Research is ongoing to help explain the changing rates in recent years. Prostate cancer is still the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in men, behind lung cancer. Age is the most important and best-studied risk factor for prostate cancer. The disease is extremely rare in men under age 40, but risk increases greatly with age. More than 75 percent of cases are diagnosed in men over age 65.
Race is another major risk factor.
African-Americans and black Jamaican men have the highest rate of prostate cancer in the world, while Asian men have the lowest. Genetic, dietary, and socioeconomic differences may explain these different rates. Solving this mystery promises to lead to better ways to prevent prostate cancer. Having a father or brother with the disease increases a man's risk two to three-fold, and other genetic factors may play a role in susceptibility to the disease, especially in younger men.