Defining aging-associated factors that increase susceptibility to prostate cancer

Age is a major risk factor for a range of diseases, including prostate cancer. Understanding how age influences the susceptibility of normal prostate epithelial cells to cancer initiation is complicated by the fact that aging affects all tissues in the body. Assessing how various aging mechanisms influence the prostate epithelium is a necessary step to determine the critical factors associated with aging that increase prostate cancer risk. Here, we take a broad view of both prostate epithelial cell-intrinsic and cell-extrinsic factors that change with age and are likely to contribute to age-related risk of prostate tumorigenesis. For each factor, we discuss the impact of these age-related changes on cancer risk. We highlight important areas where additional research is required to help decipher the specific age-associated changes that contribute to prostate cancer initiation. Finally, we address the potential impact of various therapeutic interventions on aging phenotypes and cancer risk.