Men who have family history of prostate cancer atrisk

IGNORANCE that prostate cancer can run in families is putting men in danger, a cancer charity has warned.

The disease is one of the most heritable cancers, with genetics accounting for around half of a man’s risk.

One-in-eight men will develop prostate cancer in their lifetime.

Having a father or brother who has had the illness increases a man’s risk by two-and-a-half times compared to a man with no family history.

Having a grandfather or uncle with the disease increases the risk by one-and-a-half times.

But a survey of more than 4,000 British adults by Prostate Cancer UK found that one-third of people were unaware a family history of the disease significantly increases risk.

The charity said those whose relatives had suffered from cancer should alert their GPs, as they should be monitored more closely after the age of 45.