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
- 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
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
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September 2003
In
This Issue:
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
Other
Resources:
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Other Men's Health News:
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:
-
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.
-
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:
-
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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