Why Are Some Races Of People More Likely To Die Of Prostate Cancer?

Prostate cancer is very common in the United States and parts of Europe, and quite uncommon in Asia. Prostate cancer is slow growing, and men may have no symptoms at all for a long time. Men with slow growing prostate cancer often die from something other than prostate cancer. However, more aggressive forms of prostate cancer, which metastasize to other parts of the body, can quickly shorten a man’s life. When prostate cancer metastasizes, malignant cells break free of the tumor and spread to the lymph nodes and bones. For a long time, you may not notice any symptoms, but some men experience erectile dysfunction or pain during intercourse.

Early detection

American men are the most at risk for being diagnosed with prostate cancer. Asian men are the least likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer, but their risk increases if they move to the United States. Due to early detection, the death rate for prostate cancer is decreasing in the United States and around the world. More attention has been paid to detecting prostate cancer since the 1990s, which is why more cases of prostate cancer are found earlier in men. In past decades a man could have prostate cancer for many years and not know it, because they were never diagnosed.

Awareness

There is more prostate cancer awareness than there used to be. Prostate cancer awareness is still not as prevalent as breast cancer awareness is, but more effort is being made to make men aware of their prostate health. All men, 50 years of age or older, should have a PSA (prostate-specific antigen) test and a DRE (digital rectal exam). Doctors have a duty to mention the PSA test and the DRE to their male patients and then let the patients decide if they want to be checked for prostate health. If you are 50 years old or older and your doctor has not offered to check your prostate health, mention it to him/her.

Race and mortality rates

The mortality rate for men with prostate cancer varies with race. Approximately 24 out of every 100,000 men die with prostate cancer. African American men more than double the death rate of Caucasians. Approximately 56 out of 100,000 African American men die of prostate cancer each year. Asian men are the least likely to die; their mortality rate is 11 out 100,000. The mortality rate for Hispanic men is 20 out of every 100,000 men.

Testosterone and androgen receptor proteins

Doctors and researchers don’t quite know why more black men die of prostate cancer than any other race of people. It is believed that the mortality rate for black men living in America is so high because African Americans have more androgen receptor proteins in their prostates than any other race of men. Androgens, testosterone, is linked to prostate cancer. Testosterone is like the food that cancer cells feed on. The more androgen receptors a man has in his prostate the more likely he is to develop prostate cancer than men with less free testosterone in their blood. Asian men have the least testosterone than any other race of people, and they have fewer testosterone receptors in their prostates, which may be why Asian men are least likely to develop prostate cancer and die from it.

Lifestyle

There is no way to really eliminate your risk for prostate cancer. The best thing men can do is live a healthy lifestyle. Researchers have different opinions about the effect that smoking may have on prostate cancer. Some researchers say there is no link between smoking and prostate cancer, and other researchers say that smoking can alter certain genes in your body, which can induce prostate tumor growth. Obesity is also linked to prostate cancer; obese men are more than twice as likely to die of prostate cancer as men who are not overweight.

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