FRIDAY, April 9, 2004 (HealthDayNews) -- Not only are brothers of men with prostate cancer twice as likely to develop the disease, but they will often get it at an earlier age.
These men are often aware that they have an increased risk of prostate cancer and many of them taken vitamins or supplements in an attempt to improve their health and ward off cancer, according to two University of Michigan Health System studies.
In the first study, 111 brothers of men diagnosed with prostate cancer said they felt they had a 50 percent chance of developing prostate cancer. More than half of the 111 men said they were at least somewhat concerned about developing prostate cancer.
The lifetime prostate cancer risk for men with one first-degree relative with prostate cancer is about 56 percent. The study was published in the April 1 issue of the journal Cancer.
In the second study, published in the February issue of the journal Urology, the same group of 111 men were asked about their use of complementary and alternative medicine. More than half the men said they were currently taking at least one vitamin or supplement.
Thirty percent of those were taking a form of complementary medicine linked to prostate health or prostate cancer prevention.
"These findings suggest our educational programs are working. The information is out there and these people understand they're at risk," study author Dr. David Wood, professor of urology at U-M Medical School, said in a prepared statement.
More information
The American Cancer Society has more on prostate cancer prevention.
