Most men are aware of their increased risk for prostate cancer if one of their brothers is diagnosed with the disease. When a man develops prostate cancer, his brothers are twice as likely to get the disease as well, often earlier.
The US researchers, from the University of Michigan, said men participating in the study estimated they had a 50-50 chance of developing prostate cancer, and more than half said they were at least somewhat concerned about developing the disease.
Actual lifetime risk for men with a close relative with prostate cancer is about 56 percent, suggesting the men surveyed were accurately assessing their risk.
In a related study, researchers asked the same group of men about their use of complementary and alternative medicine. More than half said they were currently taking at least one vitamin or supplement and 30 percent were using a type of complementary medicine linked to prostate health or prostate cancer prevention.