Just had dinner with friends. they said a classmate just got diagnosed with prostate cancer. i didn't know what to say. why would someone get that?

Random: You are making a general inquiry of why anyone would get any disease. There are some personal risks which can be avoided (like smoking and lung cancer or sun exposure and skin cancer), but most cancers are personal accidents and bad luck. There is no specific trigger for prostate cancer but treatment is available. Your classmate probably is seeing a urologist for this.

It's variable: Most of the prostate cancers in elder male are incidental i.E they are not related to any risk factors. There is data to show that in male over 75, 40% may have occult prostate cancer that may be not detectable but found incidentally on autopsy. There is another group of patients that has genetic risk for prostate cancer with strong family history of prostate or breast cancer.

It happens: Prostate cancer does run in families an has increased risk in black males. It is not associated with diet or activities. Even without risk factors, it still can occur. Discuss with your physician if you need to be screened with a blood test. A digital rectal examination is also recommended as part of your annual physical examination.

One does not catch: Prostate cancer, it is not associated with smoking, and ubiquitously and silently many wonder if it is sex too young, too much or with too many, or not enough, or not at all. Common worries. There is no reason. Sometimes its family; some think diet. Disproportinate aggressive types in young black men. >200k cases/year.