The significance of biological, environmental, and social risk factors for prostate cancer in a cohort study in Brazil.

Purpose: To evaluate the significance of several risk factors for prostate cancer in a cohort of Brazilian men.

Subjects And Methods: Men ≥ 40 years-old participating in a prostate cancer screening program between December 2006 and April 2011 in the city of Curitiba, Brazil, were evaluated to determine the prevalence, relative risk (RR) and 95 % CI of prostate cancer according to age, race, ethnicity, family history of prostate cancer, educational level, and history of vasectomy, increased blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, and urethritis.

Results: In 2121 men included in this study, prostate cancer prevalence was 0.6 % for men between 40-49 years versus 2.0 % (adjusted RR = 2.58), 7.7 % (adjusted RR = 5.76), and 8.4 % (adjusted RR = 4.88) for men 50-59 years, 60-69 years, and ≥ 70 years, respectively (p < 0.05 to all). The prevalence of cancer was 5.1% in blacks versus 3.3 % in whites (adjusted RR = 1.56, p > 0.05); 6.1 % in African descendants, in comparison to 3.0 % in non-African descendants (adjusted RR = 3.17, p < 0.05); 5.1% in men with a positive family history, compared to 2.5 % in those with no family history (adjusted RR = 1.55, p > 0.05); and 4.8 % in participants with incomplete elementary school level or lower, compared to 2.2 % in men with complete elementary school level or higher education (adjusted RR = 1.85, p > 0.05). Men with/without history of vasectomy, increased blood pressure, diabetes, and urethritis had a prostate cancer prevalence of 0.8 %/3.0 % (adjusted RR = 0.23, p > 0.05), 3.8 %/2.2 % (adjusted RR = 1.16, p > 0.05), 3.7 %/2.6 % (adjusted RR = 1.39, p > 0.05), and 2.6 %/2.6 % (adjusted RR = 0.99, p > 0.05), respectively.

Conclusions: Risk factors associated with an increased prevalence of prostate cancer in this cohort included increasing age and African ethnicity.