HEALTHY REASONING: The Connection Between Prostate, Breast And Ovarian Cancer

Photo above: A family’s history is a strong risk factor for prostate, breast and ovarian cancers. Photo by © Can Stock Photo Inc. / monkeybusiness.

By Allan Bucka Jones
PRIDE Health Columnist

Every man and woman need to know their family health history, especially as it relates to cancer among your relatives.

Scientists have known for more than four decades that a significant number of men with prostate cancer have close female relatives who have or had breast cancer.

Population studies have also revealed that prostate cancer and ovarian cancer, the deadliest gynecological malignancy, often “cluster” within families.

The understanding of the close link between these diseases continues to grow, and new findings could have implications for the diagnosis and care of some men with prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer is similar in a number of ways to breast cancer and ovarian cancer. For instance, sex hormones play an important role in all three diseases.

Moreover, a family history of prostate cancer is a well-established risk factor for that disease. If a woman’s father or brother has or had prostate cancer, the woman’s risk for developing beast and or ovarian cancer is doubled.

Similarly, a family history is a strong risk factor for breast and ovarian cancers. In all three diseases, having several affected family members further increases the risk, especially if they were afflicted at a young age. Furthermore, several studies have suggested that men with close female relatives who had breast cancer have a heightened risk for prostate cancer, and vice versa, a woman with a first-degree male relative (father, brother or son) with prostate cancer has an increased risk for breast cancer.

Evolving knowledge about prostate cancer’s association with breast and ovarian cancers may one day help doctors to better diagnose and treat it.

Exciting new research is also showing that people with different types of cancer who have the same genetic defect may respond similarly to the same cancer-fighting drugs.

For example, a 2015 study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology reported that olaparib (Lynparza), a new drug recently approved to treat women with advanced ovarian cancer associated with a BRCA gene mutation, also slowed disease progression in men with advanced prostate cancer who had the same mutation.

If you have close relatives who have had prostate, breast or ovarian cancer, is information your physician should know. The knowledge may play a role in making decisions about your medical care.

A reminder that for all men 45 years old and more, screening for prostate cancer is vital because once detected, 90% of prostate cancer cases are treatable. The screening process, which includes a prostate gland examination and a PSA blood test, should be part of a man’s annual check-up.

It is recommended that men stay away from sex three days before the PSA test. It is documented that having sex within three days of your PSA test can produce a false reading.

Black women are susceptible to a more aggressive form of breast cancer that shows up in the early thirties. This means Black women should attempt to start doing mammograms in their early thirties, and not later, as recommended by your family doctor or the Canadian Cancer Society.

For detecting ovarian cancer, the two tests used most often for screening, are transvaginal ultrasound (TVUS) and the CA-125 blood test. TVUS is a test that uses sound waves to look at the uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries. Talk to your doctor about screening for ovarian cancer, especially if you have relatives with or had prostate or breast cancer.

The reason that prostate, breast and ovarian cancers cluster within some families is likely complex, involving a mix of factors, but it’s clear that genetics plays an important role.

Be inquisitive and find out details of your relative’s illness, despite the fact that many of us do not readily share health information. There is a definite connection between prostate, breast and ovarian cancer. This is a situation when being nosey may save your life.

 

Allan Bucka Jones is a Health Promoter and Broadcaster. You can contact Allan Bucka Jones at allan@jonesandjones.ca.