A diet high in animal fat may nearly double the risk of prostate cancer, while consumption of lycopene, an anti-oxidant found in tomato products, may decrease the risks, according to studies in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute and the Annals of Internal Medicine. Overexposure to the element cadmium may promote prostate cancer in some men. Cadmium inhibits the metabolism of zinc, which is a fundamental requirement for normal cell division. The prostate contains the highest levels of zinc of all the organs in the body, and cancerous prostates contain less zinc than healthy ones. Men who work in making batteries, paint and cigarettes, among other industries, risk cadmium overexposure.
Scientists know for certain that the male hormone testosterone fuels the cancer once it is sparked.
But whether testosterone actually ignites the disease is still an open question and is currently under study. Scientists at the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston suspect that smoking may make prostate cancer tumors behave more aggressively, causing them to spread and turn lethal. Send press releases or story ideas to KENS 5 . Send a note to Eyewitness Wants to Know . KENS 5 and the San Antonio Express-News.