Prostate Cancer starts in the cells of the prostate gland. The prostate is part of the male reproductive system. Its main function is to make part of the liquid (seminal fluid) that mixes with the sperm from the testicles to make semen. Semen is ejaculated during sex.
Prostate Cancer is the most common cancer in Canadian men. It usually grows slowly and can often be cured or managed successfully.
There is no single cause of Prostate Cancer, but some of the factors increase the risk of developing it:
- Age – Being older than 65
- Family history of Prostate Cancer
- African ancestry
Eating a diet high in fat, working with pesticides and working with metal called cadmium are being studied as possible risk factors. Eating a diet high in calcium is also being studied as a possible risk factor. Calcium has many health benefits, and research so far tells us that the levels of calcium have to be very high – much higher than in the average man’s diet for it to be a concern.
It is possible to develop Prostate Cancer without any of these risk factors.
As of June 2017, there have been an estimated 21,300 new cases of Prostate Cancer and an estimated 4,100 Prostate Cancer deaths in Canada (Canadian Cancer Statistics, 2017).