Is prostate cancer hereditary?

Yes, prostate cancer can be hereditary. Studies have shown that a man's risk of developing prostate cancer increases if his father or brother had the disease. It is estimated that approximately 10-15% of prostate cancers across all ethnicities may be caused by an inherited gene mutation.

In addition to direct family history, research has identified certain possible genetic variations which are associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer. Some of these variants appear to be more common in certain populations. For instance, one variant called TMPRSS2:ERG has been found to occur at higher rates among African American men and seems to increase their chance of developing aggressive forms of prostate cancer two-fold or three-fold compared with other populations.

Other potential genetic factors for hereditary prostate cancer include other mutations in BRCA1/2 genes, ATM gene mutations associated with Cowden syndrome as well as PALB2 and HOXB13 genes linked with Lynch syndrome II (HNPCC). Having mutations in any of these known risk factors further increases a man's overall lifetime risk for this disease.

Overall, it is important for men who have a family history or known high-risk genetic variation related to the development of hereditary prostate cancer talk with their doctor about screening and early detection measures appropriate for them even if they do not yet show signs or symptoms associated with the disease .