VIDEO: Understanding risk factors of prostate cancer

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We haven’t learned too much new about risk factors lately. I mean, there are very strong, well-established risk factors such as family history, being of African-American descent. There are some dietary risk factors or maybe more so protective factors, and that’s something that people continue to be interested in, especially because that’s something where prevention could result if we learn something that’s modifiable. And then certain exposures, I guess, recently I would say it’s become clear that firefighters have n increased risk of prostate cancer and are getting work-related kind of compensation on that basis. We always knew military exposures like Agent Orange, but some of the newer military exposures, too, from the Middle East may be playing a role in the development of prostate cancer.

Of course, you know, most people get prostate cancer and we don’t have a specific reason. And then the other thing I would say is that we are doing so much more genetic testing, both germline and somatic, actually. So, it's likely, I would say, that we will encounter new genes or sets of genes potentially that can inform about risk.