Epidemiology and risk factors of the prostate cancer

Abstract Prostate cancer is the most common malignancy of male genital organs. The etiology of the disease is complex and remains mainly unclear. The only established risk factors are advancing age, ethnicity and genetics, including changing in expression of ELAC2, RNASEL, MSR1 and HOXB13 genes as well as low number of CAG repeats in the androgen receptor gene. There are number of coexisting environmental risk factors, such as eating habits mostly diet reach in animal fats. An early sexual initiation and sexually transmitted infections, both viral (HSV-2, HPV-18 and -16, CMV) and bacterial (Neisseria gonorrhoea, Treponema pallidum, Chlamydia trachomatis) were also included. The etiology of prostate cancer also involves the influence of hormones - androgens and estrogens, as well as chronic inflammation of the prostate. In contrast to the incidence rate, which varies significantly depending on the geographic region, the incidence of the malignancy at autopsy is similar.