Quote:
Originally Posted by kee4u  I'm writing on behalf of my father. My dad was diagnosed with Prostate Cancer in 1991 he was 60 yrs old at that time ...P.S. My father and his three brothers his father, my cousin and my brother all had prostate cancer plus my uncle and another cousin had bladder cancer. My brother got it when he was 50 years old. I'm 49 yrs old now i'm so scared that i'm going to get it too. I go in every year for the screening. Thanks for any help... Ken |
Hi Ken,
Shs50 had some good thoughts, and your description and his comments triggered some additional thoughts. Your family history is roughtly similar to my own - I'm the third generation to have prostate cancer, though my father and grandfather got it in their 70s (me at 56). Based on the number and early ages getting it in your family, your family matches what I've learned is called "hereditary prostate cancer", which is even more of a threat than "familial" prostate cancer.
However, having the gene for a disease is like having a light switch on the wall: it can be on, or it can be off. Screening is of course an excellent idea for you, but you could also be using lifestyle tactics and perhaps mild medications to help your cause. There's a summary of lifestyle tactics on the archived thread "Nutrition & lifestyle tactics - books, resources and a quick summary". Finasteride has been proven to prevent from 25% to 30% of prostate cancer while enhancing screening information, and Avodart, its sister drug, is probably going to be proven even better in the near future. Statin drugs, especially when taken for three years or more, appear to be quite helpful in avoiding lethal prostate cancer.
Take care,
Jim
