FRIDAY, Sept. 12, 2003 (HealthDayNews) -- Men with brothers who've had prostate cancer may face the greatest hereditary risk for the disease.
That sobering news comes from a study published online Sept. 12 in the International Journal of Cancer.
The study, led by the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, found a much greater risk associated with having a brother with prostate cancer than having an affected father, or any other combination of affected relatives.
The researchers reviewed nearly two dozen studies and found an increased risk of prostate cancer for men with a family history of the disease. The increased risk was 1.8, 2.1 and 2.9 times greater if a man had a grandfather or uncle, father or brother, respectively, who had prostate cancer.
"This study is the first to report a statistically higher risk associated with having a brother with prostate cancer than having an affected father," the study authors write.
The researchers suggest this strong link between brothers may be related to environmental or occupational factors, dietary exposures, or age of onset, which may reveal a stronger genetic risk.
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