I often hear the question “what year was prostate cancer discovered?”. This is an interesting question and I have sometimes found myself asking similar questions. Not “what year was prostate cancer discovered?” but in more general terms, about the timeline of medicine and whatnot. So, to start off, I will tell you the chronology of prostate cancer, and then I will describe the disease and some of its traits.



Here goes: - Despite the fact that the prostate has been discovered and known since 1536, the first case of prostate cancer was only diagnosed in 1853. At first, the doctors of the time considered prostate cancer to be a disease with a pretty low rate of incidence, and treatment targeted the relief of the urinary tract through surgery, namely the obstruction of this channel was removed. Later, doctors removed the testicles in a bid to fight the prostate cancer, but their success was not great. Another form of treatment, first tried in 1904, was the removal of the prostate.

Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer in men. If a woman finds a breast lump immediately she thinks of breast cancer, a man who begins to urinate more often at night and whose doctor tells him he has an increased prostate immediately starts fearing prostate cancer.

Unfortunately it is not known exactly what causes prostate cancer, but specialists have identified several risk factors, namely factors that increase the chance of catching this disease. Fortunately, quite a lot of these risk factors, such as for instance what we eat, our decisions can be influenced. This means that it is in our power to prevent prostate cancer!

Risk Factors
-Age: The risk of prostate cancer increases with age, especially after 50.
-A history of prostate cancer in the family: Men who have close relatives who suffered from prostate cancer have a higher risk of catching this disease compared to others. For example, if your father had prostate cancer, your risk is 2-3 times higher. If your brother had prostate cancer, your risk may be up to 5 times higher. And if your family has been diagnosed with prostate cancer or breast and ovarian cancer in women relatives, your risk of prostate cancer can be 6 times higher!
-Eating: Some food factors seem to increase the risk - for example a diet rich in red meat, fats and dairy products. On the contrary, other foods seem to have a protective effect.

Specialists from the American Institute for Cancer Research estimate that over 30% of all cancers are related to the diet. The World Health Organization, in a report published in the late 80's goes further and says that between 35% and 60% of all forms of cancer (and there are over 100) are related to mistakes in eating. The link between cancer and nutrition is double, meaning that some foods and food habits increase cancer risk and others decrease it. Prostate cancer is no exception. Recent studies have revealed a close link between what we eat and this form of cancer.