Check the prostate, brother!

Men whose brother has prostate cancer are more likely to have the disease than other men, and it's not just about genetics, but also vigilance.

Swedish scientists analyzed data on 22,511 men whose brothers were diagnosed with prostate cancer, and found that they were more likely to develop the disease than other men. The risk was especially increased in men who were diagnosed with two brothers. At the same time, it was these men who learned about their illness in the early stages.

Interestingly, men were most often diagnosed with prostate cancer within one year after their brother was diagnosed. "Increased diagnostic activity among men with a history of prostate disease has artificially made family history one of the most significant risk factors for the development of the disease," according to scientists who hope that the results of their work will be useful to fellow doctors.

"When doctors talk to men during an appointment about an increased propensity to develop prostate cancer due to a disease in the family, they should take into account that this connection is partly due to increased diagnostic activity," the scientists stressed.

A summary of the results of the study can be read on the MedWire News website (Sarah Guy, Familial prostate cancer risk influenced by screening awareness); article by Ola Bratt et al. Effects of Prostate-Specific Antigen Testing on Familial Prostate Cancer Risk Estimates is published in the electronic version of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

The practical conclusion for patients is the same: regular preventive examinations (and not only of the prostate gland) are good for health.

Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru based on the materials of "Health of Ukraine".

25.08.2010