What Causes It The exact cause isn't known, but hormones play a role. Any man who had his testicles removed before he reached puberty—and so did not get to produce the male hormone testosterone—will rarely develop prostate cancer. The use of hormones such as steroids by athletes or cortisone for certain diseases, however, will not cause the problem.
Some people have recently speculated that foods high in fat may play a role, but this is far from certain. Genetic factors are suspected, since prostate cancer patients with relatives who also have prostate cancer are up to three times more likely to die of their disease than those patients who do not have relatives with prostate cancer.
We know a great deal more about what does not cause it. There is no conclusive evidence that one can get cancer of the prostate from "too much sex," masturbation, infection of the prostate or benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Prostatic stones or infection have no proven influence.
