia, Central and South America.
