PC risk factors include:^{2,3,6,7,8,9,10}

·    - being over 50 (peaking in the 75-79 age group):

·     - a family history of prostate or breast cancer

·     - race/ethnicity – black men have double the risk compared to white men, while Asian men are at lowest risk

·     - BPH, particularly in Asian men.

·     - being obese or overweight;

·     - increased insulin like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) levels, a hormone that regulates normal cell growth;

·     - some agricultural pesticides, both in terms of incidence and mortality;

·     - some gene variations.

BRCA genes (derived from ‘BReast CAncer’) normally have a tumour suppression role but around 3 in 1,000 people have BRCA gene variants, increasing prostate and other cancer risk. A BRCA2 variant increases lifetime risk (correlation is less strong with a BRCA1 variant), as well as increasing the risk of developing PC earlier or of a more aggressive type.^11,12