Prostate cancer, a leading cause of cancer death among men, urgently requires new prevention strategies, according to scientists researching the links to genetic susceptibility of the disease.
In a recent study published in JAMA Network, researchers from the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and the T. H. Chan School of Public Health at Harvard in the US found that men at higher genetic risk of prostate cancer had a 3-fold increased risk of early prostate cancer death. The study involved over 19,000 men, with more than 60% categorized as being at ‘higher genetic risk.’ Of the 444 prostate cancer deaths observed, 107 occurred before the age of 75 and 337 after the age of 75.
The researchers reported that men at higher genetic risk had a 3-fold increased rate of early prostate cancer death and a 2-fold increased rate of late prostate cancer death compared to men at lower genetic risk. Additionally, men with an unhealthy lifestyle, including smoking and a BMI of 30 or greater, were found to have a higher risk.
According to the study, an estimated 36% of deaths in the higher genetic risk group could be preventable through factors associated with a healthy lifestyle. This evidence suggests the need for targeted prevention strategies for men at increased genetic risk of prostate cancer to reduce premature deaths from the disease.
Associate Professor Phillip Gregory from the Centre for Cancer Biology at the University of South Australia commented on the study, noting that the findings highlight the importance of lifestyle factors in modifying the risk of prostate cancer. The study’s assessment of men over a long period revealed that those in the higher risk group had worse outcomes in terms of earlier death from prostate cancer and more total deaths from the disease.
The authors emphasized the significance of a ‘lifestyle score’ based on smoking, weight, exercise, and diet in potentially lowering the risk for men at higher genetic risk. While approximately one-third of these men may be able to reduce their risk through healthier lifestyle choices, the authors caution that this estimation is based on the assumption that all individuals adopt behaviors associated with a healthy lifestyle.
The strength of the study lies in its examination of two large cohorts, which yielded consistent findings regarding the impact of genetic risk and lifestyle factors on prostate cancer outcomes. These findings underscore the importance of proactive measures in prostate cancer prevention and the potential for lifestyle modifications to mitigate risk among individuals with a genetic predisposition to the disease.
