Prostate Cancer Risk Assessment — MEN ONLY
1. Do you eat 5 or more servings of foods with animal fat on most days (this includes meat, eggs, whole milk, and full-fat dairy products)? One serving is 2-3 ounces of cooked meat (about the size of a deck of cards), 1 egg, 1 cup of milk, or 2 ounces of cheese (about the size of 2 dominoes).
Yes = 10 points
No = 0 points
2. Do you eat 5 or more servings of tomatoes or tomato-based foods per week (this includes ketchup, tomato sauce, salsa, and tomato soup)?
Yes = 0
No = 5
3. Has anyone in your immediate family (father or brother) had prostate cancer?
Yes = 10
No = 0
4. Are you African American?
Yes = 10
No = 0
Add up the points, and see where your risk falls in the chart below.
| If your total points equal: |
… then your risk, compared to a typical man your age, is: |
| 0 –5 points |
Below average |
| 10 points |
About Average |
| 15 points |
Above average |
| 20 or more points |
Much above average |
About Your Risk
“Cancer risk” describes the chance that a person will get cancer, but it is impossible to predict exactly who will or will not get cancer. In other words, having an ‘above average’ risk does not mean you’ll definitely get cancer, and having a ‘below average’ risk does not guarantee that you’ll remain cancer free.
It’s important to know what your risk is so that you can find ways to lower it and help keep yourself healthy. Sometimes things you can’t change (like your family history or your ethnicity) have a strong impact on your risk, but almost everyone has things he can do to protect himself from cancer and other diseases, like heart disease and diabetes. If you are already making healthy choices to lower your risk of prostate cancer, keep up the good work! If you are concerned about your risk, consider making healthy changes to your diet and talk to your doctor about screening tests for prostate cancer.
Tips for Prostate Health
Limit the amount of red meat you eat.
Keep red meat down to 2 or fewer servings per week. And keep the total number of servings of foods high in animal fat (including, eggs, cheese, and full-fat dairy products) to fewer than 5 servings per day. Choose low-fat or non-fat dairy products whenever possible.
Eat a diet rich in tomato-based foods.
Try to get at least 5 servings per week of foods like ketchup, tomato sauce, salsa, and tomato soup.
Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of prostate cancer screening — starting at age 45 if you’re African American or have a family history of prostate cancer; age 50 for most others.
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