What is a risk factor?

A risk factor is anything that may increase a person's chance of developing a disease. It may be an activity, such as smoking, diet, family history, or many other things. Different diseases, including cancers, have different risk factors.

Although these factors can increase a person's risk, they do not necessarily cause the disease. Some people with one or more risk factors never develop cancer, while others develop cancer and have no known risk factors. Knowing your risk factors to any disease can help to guide you into the appropriate actions, including changing behaviors and being clinically monitored for the disease.

Please click on the tabs above to learn more about prostate cancer risk factors including family history and genetics. If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact our Prostate Cancer Center Patient Navigator via this form or call (678) 843-5665.

Information on this page was provided collaboratively by the team at the Prostate Cancer Center at Saint Joseph's and has been medically reviewed by Rajesh G. Laungani, MD, 2010.

Last Updated: October 26, 2010 (RSH)