How Family History Affects Prostate Cancer Risk

By Stacy Simon RESOURCES: Prostate cancer prevention and early detectionProstate cancer screening FAQ It has long been known that men with a family history of prostate cancer are at higher risk of getting it themselves. Now researchers from Sweden have calculated just how much having a brother or father with prostate cancer – or both – raises the risk. They also figured out how likely it is that a man with a family history will get a mild or aggressive (fast-growing) type of the disease. The authors suggest their findings can be useful in counseling men who have prostate cancer in the family. Having more information about the risks of getting an aggressive type of prostate cancer can help men make their own personal decision about testing and treatment. It seems like it would make sense for everyone to get checked to find out if they have cancer. But screening isn’t perfect. Sometimes screening misses cancer, and sometimes it finds something suspicious that turns out to be harmless. Also, there aren’t reliable tests yet to tell the difference between prostate cancer that’s going to grow so slowly it will never cause a man any problems, and dangerous cancer that will grow quickly. Treatments for prostate cancer can have urinary, bowel, and sexual side effects that may seriously affect a man’s quality of life. The American Cancer Society recommends that men with a family history of prostate cancer should talk to their doctor at age 40 o...
Source: American Cancer Society :: News and Features - Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: Prostate Cancer Source Type: news