OTHER RISK FACTORS OF PROSTATE CANCER: OCCUPATION
There’s not a lot of good information on this subject, but some studies have indicated that farmers and mechanics may have a higher risk of prostate cancer. It’s hard to know what to do with information from such studies, however; it’s very difficult to separate what people do from who they are—their family history, their diet and habits. For example, do farmers and mechanics have more fat in their diets than others? Do they smoke more? One case-control study found that 75 percent of 40 patients with prostate cancer had a history of farming compared with 37.5 percent of control patients with BPH. (On the other hand, it could be argued that these older men were products of a generation that was much more agrarian. Who knows?)
Other studies have indicated that cadmium, a trace mineral present in cigarette smoke and alkaline batteries, may have something to do with prostate cancer. Men who are welders or who work in electroplating, over time, get exposed to high levels of cadmium; these studies suggest that cadmium exposure marginally increases a man’s risk of developing prostate cancer. One explanation may be that cadmium somehow interferes with zinc, a necessary element in many of the body’s activities—and men with prostate cancer have been found to have lower levels of zinc in their prostates than other men.
What does it all mean? If you’re a farmer, or a mechanic, newspaper worker, plumber, welder, or worker in a rubber-producing factory (all of these have been suggested, without much proof, as occupations that raise a man’s risk of getting prostate cancer), don’t be alarmed. There’s no evidence to indicate that you should.
*30\201\8*
No Responses so far »
Comment RSS · TrackBack URI
Say your words
You must be logged in to post a comment.