10 prostate cancer risks

It is the second most-common cancer for men, and a cancer that almost always attacks older men: Prostate cancer.

According to cancer.net, skin cancer is the only type more common in men than prostate cancer.

An estimated 174,650 men in the United States will be diagnosed with prostate cancer. About 60 percent of cases are diagnosed in men over 65. The average age of diagnosis is 66. The disease rarely occurs before age 40.

Here are 10 risk factors for prostate cancer, according to Duke University News.

Race: African-American men are more likely to develop prostate cancer and die from it than Caucasian men.

Family history: Having a father or brother with prostate cancer increases your prostate cancer risk by as much as two or three times.

History of another cancer: Melanoma, thyroid cancer, bladder cancer, lung cancer, or kidney cancer slightly increases your risk.

Height and weight: Obese men are at risk of developing aggressive prostate cancer and of dying from their cancer. Taller men have an increased risk.

Smoking: Heavy smokers have the highest risk.

Vitamin E supplements: One study showed that men who took vitamin E supplements alone had a 17 percent increased risk of prostate cancer.

Geography: Men living in North America, the Caribbean, northwestern Europe, and Australia have a higher incidence of prostate cancer.

High-calcium diet: High dietary intake of calcium from dairy products is implicated, though not in men whose calcium came from non-dairy sources.

High-in-fat diet: Animal fat may increase risk of prostate cancer.

Abnormal changes in the prostate cells: Abnormal cells that are not cancerous can suggest cancer elsewhere in the prostate, or be a precursor to prostate cancer. Some men with cells that have become smaller or inflamed could be susceptible to prostate cancer.

Unfortunately, prostate cancer symptoms occur only when it has reached an advanced stage. The symptoms can include trouble starting to urinate or an inability to urinate, increased urinary frequency, burning or painful urination, blood in the urine or semen, painful ejaculation, erectile dysfunction, and pain in the lower back, hips, or thighs, according to Duke University. These symptoms can occur from a condition other than prostate cancer.

Especially if you have prostate cancer in first degree family members, see a physician for testing and cancer screening.