Friday, November 14, 2008

Dear Friends,

Did you know that, next to skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer found in men? Did you know that it is the second leading cause of cancer death in males? Although doctors are still unsure of the exact cause of the disease, they are certain of many risk factors that are linked to prostate cancer. Thanks to the American Cancer Society, we would like to provide you with, and encourage you to share, the following prostate cancer risk factors. (For the full article, we invite you visit "What Causes Prostate Cancer?")

RISK FACTORS LEADING TO PROSTATE CANCER

Age: Age is the strongest risk factor for prostate cancer. The chance of getting prostate cancer goes up quickly after a man reaches age 50. Almost 2 out of every 3 prostate cancers are found in men over the age of 65.

Race: For unknown reasons, prostate cancer is more common among African-American men than among men of other races. African-American men are also more likely to have a more advanced disease when it is found and are more likely to die of the disease. Prostate cancer occurs less often in Asian-American and Hispanic/Latino men than in non-Hispanic whites. The reasons for these racial and ethnic differences are not clear.

Nationality: Prostate cancer is most common in North America, northwestern Europe, and a few other places. It is less common in Asia, Africa, Central and South America. The reasons for this are not clear. More testing in some developed countries likely accounts for at least part of this difference, but other factors are likely to be important, too.

Family history: Prostate cancer seems to run in some families. Men with close family members (father or brother) who have had prostate cancer are more likely to get it themselves, especially if their relatives were young when they got the disease.

Genes: Scientists have found several inherited genes that seem to raise prostate cancer risk, but they probably account for only small number of cases overall. Genetic testing for most of these genes is not yet available, and more study is needed in this area.

Diet: The exact role of diet in prostate cancer is not clear, but several different factors have been studied. Men who eat a lot of red meat or high-fat dairy products seem to have a greater chance of getting prostate cancer. These men also tend to eat fewer fruits and vegetables. Doctors are not sure which of these factors causes the risk to go up.

Obesity: Most studies have not found that being obese (having a high amount of extra body fat) is linked with a higher risk of getting prostate cancer. Some, but not all, studies have found that obese men may be at greater risk for having more advanced prostate cancer and of dying from prostate cancer.

Exercise: Exercise has not been shown to reduce prostate cancer risk in most studies. But some studies have found that high levels of physical activity, particularly in older men, may lower the risk of advanced prostate cancer. More research in this area is needed.

Infection and inflammation of the prostate: Some studies have suggested that prostatitis (inflammation of the prostate gland) may be linked to an increased risk of prostate cancer, but other studies have not found such a link. Some researchers have also looked at whether sexually transmitted infections might increase the risk of prostate cancer. So far, studies have not agreed, and no firm conclusions have been reached.

From (The American Cancer Society. “What Causes Prostate Cancer?” September 26, 2008.)

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Training Tip

As usual, we would like to provide you with this week’s training tip. If you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact one of our Cancer Exercise Specialists at 970-920-5836!

TRAINING TIP:

If you have finished chemotherapy and you (with the permission of your oncology team) are ready to get back to your ‘normal’ life which includes regular physical activity and/or structured exercise, consider having your heart and lungs checked during a cardiopulmonary exercise test. This physiological assessment is designed to evaluate breathing and circulatory dynamics during incrementally harder exercise. If your heart and lungs are fine, there is a very good chance you can resume exercise at relatively high level and under the guidance of cancer exercise specialist. The cardiopulmonary exercise test should be considered by any cancer survivor who is considering returning to competitive athletics at any level.

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In health,

Riggs