Men with high-normal levels of calcium in their blood, as well as men with above-average height, are more likely to suffer from prostate cancer.

Researchers from four universities in England found that tall men have a 19 percent increase in their chances of getting the disease. Using the shortest men as a baseline, the risk increased 6 percent for every additional 4 inches in height. Their research was published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

Meanwhile, men with high serum calcium levels were not more likely to get prostate cancer, but rather they were more likely to die from it, another study found. The findings showed a near tripling in risk, which was unexpected. Researchers used data from the first National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES I) and published their findings also in the September issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

In early August, the 16-member U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has concluded that blood tests that may discover prostate cancer are not recommended for men over 75, because the subsequent harms outweigh theoretical benefits. The panel found that the screenings, which only show whether there are damaged cells in the prostate, lead to unnecessary anxiety, surgery and complications which are usually by far more dangerous than tossing the screenings altogether.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force said that benefits of treatment in men over 75 "are small to none" and are mostly theoretical. The often encountered harms of treatment are impotence, bladder control and bowel problems, among others. At the same time, there is no actual evidence that the treatment saves the lives of these elderly men.

Actor Robert De Niro was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2003.