Question:

What is hereditary prostate cancer?

Answer:

Some men get prostate cancer because they have a gene that was passed to them through their parents.

Question:

Do all men with cancer have hereditary prostate cancer?

Answer:

No, most prostate cancer is caused by smoking, eating a high fat diet, and other reasons that are not yet known.

Question:

What can I do to decrease my risk of getting prostate cancer?

Answer:

Make smart living choices that include not smoking, eating a low fat, high fiber diet and getting a prostate check - up every year beginning at the age of 45 if you are African American or 50 if you are Caucasian.

Question:

How do I know if I am at risk for hereditary prostate cancer?

Answer:

Men who have several blood family members with cancer and/or have a blood family member who had cancer at an early age may be at risk for hereditary prostate cancer.

Question:

I do not know if I have blood family members with cancer. What can I do?

Answer:

You are like a lot of men. Cancer has not always been easy to talk about. Today, when we have the promise of a prostate cancer gene, knowing your family history of cancer is important. This knowledge could save your life, and your sons and grandsons lives. ASK your mother, father, uncles, grandfathers, and doctors. The truth shall set you free.

Question:

What can I do if I am at risk of getting hereditary prostate cancer?

Answer:

Go for a prostate cancer check - up every year or as often as your doctor recommends it. You can also help find the prostate cancer gene(s).

Ricky Kittles, Ph.D., geneticist
Louise Faison-Smith, Interviewer, Hereditary Prostate Cancer Study