Drugs To Prevent Prostate Cancer
Men with benign prostatic hyperplasia are often treated with dihydrotestosterone -lowering drugs called finasteride or dutasteride. These drugs have been studied extensively to determine whether they can prevent prostate cancer, and results suggest that they could reduce cancer risk by about 25 percent. Patients who develop cancer while on the drugs are more likely to get an aggressive form of the disease, so discuss the advantages and disadvantages with your doctor.
Whats The Outlook For Prostate Cancer
When prostate cancer is found early, the outlook is quite good. According to the National Cancer Institutes Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program, the overall 5-year survival rate of prostate cancer between 2011 and 2017 was
SEER breaks down these statistics further based on the extent of the cancer at diagnosis:
- Localized. When cancer remains in the prostate, 5-year survival is nearly 100 percent.
- Regional. If cancer is in the prostate and nearby lymph nodes, the 5-year survival rate is still nearly 100 percent.
- Distant. When the cancer has spread to other organs and tissues, the 5-year survival rate drops to 30.6 percent.
Most prostate cancers are diagnosed when theyre either localized or regional.
Prostate Cancer Nutrition And Dietary Supplements Patient Version
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Complementary and alternative medicine is a form of treatment used in addition to or instead of standard treatments.
In the United States, about 1 out of every 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer. It is the most second-most common cancer in men in the United States. CAM use among men with prostate cancer is common. Studies of why men with prostate cancer decide to use CAM show that their choice is based on medical history, beliefs about the safety and side effects of CAM compared to standard treatments, and a need to feel in control of their treatment.
CAM treatments used by men with prostate cancer include certain foods, dietary supplements, herbs, vitamins, and minerals.
Different types of research have been done to study the use of CAM in prostate cancer. These study types include the following:
CAM treatments have been studied to see if their use lowers the risk of prostate cancer, kills prostate cancer cells, or lowers the risk that cancer will come back after treatment. Most of these studies used prostate-specific antigen levels to find out whether the treatment worked. This is a weaker measure of how well the treatment works than direct measures, such as fewer new cases of prostate cancer, or smaller tumor size or lower rate of recurrence after treatment for prostate cancer.
This PDQ summary has sections about the use of specific foods and dietary supplements to prevent or treat prostate cancer:
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Increase Your Vitamin D
Most people dont get enough vitamin D. It can help protect against prostate cancer and many other conditions. Vitamin D-rich foods include cod liver oil, wild salmon and dried shitake mushrooms. Since the sun is a better, more readily available source of vitamin D, many experts recommend getting 10 minutes of sun exposure every day. Doctors often recommend vitamin D supplements. However, you should talk to your doctor before taking any vitamin or supplement.
Aim For A Healthy Eating Pattern
Instead of focusing on specific foods, dietitians, physicians, and researchers tout an overall pattern of healthy eating and healthy eating is easier than you might think. In a nutshell, here’s what experts recommend:
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Calcium: Questions And Answers
Calcium is a common mineral in the body that is needed to help blood vessels, muscles, and nerves work to send signals from cell to cell, and to release hormones. The body stores most calcium in bones and teeth.
The main sources of calcium are in foods and dietary supplements. About one-third of dietary calcium comes from milk and milk products like cheese and yogurt. Vegetable sources include Chinese cabbage, kale, and broccoli. Foods may have calcium added, such as fruit juices and drinks, tofu, and cereals.
Most research about calcium and prostate cancer risk has studied calcium in the diet and not calcium in supplements.
For information on laboratory and animal studies done using calcium, see the Laboratory/Animal/Preclinical Studies section of the health professional version of Prostate Cancer, Nutrition, and Dietary Supplements.
Population studies
Clinical trials
Five Foods To Protect Your Prostate
Good news if youre worried about your prostate health: What you eat can make a difference. There is plenty of strong evidence that good nutrition and an active lifestyle can reduce the likelihood of prostate cancer and slow its progression, says Mitchell Sokoloff M.D., Chair of the Department of Urology and Professor at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.
There are a few categorical changes you can make to your diet that make a big difference in overall health, as well as prostate health. What you eat can potentially disadvantage your prostate health e.g. foods you might want to avoid or protect the prostate in various ways. The Science of Living Well, Beyond Cancer recommends a diet that is high in colorful vegetables, low in sugar and processed carbohydrates, and moderate in animal-based protein . Some might refer to this as a version of the Mediterranean Diet. PCF-funded epidemiologist Lorelei Mucci, M.P.H., Sc.D., at Harvard T.H Chan School of Public Health notes that people in Mediterranean countries not only eat more vegetables and fruits they also eat less fatty foods, processed food, and red meat categories that can increase insulin resistance, increase inflammation, raise cardiovascular risk and be a part of a dietary pattern that may increase obesity, as well.
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Diet & Exercise Tips For Prostate Health
“What can I eat to reduce my risk of developing prostate cancer?” This is one of the most common questions physicians hear from men concerned about prostate health. Undoubtedly, many hope that their doctor will rattle off a list of foods guaranteed to shield them from disease. Although some foods have been linked with reduced risk of prostate cancer, proof that they really work is lacking, at least for now.
What Types Of Treatments Are Used For Prostate Cancer
If youre diagnosed with prostate cancer, your doctor will help to develop a treatment plan thats right for your individual situation. Its possible that a combination of different treatment options may be used.
They may recommend something called expectant management if your cancer doesnt cause symptoms. During this time, they may monitor your cancer using a variety of tests. Treatment will begin when you develop symptoms or when test results find the cancer is growing.
Other potential treatment options can include:
- Surgery. If you only have cancer in your prostate, your doctor may suggest surgery to remove the tumor or your prostate.
- Radiation therapy. In radiation therapy, high energy radiation is used to kill cancer cells.
- Cryotherapy. During cryotherapy, a special probe is used to freeze and kill cells in your prostate, including cancer cells.
- Hormone therapy. This treatment focuses on blocking hormones that can encourage cancer growth.
- Chemotherapy.Chemotherapy drugs can kill cancer cells or slow down their growth.
- Immunotherapy.Immunotherapy harnesses your immune system to help treat prostate cancer. A type of immunotherapy called sipuleucel-T may be used to treat some types of prostate cancer.
- Targeted therapy. Targeted therapy blocks the activity of certain proteins on or in cancer cells. Drugs called PARP inhibitors may be used to treat some types of prostate cancer.
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What Are The Best Supplements To Help Prevent Bph/prostate Cancer
There are so many opinions out there on the web about which is the best supplement to help prevent BPH/prostate cancer. What are the key ingredients to look for? Thank you
@cfbauer, you might be interested in this related discussion: Fish Oil and Prostate Cancer: Helpful or harmful?..:
Also see these articles from Mayo Clinic: Prostate cancer prevention: Ways to reduce your risk Enlarged prostate: Does diet play a role?
Wouldn’t it be great if prevention for health conditions came in a pill? The best way to reduce your risk of cancer and enlarged prostate, also called benign prostatic hyperplasia , remains healthy living, a good diet and activity.
@cfbauer, you might be interested in this related discussion: Fish Oil and Prostate Cancer: Helpful or harmful?..:
Wouldn’t it be great if prevention for health conditions came in a pill? The best way to reduce your risk of cancer and enlarged prostate, also called benign prostatic hyperplasia , remains healthy living, a good diet and activity.
Diet Tips For Prostate Health
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Questions To Ask Your Health Care Provider About Cam
When considering complementary and alternative therapies, patients should ask their health care provider the following questions:
- What side effects can be expected?
- What are the risks related to this therapy?
- What benefits can be expected from this therapy?
- Do the known benefits outweigh the risks?
- Will the therapy affect conventional treatment?
- Is this therapy part of a clinical trial?
- If so, who is the sponsor of the trial?
- Will the therapy be covered by health insurance?
Things You Cant Change: Age Race And Genes
Prostate cancer is primarily a disease of aging. As you get older, your chances of developing prostate cancer increase. Race and genetics also play a significant role. If you are African American, your chances of developing prostate cancer are double those of white American men. If your father, brother or multiple blood relatives had prostate cancer, you are more likely to get it, too.
Preventing prostate cancer might be difficult if you have these risk factors, but screening early and often can help ensure that if you do get cancer, its diagnosed and treated as soon as possible.
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Purpose Of This Summary
This PDQ cancer information summary has current information about the use of nutrition and dietary supplements for reducing the risk of developing prostate cancer or for treating prostate cancer. It is meant to inform and help patients, families, and caregivers. It does not give formal guidelines or recommendations for making decisions about health care.
Do Eggs Raise Prostate Cancer Risk
24 October, 2011
Eating just three eggs a week increases chance of men getting prostate cancer, reported the Daily Mail.
The story went on to say: Experts in the US claimed that men who consume more than two-and-a-half eggs on a weekly basis were up to 81% more likely to be killed by the disease.
This research examined the association between eating red meat, poultry and eggs and the risk of developing lethal prostate . The study was in a large group of 27,607 healthy men, of whom 199 developed lethal prostate cancer over 14 years of follow-up. The researchers calculated that the men who ate the most eggs were at a significantly higher risk than those who ate fewer eggs. No significant association was found with any other food item.
This large cohort study has some strengths, such as its large size and the fact that information on the participants diet was continually updated over the course of the study. However it also has several limitations, and only a small number of lethal cancers actually occurred, which could suggest that this association is due to chance. Furthermore, these results are inconsistent with previous research, which found no significant association between eggs and prostate cancer. The findings will need to be confirmed in more robust studies before any firm conclusions can be drawn.
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Maintaining Good Nutrition During And After Treatment
Maintaining a healthy diet can help you prepare for and recover after cancer treatment. It may also help to prevent the prostate cancer from coming back.Watching your weight may also reduce your risk of dying from prostate cancer. Recent studies have indicated that the risk of dying from prostate cancer is more than double in obese men diagnosed with the disease compared with men of normal weight at the time of diagnosis. Obese men with local or regional disease have been shown to have nearly four times the risk of their cancer spreading beyond the prostate or metastasizing.
Prostate cancer treatment may affect your appetite, eating habits, and weight, but it is important for you to maintain a healthy weight, get essential nutrients, and remain as physically active as possible. If you have difficulty eating due to side effects from treatment, there are ways to make eating more comfortable. Working with a registered dietitian/nutritionist can help make sure you are getting the nutrition you need.
Unfortunately it is possible for the side effects of surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy to cause you to lose your appetite, eat less and lose weight. On the other hand, some treatments, such as androgen deprivation therapy may cause weight gain for some men.
, Prostate Cancer and Nutrition featuring Margaret Martin, RD, MS, LDN, a nutrition educator from PearlPoint Nutrition Services.
Should I Use Supplements Or Herbal Remedies
Some people like to use dietary supplements or herbal remedies, but theres little evidence theyre helpful for men with prostate cancer. Some may even be harmful.
Dietary supplements
Theres little evidence that supplements are helpful for men with prostate cancer. Some supplements may interfere with your treatment for prostate cancer, so let your doctor or nurse know if youre taking any.
Most people should be able to get all the nutrients they need by eating a balanced diet, without taking supplements. If you do choose to take supplements, dont take more than the recommended daily allowance for each nutrient because large doses could be bad for your health.
Some men may need to take specific supplements. For example,
- Vitamin D. Between October and March, try to take 10 micrograms of vitamin D supplements every day. This is because during these months, there is not enough sunlight in the UK for your body to produce enough vitamin D.
- Calcium. If youre on hormone therapy, your doctor might recommend calcium supplements.
Herbal remedies
Some men like to take herbal medicines to help manage their prostate cancer or the side effects of treatment. For example, some men drink sage tea to help with hot flushes. But there is very little evidence that herbal remedies can help to treat prostate cancer or reduce side effects.
Herbal supplements being tested
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Eggs And Prostate Cancera Word To The Wise
In the major egg producing states, flocks of 100,000 laying hens are not unusual and some flocks number more than 1 million. Each of the roughly 280 million laying birds in the U.S. produces from 250 to 300 eggs a year. In total, the U.S. produces about 75 billion eggs a year, about 10 percent of the world supply.
When associations were analyzed separately by geographical region , positive associations betweenegg intakeand advancedand fatal cancers were limited to North American studies.Observed differences in associations by geographical region warrant further investigation .
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