Causes of prostate cancer

There is no single cause of prostate cancer, but some factors appear to increase the risk of developing it. The risk of prostate cancer increases as men grow older. Having these risk factors doesn’t mean that you will develop prostate cancer. It means that your chances of developing it are higher.

You may be at higher risk if you:

age – being older than 65
family history of prostate cancer
African ancestry

Obesity, physical inactivity, eating a diet high in fat, and working with a metal called cadmium are being studied as possible risk factors. Eating a diet high in calcium is being studied as a possible risk factor. Calcium has many health benefits, and research so far tells us that the levels of calcium have to be very high – much higher than in the average man’s diet – for it to be a concern.

It is possible to develop prostate cancer without having any of these risk factors.

More information on the risk factors for prostate cancer in the Canadian Cancer Encyclopedia

Reduce your risk

You can't change some of the risk factors for prostate cancer such as your age or ancestry. What you may be able to change is your diet. Eating a healthy diet is good for you in general and may help reduce your risk of prostate cancer. You can:

eat less fat
eat a diet high in vegetables and fruit

Last modified on: 24 August 2010