Recent
Studies Advance The Understanding of Prostate Cancer
September Is Prostate
Cancer Awareness Month
Research reports chronicling
advances this year in the prevention and treatment of prostate
cancer show that a drug used to combat baldness can cut the
risk of prostate cancer by 25 percent.
Studies also point
to a newly discovered gene that appears to play a key role
in governing the spread of cancerous prostate cells to other
parts of the body.
In addition, studies
confirmed that frequent exercise, maintaining a proper weight,
and routine prostate screenings appear to be significant steps
in prevention and management of prostate cancer.
These recent findings
are just the latest fruits of research into prostate cancer
- developments that have made prevention and treatment more
promising than ever before.
Still, experts say,
early detection remains vitally important in efforts to combat
the disease, which will affect one in six US men. September
is national Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.
Among the latest findings:
-
Researchers recently reported
that men who took the baldness drug finasteride for seven
years had a 25 percent lower chance of getting prostate
cancer, compared with those who took a placebo (inactive
substance). The federally sponsored study marked the first
time it was shown a drug could prevent prostate cancer.
-
A second study found a gene
that may be key to stopping the spread of prostate cancer.
The gene, designated RKIP, which produces the RKIP protein,
can stop cancer cells from leaving the prostate and entering
the bloodstream.
-
A study of men with localized
prostate cancer found those at high risk of having the
disease spread beyond the gland were more likely to be
obese and to exercise less than twice a week. These men
also were less likely to have had annual prostate screenings.
By contrast, men with the lowest risk of cancer progression
kept their body weight down, got regular exercise, and
had routine prostate cancer screenings.
"It's a remarkable
time to be taking care of people with this disease," says Dr.
Ian M. Thompson, a urologist at the University of Texas Health
Science Center and the lead researcher in the study of the baldness
drug.
With all the advances
in prostate research, he says, "The prognosis is a lot better
than 20 years ago."
Progress in prevention
and treatment notwithstanding, experts say screening for prostate
cancer remains crucial.
"It's a very simple
issue," says Dr. Richard Atkins, president of the National
Prostate Cancer Coalition. "Prostate cancer detected
early is often much more treatable than when discovered late.
"Late-stage prostate
cancer is very difficult to control and it, sadly, remains too
often a lethal disease," Dr. Atkins says.
Second
Most Common Cancer in Men
The prostate gland,
part of the male reproductive system, is about the size and
shape of a walnut and weighs about one ounce. It is located
below the bladder, in front of the rectum, and its main function
is producing fluid for semen.
Prostate cancer is
the most common cancer, excluding skin cancers, in American
men.
The American
Cancer Society (ACS) estimates that during 2003 about
220,900 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed in the
US. One man in six will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during
his lifetime, but only one man in 32 will die of this disease.
African-American men
are more likely to have prostate cancer and to die from it than
are Caucasian or Asian men. The reasons for this are still
not known.
Prostate cancer is
the second leading cause of cancer death in men in the US, exceeded
only by lung cancer. The ACS estimates that
28,900 men in the US will die of prostate cancer during 2003.
Prostate cancer accounts for about 10 percent of cancer-related
deaths in men.
Screening
Essential, Experts Say
Early prostate cancer
often does not cause symptoms, according to the National
Cancer Institute (NCI) of the National Institutes of Health
(NIH).
Experts say that because
there are no specific signs or symptoms prostate screening is
important.
An annual physical
examination, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test, and
digital rectal exam (DRE) provide the best chance of identifying
prostate cancer in its earliest stages.
The following are
the most common symptoms of prostate cancer:
-
weak or interrupted flow
of urine
-
urinating often (especially
at night)
-
difficulty urinating or holding
back urine
-
inability to urinate
-
pain or burning when urinating
-
blood in the urine or semen
-
nagging pain in the back,
hips, or pelvis
- difficulty having an erection
As a man gets older,
his prostate may grow bigger and obstruct the flow of urine,
or interfere with sexual function. An enlarged prostate gland
- a condition called benign prostate hyperplasia - may require
treatment with medications or surgery to relieve symptoms.
This common benign
prostate condition, which is not cancer, can cause many of the
same symptoms as prostate cancer.
Always consult your
physician for more information.
Online
Resources
(Our Organization
is not responsible for the content of Internet sites.)
American
Cancer Society
Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Healthfinder,
US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
Men's
Health Network
National
Cancer Institute (NCI)
National
Institutes of Health (NIH)
National
Prostate Cancer Coalition |
September 2003
Recent
Studies Advance The Understanding of Prostate Cancer
Second
Most Common Cancer in Men
Screening
Essential, Experts Say
Risk
Factors for Prostate Cancer
Online
Resources
Risk
Factors for Prostate Cancer
In general, all men
are at risk for prostate cancer. However, there are specific
risk factors that increase the likelihood that certain men will
develop the disease, including the following:
age
Age is a risk factor for prostate cancer, especially
men age 50 and older. More than 80 percent of all prostate cancers
are diagnosed in men over the age of 65.
race
Prostate cancer is nearly twice as common among African-American
men than it is among Caucasian-American men. Japanese and Chinese
men native to their country have the lowest rates of prostate
cancer. In Japan, the incidence of prostate cancer has increased
as Western diets and lifestyles have been adopted.
diet
Epidemiological data suggests that the diet consumed in Western
industrialized countries may be one of the most important contributory
factors for developing prostate cancer. Consider the following
information regarding diet and its effect on the risk for prostate
cancer:
-
fat
Studies suggest that men who eat a high-fat diet may have
a greater chance of developing prostate cancer.
-
fiber
Dietary fiber intake may influence circulating
levels of testosterone and estradiol, which, in turn,
may decrease the progression of prostate cancer.
-
soy protein
Besides lower fat intake, another major difference
between Asian and American diets is the consumption of
soy, averaging 35 g/day per capita. Soy contains isoflavone
which, in several studies, have been found to inhibit
the growth of prostate cancer.
-
vitamin E and selenium
Vitamin E, an antioxidant, combined with selenium, has
been shown to inhibit tumor growth in laboratory animals.
-
carotenoids
Carotenoids containing lycopenes have been shown to inhibit
the growth of human prostate cancer cells in tissue cultures
(cells grown in the laboratory). The primary source of
lycopenes is processed tomatoes in tomato juice and tomato
paste.
-
herbal preparations
Combination herbal preparations should be used with caution
as reported side effects have included venous thrombosis,
breast tenderness, and loss of libido. Many herbal preparations
have not been studied in men with prostate cancer.
obesity
Obesity not only contributes to diabetes and high cholesterol,
but has also been associated with some common cancers, including
hormone-dependent tumors such as prostate, breast, and ovarian
cancer.
environmental
exposures
Some studies show an increased chance for prostate
cancer in men who are farmers, or those exposed to the metal
cadmium while making batteries, welding, or electroplating.
having a vasectomy,
BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia), or STD (sexually transmitted
disease)
Researchers have looked at whether men who have had a vasectomy,
BPH, or those who have been exposed to a sexually transmitted
disease are at increased risk for prostate cancer.
family history
of prostate cancer
Having a father or brother with prostate cancer doubles
a man's risk of developing this disease. The risk is even higher
for men with several affected relatives, particularly if the
relatives were young at the time of diagnosis.
Geneticists divide
families into three groups, depending upon the number of men
with prostate cancer and their ages of onset, including the
following:
-
familial - a family with
prostate cancer present in more than one person, but with
no definitive pattern of inheritance and usually an older
age of onset.
-
hereditary - a family with
a cluster of three or more affected relatives within any
nuclear family (parents and their children), a family
with prostate cancer in each of three generations on either
the mother or father's side, or a cluster of two relatives
affected at a young age (55 or less). Five to 10 percent
of prostate cancer cases are considered hereditary.
genetic factors
Normally, cells contain 46 chromosomes, or 23 pairs, half of
which are inherited from our mother, half from our father. Some
genes, when altered or mutated, give a higher risk for uncontrolled
cell growth, which, in turn, can lead to tumor development.
These genes have various names, but overall are referred to
as "cancer susceptibility genes."
About 9 percent of
all prostate cancers and 45 percent of cases in men younger
than age 55 can be attributed to a cancer susceptibility gene
that is inherited as a dominant trait (from parent to child).
Always consult your
physician for more information.
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