In the past few decades, over 29 types of prostate cancers have been identified, and more research is happening to find out about the various factors associated with this condition either in healing or worsening the condition. However, there is a lack of precise information when it comes to the risk factors of the condition, and this has led to the development of a lot of myths around the condition.

Understanding the myths from the facts can be greatly helpful in avoiding the conditions which increase the chances of being affected by the condition. Any kind of prevention that can be taken for cancers should be taken from a long time before the condition even begins in the body and hence, understanding a condition in all its reality can help us make more informed decisions and shape our lifestyles better. Some of the most common myths associated with the top risk factors of prostate cancer are as follows:

Prostate cancer can only occur in old men
Age is not the only risk factor associated with prostate cancer. In addition to age, family history, physical health, etc., play roles in increasing the likelihood of being affected by prostate cancer. While it is true that a wide population of people affected by prostate cancer are above the age of 65 years, it should also be noted that over 57,000 people are also diagnosed with prostate cancer at their earlier ages.

If there are no symptoms, prostate cancer will not progress
Individuals can be mistaken about not having prostate cancer because of a lack of symptoms. However, it should be noted that prostate cancer is known to be one of the most asymptomatic cancers in the study of oncology. Not every man affected with this condition needs to display all the symptoms. Prostate cancer is detected in general checkups which are done by the doctors most of the time.

No one in my family is affected by prostate cancer, so I won’t be affected by it
Having a family member being affected with prostate cancer can definitely increase the risk of being affected by prostate cancer. Every man from three men whose families have a member affected with prostate cancer, could also be affected by prostate cancer in his lifetime. However, it remains that one in every nine men is still at the risk of being affected by prostate cancer in the country.

That being said, the risk does depend on genetics. A man whose father and brother developed prostate cancer would be twice as likely to develop the condition. The risk is even higher if the individual has a family member who was diagnosed with prostate cancer at an earlier stage or if the individual comes from a family where three or more family members have been affected by the condition. This, however, still doesn’t rule out a man’s chances of being affected by prostate cancer as genetics is not the only risk factor leading to the development of prostate cancer.