Green Tea Component Is Potent Killer Of Prostate Cancer Cells
Green Tea Component Is Potent Killer of Prostate Cancer Cells
Mayo Clinic researchers have identified a plant substance in green tea that is a potent killer of prostate cancer cells. The researchers, led by Charles Y-F. Young, Ph.D., tested four common components of green tea on three different prostate cancer cell cultures. One of them, called EGCG, was found to be the most potent in inhibiting cell growth.
Dr. Young says this is a promising laboratory finding which is now being taken to the next level. The research team is now testing whether EGCG can reduce the development of cancers in a new, special strain of mice bred with prostate cancer. If results continue to be promising, the next step would be trials in humans. Dr. Young said that the chemical structure of EGCG is very similar to that of components found in red wine and other vegetables. He said plans are to also test the effectiveness of some of these related compounds in fighting prostate cancer.
The incidence of prostate cancer, the most common cancer in American males, is considerably lower in Asian countries than in the West. One reason advanced for this high incidence is the high consumption of plant foods in Asia. A number of laboratory studies have shown that green tea, one of the most widely used foods, has anti-tumor effects. The Mayo Clinic report, in the journal Cancer Letters, is the first evidence that EGCG is the active ingredient that kills prostate cancer cells.
Study Finds No Effect For Men At Advanced Stage
TUESDAY, April 9, 2002 — If you’re looking for effective treatments for prostate cancer, don’t turn to green tea.
Despite promising laboratory research, doctors from the Mayo Clinic report disappointing results from a 22-center study examining the power of green tea in treating advanced prostate cancer in men.
“We thought that the initial research provided a strong enough impetus to take the finding from the laboratory to the clinic to see if cancer patients could derive some benefits from this strategy, but this turned out not to be the case,” says lead author Dr. Aminah Jatoi. She presented the findings this week at the annual meeting of the American Cancer Research Association in San Francisco.
While the treatment failed, Jatoi says the work is still worth noting.
“What’s special about this study is that we weren’t doing cancer prevention we were doing cancer treatment. And it’s important to realize that cancer physicians are committed to helping patients, and we will continue to examine all potential treatments,” Jatoi says.
The research looked at 42 men in 22 treatment centers throughout the Northeast, all diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer that had spread to other organs. The study required the men to drink six 1-gram vials of concentrated green tea daily — equal in potency to about 12 cups of tea a day.
That said, she also believes green tea may still hold promise in preventing disease.
What To Do
Evaluation Of Cam Therapies
It is important that the same scientific methods used to test conventional therapies are used to test CAM therapies. The National Cancer Institute and the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health are sponsoring a number of clinical trials at medical centers to test CAM therapies for use in cancer.
Conventional approaches to cancer treatment have generally been studied for safety and effectiveness through a scientific process that includes clinical trials with large numbers of patients. Less is known about the safety and effectiveness of complementary and alternative methods. Few CAM therapies have been tested using demanding scientific methods. A small number of CAM therapies that were thought to be purely alternative approaches are now being used in cancer treatmentnot as cures, but as complementary therapies that may help patients feel better and recover faster. One example is acupuncture. According to a panel of experts at a National Institutes of Health meeting in November 1997, acupuncture has been found to help control nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy and pain related to surgery. However, some approaches, such as the use of laetrile, have been studied and found not to work and to possibly cause harm.
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Green Tea Extract Helps Prevent Prostate Cancer
Compounds in green tea help prevent progression to prostate cancer in men at high risk for the disease, according to recent research findings.* Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death among American men.
In their study, Italian re-searchers enrolled 62 men with high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia, a pre-cancerous condition. Thirty-two of the men were given 200 mg of green tea catechins three times daily for one year, while 30 men received a placebo. Repeat prostate biopsies were performed on all participants six and 12 months after beginning the study.
Approximately one third of men with high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia can be expected to progress to cancer over the course of one year. This statistic corresponds with results seen in the placebo group, in which nine men developed prostate cancer during the one-year study period. However, only one of the men receiving green tea catechins developed prostate cancera 90% reduction in the risk of progressing to prostate cancer over one year.*
The supplemented group consumed 600 mg of green tea catechins daily, with the polyphenol epigallocatechin-3 gallate, or EGCG, accounting for approximately one half of the catechins. Previous studies have shown that green tea catechins and other polyphenols inhibit certain cancer cell lines, while epidemiological studies suggest that men who consume high levels of dietary polyphenols experience a decreased risk of prostate cancer.
Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms
All participants completed the IPSS including each of the seven areas , QoL and five-item version of the International Index of Erectile Function questionnaires. Uroflowmetry data maximal urinary flow rate and average urinary flow rate were measured using the FlowMic . Prostate bladder voiding volume and post-void residual urine volume were assessed using the BK Medical Viking 2400 with abdominal probe 37 MHz. V and RV were calculated using the formula for a prolate ellipsoid . Histopathological examination of prostate tissue was done using ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy in all subjects.
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Importance Of Exercise For Men With Prostate Cancer Mayo Clinic News Network
Prostate most cancers is the second commonest most cancers in males worldwide. It is necessary that males are screened for the illness to catch it early, and a current research exhibits that train and bodily exercise as a further remedy might assist enhance affected person outcomes.
Watch: The Mayo Clinic Minute
Journalists: Broadcast-quality video is within the downloads on the finish of this submit. Please courtesy: Mayo Clinic Information Community. Learn the script.
Train is nice for the physique, and that holds true for males with prostate most cancers.
What we discovered is that train and basic well being can really have an impact not simply on the tumor biology, however how among the remedies work on that biology, says Dr. Mitchell Humphreys, a Mayo Clinic urologist.
It is a part of an rising science referred to as physiological oncology or train oncology.
They need to maximize how theyre doing from a cardiovascular standpoint, which suggests the more healthy their physique is, the higher they are going to do from their most cancers, each earlier than therapy, throughout therapy, and even after therapy, says Dr. Humphreys.
However earlier than males with prostate most cancers start figuring out and bettering total health, it is necessary to speak to a well being care supplier.
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.
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Questions And Answers About Selenium
Selenium is a mineral that is essential to humans in tiny amounts. Selenium is needed for many body functions, including reproduction and immunity. Food sources of selenium include meat, vegetables, and nuts. The amount of selenium found in the food depends on the amount of selenium in the soil where the food grows. Selenium is stored in the thyroid gland, liver, pancreas, pituitary gland, and kidneys.
Selenium may play a role in many diseases, including cancer. Results of the large National Cancer Institute-sponsored Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial suggest that men with prostate cancer should not take selenium supplements.
Selenium may be eaten in food or taken in dietary supplements.
- Vitamin E and selenium.
- Two placebos.
Early results of SELECT reported in 2009 found no difference in the rate of developing prostate cancer among the 4 groups. In the selenium alone group, there was a slight increase in the rate of diabetes mellitus. Even though this change was not clearly shown to be due to the supplement, the men in the study were advised to stop taking the study supplements.
A study of 1,434 men in SELECT suggested that changes in certain genes which control the way selenium is used by the body may have an effect on the risk of developing prostate cancer.
Green Tea Prostate Cancer Prevention : Green Tea And Cancer Prevention New Clues / Being Armed With Information Is Vital To Begin The Fight
However, as with other types of cancer,. Use the menu to see other pages. Skip to content search menu on this page: About a clinical trial to test whether a drug can prevent prostate cancer, an interview with a pioneering what can we help you find? Being armed with information is vital to begin the fight.
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Questions And Answers About Green Tea
Tea comes from the Camellia sinensis plant. The way tea leaves are processed determines whether green tea, black tea, or oolong tea is made. Green tea leaves are steamed and dried.
The health benefits studied in green tea are thought to be from compounds called polyphenols. Polyphenols are a group of plant chemicals that include catechins . Catechins make up most of the polyphenols in green tea.
Catechins in green tea can vary widely, depending on the source of the tea leaves and the way they are processed. This makes it hard to identify most of the chemical factors linked to the health benefits of green tea.
Some studies suggest that green tea may protect against heart and blood vessel disease.
People usually drink green tea or take it as a dietary supplement.
See the Laboratory/Animal/Preclinical Studies section of the health professional version of Prostate Cancer, Nutrition, and Dietary Supplements for information on laboratory and animal studies done using green tea.
Clinical trials
Treating Prostate Cancer That Has Spread To The Bones
Doctors are studying the use of radiofrequency ablation to help control pain in men whose prostate cancer has spread to one or more areas in the bones. During RFA, the doctor uses a CT scan or ultrasound to guide a small metal probe into the area of the tumor. A high-frequency current is passed through the probe to heat and destroy the tumor. RFA has been used for many years to treat tumors in other organs such as the liver, but its use in treating bone pain is still fairly new. Still, early results are promising.
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Questions And Answers About Lycopene
Lycopene is a carotenoid . It mixes with or dissolves in fats. Lycopene protects plants from light-related stress and helps them use the energy of the sun to make nutrients. Lycopene is found in fruits and vegetables like tomatoes, apricots, guavas, and watermelons.
The main source of lycopene in the United States is tomato-based products. Lycopene is easier for the body to use when it is eaten in processed tomato products like tomato paste and tomato puree than in raw tomatoes.
Lycopene has been studied for its role in the prevention of heart and blood vessel disease.
Lycopene may be eaten in food or taken in dietary supplements.
See the Laboratory/Animal/Preclinical Studies section of the health professional version of Prostate Cancer, Nutrition, and Dietary Supplements for information on laboratory and animal studies done using lycopene.
Population studies and clinical trials have been done to find out if lycopene can prevent or treat prostate cancer. Clinical trials have shown mixed results some studies have shown a lower risk of having prostate cancer or a decrease in prostate-specific antigen level, and others have not. There is not enough evidence to know whether lycopene can prevent or treat prostate cancer.
Population and combined studies
Exercise And Lose Weight
Exercising and losing weight are some of the best things you can do to promote prostate health. Many studies show that moderate or vigorous exercise reduces risk of BPH and urinary tract symptoms and helps with prostatitis as well. Exercise also benefits your cardiovascular health and can help prevent other health and sexual problems such as erectile dysfunction.
If you are overweight, losing weight is one of the most important natural changes you can make in improving your prostate health, whether your concerns are cancer, BPH or prostatitis. A study published in the Journal of Urology found that overweight men, especially men with a high amount of abdominal fat, have an increased risk of BPH. If you are looking to shrink the prostate, losing weight can help you reduce your prostate size and help relieve annoying and frustrating urinary symptoms. On top of that, weight loss can reduce your risk for prostate cancer and help relieve prostatitis, too.
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Table 2 International Prostate Symptom Score Quality Of Life Score And International Index Of Erectile Function In Control And Cranberry Groups
* Mean value was significantly different from that of the control group .
Fig. 1 Effect of cranberry on uroflowmetry parameters of maximal urinary flow rate , average urinary flow rate , prostate bladder voiding volume and post-void residual urine volume during 6 months of treatment. , Cranberry group , control group. The box-and-whisker graphs show the median as the middle line. The box extends from the 25th to the 75th percentile and the whiskers extend from the lowest value to the highest. , Outside values. * Median was significantly different from that of the control group .
General Information And History
Calcium, the most abundant mineral in the body, is found in some foods, added to others, available as a dietary supplement, and present in some medicines . Calcium is required for vascular contraction and vasodilation, muscle function, nerve transmission, intracellular signaling, and hormonal secretion, although less than 1% of total body calcium is needed to support these critical metabolic functions. Serum calcium is very tightly regulated and does not fluctuate with changes in dietary intake the body uses bone tissue as a reservoir for, and source of, calcium to maintain constant concentrations of calcium in blood, muscle, and intercellular fluids.
To evaluate the association between calcium intake and prostate cancer mortality and morbidity, it may be important to assess objective, biological of calcium, include data that account for nutritional and supplemental calcium intake, and control for other confounding factors. However, studies of the association between calcium and prostate cancer have been limited to nutritional sources of calcium, such as dairy products. Although more than half of the U.S. population uses vitamin and mineral supplements , few studies include supplement use in the association of disease risk, including prostate cancer or mortality rates.
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Questions And Answers About Vitamin E
Vitamin E is an antioxidant that may help protect cells from damage. Vitamin E also affects how signals are sent within cells and how the cell makes RNA and proteins.
There are eight forms of vitamin E: four tocopherols and four tocotrienols . Alpha-tocopherol, the form of vitamin E used in dietary supplements, is found in greater amounts in the body and is the most active form of vitamin E. Most vitamin E in the diet comes from gamma-tocopherol. Food sources of vitamin E include vegetable oils, nuts, and egg yolks.
- Vitamin E and selenium.
- Two placebos.
SELECT results published in 2011 showed that men taking vitamin E alone had a 17% increase in prostate cancer risk compared with men who did not take vitamin E.
Several factors may have affected study results, including the dose of vitamin E.
Clinical trials
In the Physicians Health Study II and the Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta Carotene Cancer Prevention Study Group, there was a higher number of strokes caused by a broken blood vessel in the brain in men who took vitamin E than in men who took a placebo.