Obesity Plays Role In Prostate Cancer Risk

ScienceDaily (Aug. 17, 2009) — A new look at a large database of prostate cancer patients shows that obesity plays no favorites when it comes to increasing the risk of recurrence after surgery: Being way overweight is equally bad for blacks and whites, say researchers at Duke University Medical Center.

Studies have shown that obesity is linked to generally worse outcomes in many cancers, including prostate cancer. Because blacks are more likely than whites to develop and die from prostate cancer – and because there is a higher prevalence of obesity among black men with prostate cancer, compared to whites – some studies have suggested that obesity might be a more ominous risk factor for blacks than whites.

"Not so," says Stephen Freedland, M.D., an associate professor of urology and pathology in the Duke Prostate Center and the senior author of the study appearing in the journal Cancer. "Obesity leads to worse cancer in both groups."

Freedland and Jayakrishnan Jayachandran, M.D. a urologic oncology fellow at Duke and the lead author of the paper, examined the records of 1,415 men enrolled in the Shared Equal Access Regional Cancer Hospital (SEARCH) database who had undergone a radical prostatectomy. Black men comprised almost half (47 percent) of the sample.

After adjusting for various preoperative characteristics, researchers analyzed the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and the aggressiveness of the cancer, as measured by the risk of recurrence. In contrast to other studies, investigators found no association between race and obesity.

Almost a third of the men were obese, regardless of race. "We found that higher BMI was associated with significantly increased risk of cancer recurrence for both blacks and whites," said Jayachandran. "Though prior SEARCH-based studies from our group found that obesity was associated with a higher risk of disease progression as measured by a rising PSA after surgery, it now appears that being obese just means a poorer prognosis, period, regardless of race."

As for why that might be, Jayachandran says he's not sure, but he says it may have something to do with altered hormone levels.

"Obesity is associated with more estrogen and less testosterone, and it may be that lower testosterone promotes more aggressive tumors as recent studies have suggested." In addition, Jayachandran says alteration in the production of other hormones, like insulin, insulin-like growth factor or leptin, which occur in obese men, may also be involved in the development of more aggressive tumors. "This is something we simply do not understand, but we are actively studying all of these factors."

Colleagues who contributed to the study include Lionel Bañez, William Aronson, Martha Terris, Joseph Presti Jr., Christopher Amling, and Christopher J. Kane.

The investigative team was supported by the Department of Veterans Affairs, the National Institutes of Health, The Georgia Cancer Coalition, the Department of Defense Prostate Cancer Research Program, and the American Urological Association Foundation/Astellas Rising Star in Urology Award.

Prostate Ultrasound

by prostate health news

In order to determine the right treatment for a man’s prostate problem, it is essential to undergo prostate ultrasound.

During the stage of diagnosis, the patient will be required to undergo an ultrasound that will allow the physician to estimate how severe the inflammation is. By knowing the size of the prostate gland, a doctor will be able to determine whether or not a biopsy may also be necessary to test the health of the infected gland.

The ultrasound is usually done transrectal, in order to probe the inside of the male’s rectum and get a clearer view of the prostate gland. Once the pictures are taken, the physician can now transfer the images to a treatment planning device.

5 Ways To Prevent Prostate Cancer

The five-term senator is scheduled to have surgery during the Senate's August recess, the Hartford Courant reported Friday. Sources told FOX News that Dodd "will be fine."

The 65-year-old senator joins thousands of other men who will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year. The National Cancer Institute estimates that 192,280 men will be diagnosed in 2009, and 27,360 will die from the disease. Those statistics make prostate cancer one of the leading killers of men in the U.S.

Although it’s one of the most common cancers suffered by men, there are ways to minimize the risk of getting it, said Dr. Ihor Sawczuk, chairman of urology and chief of urologic oncology at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey.

Here are five of them:

1. Get Tested. All men age 40 and older should be tested annually for prostate cancer, Sawczuk said.

There are two types of prostate cancer screening: the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test and the digital rectal exam.

The first test measures the level of PSA in the blood. PSA is a substance made mostly by the prostate. Too much PSA in the blood may indicate prostate cancer. However, high levels of PSA may also be indicative of infection, inflammation or an enlarged prostate.

The second test involves a doctor or nurse placing a lubricated, gloved finger into the rectum to check the prostate for lumps and anything else unusual.

If either test raises a red flag, doctors may follow up with a prostate biopsy. This is the most accurate way of checking for cancer. However the test is invasive and can result in a urinary tract infection, as well as urinary and incontinence problems.

2. Get Plenty of Vitamin D. Spending time in the sun and taking a daily supplement will help men increase their levels of vitamin D and possibly reduce their risks of prostate cancer.

“Vitamin D has been shown to inhibit prostate cancer cells in the laboratory,” Sawczuk said.

Calcium may reduce the amounts of biologically active vitamin D in the body, so milk drinkers should also look for additional sources of vitamin D, which can be found in cod liver oil, tuna and salmon.

3. Quit Smoking. In addition to harming the lungs and the heart, smoking may also be responsible for the spread of prostate cancer.

A 2003 study from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore found that men under the age of 55 who had prostate cancer and were current or former smokers were 66 percent more likely to see the cancer spread into other areas of the body.

4. Reduce body fat. Being overweight and maintaining a diet that is high in saturated fat, as well as processed and red meats, are risk factors for prostate cancer, said Sawczuk.

Fatty diets have been found to increase testosterone production, which in turn increases the risk of prostate cancer. Research has also shown that men who consume red meat at least five times a week had a 2.5 percent increase in developing prostate cancer than men who ate red meat less then once a week.

5. Eat a Variety of Healthy Foods. There has also been promising research that shows pomegranate, soy and foods high in lycopene, such as tomato sauce, reduce the risk of prostate cancer, Sawczuk said, adding that maintaining a healthy diet is one of the best ways men can reduce their risk of cancer.

Prostate Cancer Survival

Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer found in men. Over 200, 000 cases are diagnosed each year in the USA. The other stark fact is that the risk factor increases as one gets older.

In the early stages of the disease the patient can actually feel okay and not be displaying some the symptoms of the advanced stage of the disease. Some of these advanced symptoms are,going to the toilet often, but still having a weak or small urine flow. Also there is a burning sensation when he urinates.

The two most common tests for diagnosing prostate cancer are blood tests and a rectal exam by the doctor. The reason for the blood test is to test the amount of antigen in the blood and the rectal exam is to check for any unusual bumps in the prostate. These bumps if found will always be tested to check if they are cancerous. Again the secret to survival is to have these tests regularly because those caught early have the greatest chance of survival.

It has also been found that those patients with diets which have red beef or high fat content appear to increase the risk of contracting the cancer. Therefore please try and include in your diet plenty of fruit and low fat products.

Prostate Cancer Treatments for the disease usually includes radiation and also surgery make end up an important option. All these treatments including the relevant medication will always be discussed with your doctor. Again the important thing to remember and worth mentioning again is to have regular tests to identify early diagnosis and prostate cancer survival.

Low Oxygen Levels May Contribute To Prostate Cancer

ScienceDaily (Aug. 2, 2009) — UCD Conway researchers have characterised epigenetic signature changes in prostate cells under conditions of low oxygen levels that may lead to tumour development. The results of the study published this month in the scientific journal, Human Molecular Genetics may provide important targets for the early detection and manipulation of prostate cancer.

Chronic hypoxia, or low tissue oxygen levels, is a natural feature of the aging prostate either due to declining blood flow to the area or local consumption of oxygen during re-modelling of the organ. It may also be a risk factor in the development of prostate cancer but, to date, the processes involved are not defined.

This study led by Conway Fellow, Dr Amanda McCann, and involving collaborators in UCD Conway Institute as well as teams in St Vincent’s University Hospital, the National Centre for Medical Genetics Crumlin and Cancer Research UK Cambridge Research Institute, examined the consequences of chronic hypoxia on prostate cells.

Epigenetic gene regulation refers to changes in gene expression caused by mechanisms other than changes in the underlying DNA sequence. The group found significant epigenetic and cellular alterations in prostate cells as a result of hypoxia. Cells became more resistant to the natural process of cell death, increasingly able to migrate or invade and also caused the secretion of chemical messengers that are believed to be involved in the growth and survival of prostate tumour cells.

Epigenetic alterations were also identified across the extent of the genome and involved increased histone acetylation and DNA methylation. These epigenetic processes may promote and maintain the expression of regulatory genes and activation of adaptive pathways that possibly promote tumour development.

Commenting on the significance of the findings, Dr Jenny Watson PhD, a Health Research Board North/South funded postdoctoral scientist and lead author on the publication, said, “Understanding how chronic hypoxia influences global and gene-specific epigenetic programming will provide important insights into the mechanisms of hypoxia-induced cellular changes. The identification of these factors contributing to the initial development of prostate cancer represents important targets for early detection and manipulation in early stage disease”.

Added New Product Links To Site

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These are the very products I support & know to have helped me in gaining my health back. I know there's a lot of product links listed from this site but I wouldn't list them if I wasn't helped by them. It's a combination of things that will get your health back but taking these products were big factors in getting back to good health for me.

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