What Causes Prostate Cancer
and Enlargement Problems in Men

What causes prostate cancer and enlargement problems in men? There are varied possible causes since the tumor has 2 types: indolent and aggressive. Some men such as those with African-American descent are more susceptible to prostate problems such as tumor growth compared to those who reside in China. Some causes are within your control and some are not. Knowing these different causes can help a lot in the prevention of the disease.

Do you have a certain query about this type of tumor? Click here to ask at Prostate Cancer Questions and Answers.

What are the general causes of aggressive and indolent types?

The following factors are responsible for both types and even other health problems:

1. Aging

Human aging is one of the major causes. Tumors are extremely rare among men under age 40. However, it starts to go up after you turn 40. It is very common in men more than 65 years of age.

Some studies suggest that among men over 80, fifty to 80% of them may have problems in their prostate today.

2. Genetics

What causes prostate cancer and other problems? Your genetic makeup can be a factor. The tumor is one of the known hereditary cancers.

Similar to aging, genetic mutations are causes of health problems that you can’t avoid.

3. Hormones such as. . .

• Testosterone

  The male hormone called testosterone causes the development of prostate problems. Testosterone directly stimulates the growth of both normal and cancerous cells.

  The link between prostate problems and alcohol is not definite according to experts. But research has established that alcohol is found to increase the level of testosterone. So I believe there is a link even if it's not a direct one.

  Related Article: Cancer and Alcohol

• Leptin

  Leptin is a protein hormone produced by your body's fat cells. It regulates your appetite and metabolism. But too much leptin in the body causes harm. It may be what causes prostate cancer. It may also be what causes other health problems. Studies found out that the incidence of the tumor is higher among men with increased levels of the leptin hormone.

  Obese people have unusually high concentration of leptin. In fact, obesity is also a major risk factor for many types of tumors.

  Related Article: Cause and Effect of Obesity

Men who work as battery manufacturers, welders and rubber workers are exposed frequently to heavy metals such as cadmium. Cadmium is found to be what causes prostate problems among men who work on these jobs.

5. Unhealthy diet

Cancer causing foods may increase your chance of having health problems. Experts agree that a diet high in saturated fats may be what causes the disease. Health problems like tumor are much more common in countries where meat and dairy products are a major part of their diet. Consumption of large amount of fats also causes over production of testosterone hormone.

What are the causes for the aggressive type of tumor?

The following risk factors have been discovered to lead to the deadly type but not to the slow-growing one.

1. Smoking

A smoker is more susceptible to fast-growing tumors and other problems in his prostate than someone who is not.

2. Obesity

What causes prostate cancer that is aggressive? Being obese causes aggressive tumors. It also leads to other serious health problems.

3. Diet low in vegetables

An unhealthy diet that is rich in saturated fats can lead to both indolent and aggressive tumors. But it has been found that if your diet is substantially deficient in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower, you are more likely to develop fast-growing tumors and other problems.

4. Sedentary lifestyle

Being a couch potato causes aggressive tumor growth. If exercise is not a part of your daily activities, you are more prone to the health problems.

5. Family history

Your family history is one of the causes of aggressive abnormal cells in your prostate. If your father, grandfather, or even your uncle have been diagnosed with it, you can expect to have problems earlier than most men.

6. Too much calcium

Studies from Wake Forest University School of Medicine, the University of Wisconsin and Harvard University revealed that too much calcium in your bloodstream is a risk factor for deadly prostate cancer in later life.

How much calcium is too much? You need 1000 to 1500 mg of calcium a day for your bones and teeth. This is startling as the typical American gets less than 1000 mg of calcium per day but still, number of cases of prostate cancer is all-time high.

But do you know that the kind of environment and diet you have can change your genetic predispositions for prostate problems such as enlargement and cancer?

For example, when you are a Japanese and you live in Japan, prostate tumor is one of the rare types of cancer but if you'll move to the United States, the chance of it developing in you rises significantly.

If you look at the list of causes that contributes to problems in the prostate, a lot of what causes prostate cancer have to do with something that you can't control: your genes. But still, your choices such as unhealthy eating habits and too much drinking can speed up your chance of encountering problems such as cancer.