Living a healthy lifestyle, exercising regularly, avoiding smoking and exposure to toxic chemicals, and getting screened help men reduce the risk of prostate cancer.
According to the Global Cancer Registry (Globocan), prostate cancer is the 4th most common cancer in the world and the second most common in men by 2022. In Vietnam, there are nearly 6,000 cases. new and 2,800 deaths. The disease is common in men over 50 years old, the older you get, the greater the risk.
According to the American Prostate Cancer Foundation, people with a father or brother with the disease are twice as likely to have the disease. This risk increases if there is a family history of not only prostate cancer but also breast cancer, ovarian cancer or many other types of cancer.
Researchers have not yet found a sure way to prevent prostate cancer. However, diet and lifestyle changes have been shown to improve overall health, thereby reducing the risk of developing prostate cancer.
Eat healthy
Adopt an anti-inflammatory diet that increases colorful vegetables and reduces red meat, sugar, processed foods and dairy products. Replace red meat with plant protein and fish. Saturated fat in red meat causes inflammation, which is linked to cancer and other chronic diseases. In some studies, people who eat the most fat each day have a higher risk of prostate cancer.
Maintain a healthy weight
Obesity means a body mass index of 30 or higher. According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), obesity is associated with an increased risk of recurrence and death from prostate cancer. Therefore, overweight men should try to lose weight and maintain a healthy weight. In addition to reducing the number of calories you eat each day, men should exercise most days of the week.
Most studies show that people who exercise have a lower risk of prostate cancer than people who don’t. Exercise benefits your health in many ways, reducing the risk of heart disease and other types of cancer. Aim for 150-300 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week or 75-150 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise, perhaps a combination of both.
Regular exercise helps men improve their health and reduce the risk of prostate cancer. Image: Nhu Quynh
No smoking
Some studies show that people with prostate cancer have a higher risk of recurrence if they smoke. They are also more likely to have metastatic cancer outside the prostate.
Avoid contact with chemicals
Exposure to toxic chemicals may increase your risk of certain types of cancer, including prostate cancer. Cancer-causing chemicals alter the DNA in cells, changing the way they function.
According to the ACS, certain chemicals, including arsenic, have been shown to increase the risk of prostate cancer. Arsenic and other chemicals have been found to increase this risk in firefighters, who are exposed to a variety of toxins during their work.
Frequent ejaculation
The prostate gland is located between the penis and bladder and has many functions, including producing nourishing fluid, transporting sperm, and secreting prostate-specific antigen (PSA). This is a protein that helps semen stay liquid and aids in urine control.
A 2016 US study on nearly 32,000 men showed that frequent ejaculation can reduce the risk of mild prostate cancer. The exact reason is not entirely clear, but experts suggest that ejaculated semen may cleanse the prostate of carcinogens that have accumulated there.
Actively screen for cancer
Early stage prostate cancer often has no symptoms. If men are in the high-risk group, they should be screened regularly to detect the disease early. Men over 50 years old should have regular health check-ups every 6-12 months. People who have family members with prostate cancer or breast cancer need to be screened for the disease early, preferably from age 45