I Have Prostate Cancer; Could It Have Been Caused By Riding My Bike so Much?

There are some risk factors associated with prostate cancer, but riding a bike isn’t one of them. Some men worry that bike riding will increase their chances of getting prostate cancer; they associate bike riding and cancer with Lance Armstrong, the bike rider. Lance Armstrong didn’t have prostate cancer, he had testicular cancer. Even his testicular cancer had nothing to do with his bike riding.

Things you read off the Internet

You may have any number of beliefs about prostate cancer according to things you have read on the Internet. For instance, some men are worried that they might get prostate cancer because they once had an undescended testicle. Some studies may indicate there is a slight increase in the likelihood of prostate cancer and other studies will say there is no correlation between prostate cancer and undescended testicles.

Studies

Other studies show that men who have had a vasectomy may be at higher risk of developing prostate cancer, while other studies that don’t show a connection at all. It’s not so important to be concerned with whether you have had a vasectomy, or if you have had undescended testicles, or that you rode a bike a lot as a kid. There will be lots of studies, and you will find that the researchers will come to different conclusions. It is important to know the well known risks associated with prostate cancer, such as age, race, and diet.

Age

The older a man gets the more at risk he is to develop prostate cancer. If you are under the age of 40, your risk of developing prostate cancer is very slight. If you have a history of prostate cancer in your family, you should be tested for prostate cancer by the time you are 40 years old. The check for prostate cancer is a PSA (prostate-specific androgen) test, and a DRE (digital rectal exam). Many younger men are getting prostate exams with their annual physical exams. Approximately 66 percent of men age 65 and older have been diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Race

African American men are 60 percent more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer than any other race of people. People from Asia have a very low risk of developing prostate cancer. There are many theories to explain why black men, living in America, have a higher risk of being diagnosed with prostate cancer. The color of one’s skin cannot have anything to do with whether a man gets prostate cancer. There has to be something about black men that causes the increased risk. It is believed that black men have a higher number of androgen receptors in their prostates than any other race of men, which might account for the increased risk to black men.

Diet

Poor diets have also been linked to the increased risk of prostate cancer in men. Diets rich in fat and calories tend to cause obesity, and obesity is a definite factor in prostate cancer risk. More men who are diagnosed with prostate cancer are obese or overweight than men who are of normal weight and normal BMI.

Alcohol

Men who drink alcohol may be at risk for prostate cancer. According to a study at the National Cancer Institute, men who consume alcohol to excess may be at risk for developing prostate cancer. The study showed that men who consumed 50 grams of alcohol on a daily basis were at risk for developing prostate cancer. 50 grams of alcohol would be the equivalent of 4 beers, or 4 glasses of wine. The study also said that 3.5 drinks of liquor equal 50 grams of alcohol.

Of course, there is no way to prevent prostate cancer. All you can do is live a healthy lifestyle, eat a healthy diet, and try to stay at a healthy weight. You can do all of the right things and still get prostate cancer. As a man, about all you can do is live a healthy lifestyle, see your doctor regularly and hope for the best.

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