A man with a first degree relative that has a history of prostate cancer, has 2 to 3 times more risk of developing prostate cancer than the general population. This risk increases to 6 times with a first and second degree relative that have prostate cancer. Over 170,000 cases of prostate cancer were diagnosed in 1999. There were over 35,000 deaths from prostate cancer in 1999. Prostate cancer can occur at any age, but is most common over the age of 50.
Prostate cancer is twice as common in African-American men.
The older you are, the greater your chance for prostate cancer. A high fat diet is believed to be associated with an increase in prostate cancer.