Were you in a high risk group for prostate cancer?

Ed,
Was there any reason that Agent Orange exposure in Vietnam vets was not included as a risk factor?
Bill

I wasn't until one of my brothers was DX. But until his DX, none of our family would have been considered "high risk." If it wasn't for some good PCP who decided we should get base line PSA, my brothers and I wouldn't have been DX until the disease was very advanced.

no for me, average weight at 180, not a heavy meat eater, 3 times a week at the most, no family history.

Did have chronic prostatitus since since late 20's, dont know if that if a risk factor or not.

One urologist did tell me one thing that made me high risk 'you're a man"

ron

(1) Two family members with PCa. One died from it, the other had a prostatectomy and lived to age 92.

(2) Vietnam War: Possible Agent Orange exposure

(3). Previous cancer prior to PCa

(4) Younger brother died from cancer (non-Hodgkins lymphoma)

if diet, obesity and smoking are factors than the vast majority of Americans should be tested early.

Smoking is down these days, but what were the percentages in the 60s-80s? Probably significantly higher. As for obesity, Americans have a huge problem with that. I believe the average waist size for American men in 38 inches. As for Diet, well, we not exactly Japanese or Mediterranean in our diet choices.

Also I saw agent orange on F8 initial post, tho it might have ben edited in. no mention of viet nam, but that part seems like a given.

Sure was, My dad and his two brothers had it. I had an older brother that was dx with it ten years ago, before I was blessed, then I made my other three older brothers get biopsied and sure enough they all had it as well. Fortunately for them they were G7 and G6s while I got blessed with G9.

Bad, bad genetics.

In hindsight -- Yes, I was high risk!

I have LOW testosterone (hypogonadism) and at risk of having a low PSA and HIGH Gleason score: example, "Based on surgical samples, the preoperatives serum testosterone levels correlated with tumor stage in men who underwent radical prostatectomy. This suggests that lower concentrations of testosterone are associated with a higher probability of finding advanced-stage cancer.[10] In fact, 75% of men with testosterone levels at or below 2.5 ng/ml had either advanced disease locally or distant metastatic prostate cancer. A low testosterone value (below 2.5 ng/ml) was an independent predictor of advanced disease."

see www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3424887/

...
ps. I found out my risk factor much later ... wished my endocrinologist had told me about this relationship.

..

Gothicarch - what were those experiences that had you visit your urologist? I suspect he wisely ordered a PSA test at that point but was it because of potential symptoms of PCa?

I voted "I don't know" because my grandfather (dad's side) died of cancer at the age of 62 (same age of my dad died of some kind of bone cancer) and I don't know what kind. Two of my three younger brothers had some kind of cancer (I know for sure: not prostate).

Until 9-11-2012, when my GP mention that the jury was still out about getting tested, I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT PSA MEANT!! So, I used my DX as a way of spreading the word about getting early testing!

A few months ago, my wife found a lab report of mine dated: 7-2-2002, PSA was hand written on the side, PSA: 1.7! I was three months away from 52.

So...here I am!


Dave in Bartlett, TN

Yes, possible exposure at age 24 to Agent Orange in Vietnam, but just no sure way to know if it had any impact or not on being Dx'd later at age 65. So many unknowns with this beast.

BTW, something rather interesting from the link that Jerry L. posted above:

"The risk is higher for men who have a brother with the disease than for those with an affected father."

Didn't know that. What could possibly cause that? Brothers would likely have grown up in the same environment, therefore environmental factors? Or does the fact that any one son has developed it just indicate statistically that that there is a higher probability that any other son will develop it?

Curious.

I wasn't in the high risk group. Then again just being a man puts all us into the high risk category but that's maybe too snarky of an answer.

Onward.