Prostate cancer

• Fact: Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer affecting American men.
• Proportion of risk that’s in your genes: 42 percent.
• What you can do: Take our genetic test to determine whether you are at increased risk of prostate cancer. If you are, this knowledge should act as a powerful motivator to discuss regular and possibly early screening for prostate cancer with your physician. We believe that if prostate cancer is detected early, your treatment is more likely to be successful.
• Did you know? Being obese and consuming a high-fat diet may increase your risk of developing the disease.

Prostate cancer usually grows slowly and at first remains confined to the prostate, the walnut-shaped gland in men that produces seminal fluid. While some types of prostate cancer grow slowly and may need little or no treatment, other types are aggressive and can spread quickly.

About 2 million men in the United States have been diagnosed with this common disease, which usually strikes after age 50. Experts say that one in six American men will develop prostate cancer during their lifetime.

Exactly what causes prostate cancer and why some forms of it are more aggressive, is unknown. Research suggests that a combination of factors may play a role, including heredity, ethnicity, hormones, diet and the environment. Genetics makes up nearly half the risk, studies have indicated.

Our genetic testing service looks for genetic variants that can increase your risk of prostate cancer. Knowing from the results of your gene test that you are at increased risk could encourage you to undergo regular screening exams, which enable physicians to detect the disease earlier and begin treatment earlier.

Early detection is important. It can take a long time for symptoms of prostate cancer to develop, and by then the disease may have spread beyond the prostate gland. Men whose prostate cancer is caught early can be treated most effectively.

To learn about the fight against prostate cancer, please visit the Project to End Prostate Cancer.