Family medical history, even that of distant relatives, can determine a man's prostate cancer risk, a new study finds.
Researchers at the University of Utah analyzed data from more than 7.3 million men in the Utah Population Database to create individualized risk estimates for men based on prostate cancer history in their first- second-, and third-degree relatives. This includes not only the men’s fathers, but also uncles and grandfathers.
The study found a strong correlation between prostate cancer risk and family medical history. Men with a family history of the disease were found to be almost three times more likely to get prostate cancer.
The researchers stressed that doctors should take into account medical history on a patient’s mother’s side as well as father’s when figuring risk.
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