Steps To Prevent Prostate Cancer

Cancer Prevention Clinical Trials Are Used To Study Ways To Prevent Cancer

How To Prevent Prostate Cancer

Cancer prevention clinical trials are used to study ways to lower the risk of developing certain types of cancer. Some cancer prevention trials are conducted with healthy people who have not had cancer but who have an increased risk for cancer. Other prevention trials are conducted with people who have had cancer and are trying to prevent another cancer of the same type or to lower their chance of developing a new type of cancer. Other trials are done with healthy volunteers who are not known to have any risk factors for cancer.

The purpose of some cancer prevention clinical trials is to find out whether actions people take can prevent cancer. These may include eating fruits and vegetables, exercising, quitting smoking, or taking certain medicines, vitamins, minerals, or food supplements.

Bigger But Not Better

Prostatic enlargement is pretty much inevitable. The urinary symptoms associated with it are treated with pills called alpha-blockers, which essentially enlarge the urethral channel by relaxing the muscle fibers within it. You can start with herbals like that of the woody shrub saw palmetto, pumpkin seeds , stinging nettle extract, pygeum, rye grass or beta-sitosterol extract and cruciferous vegetables but in randomized trials herbals take a distant second place to alpha blockers. Other drugs called 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors actually shrink the gland by 1/3 of its size and can also help urination. If these pills don’t keep you peeing straight and strong, there are also various indescribable procedures that can remove the excess prostatic tissue. And yes, some of them involve lasers, which you just gotta love.The prostate can also become inflamed, termed prostatitis, which occurs in about 10% of men at least once during their lives. This diagnosis is not subtle as most men with prostatitis pee firewater several times an hour. Ways to avoid this include good hydration, regular, timed voiding and treating BPH when it occurs.

Get Moving With Regular Exercise

If youre worried about your prostate cancer risk, getting enough exercise should be a top priority. Theres data that being physically active can potentially prevent the development of prostate cancer and certainly prevent progression of disease and poor outcomes of disease once diagnosed, says Dr. Ross. The minimum recommended amount should be about 30 minutes a day, five days a week, of moderate physical activity. Moderate-intensity physical activities are things like brisk walking, biking slower than 10 mph, gardening, and doubles tennis, says the American Heart Association.

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Exercise And Prostate Cancer Prevention

Research has repeatedly shown that boosting your heart rate with regular exercise can lower your risk of getting prostate cancer by up to 20 percent. Of course, getting regular exercise is easier said than done.

Instead of watching football on TV, why not call up a few friends and go toss a ball around? Its infinitely more enjoyable than trudging off to the gym and a great way to catch up with the guys, too.

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Sexual Activity To Prevent Prostate Cancer

Another way to reduce prostate cancer is sexual activity. The organ, as weve seen, is part of the male genital tract. In fact, its responsible for producing part of the semen.

Therefore, frequent sexual intercourse helps to stimulate it. It can serve to prevent cancerous lesions by reducing the accumulation of substances inside it. However, its essential that its always safe and healthy sex.

Ways To Prevent Prostate Cancer

We all know to wear sunblock when you hit the beach to prevent skin cancerbut what are you doing to prevent prostate cancer? While many men may rarely think about it, the health of your prostate gland is important. A small gland located near the bladder, the prostate plays an important role in the proper urinary and sexual health of men. Its also one of the most common sources of cancer for men in the United States. Luckily, there are many things you can dosuch as taking prostate health supplements like Prostate 911to protect your prostate health and improve your overall quality of life.

But what exactly can men do to prevent prostate cancer? While theres no magical cure or perfect method, there are several lifestyle changes you can make to protect the health of your prostate. Here, were taking a closer look at ways you can prevent your prostate health for years to come and even ward off the potential for developing prostate cancer.

Five Ways To Practice Prostate Cancer Prevention

There are some things you can do to try to prevent prostate cancer. Here are five prostate cancer prevention tips to implement into your lifestyle today:

See Your Doctor and Get Regularly Screened

As you age, its important to get a rectal examination and prostate-specific antigen every year. While these exams arent a preferred use of your time, these screening tests can help you get a diagnosis early when cancer is easier to treat.

These screenings also give patients the opportunity to make informed decisions on how to pursue treatment with their doctor this isnt always a luxury afforded to those diagnosed with late-stage cancer.

If youre over 40 and African-American or you have a family history of prostate cancer, get an exam. If youre 50 and over, get an exam every year even if you dont have a history of prostate cancer in the family.

Change Your Diet

Its no surprise that eating healthy makes this list. Eating clean helps take care of your body, and a healthy diet contains cancer-fighting phytonutrients. Phytonutrients are produced by plants and contain the vitamins and nutrients that are essential to promote prostate health.

Studies have shown that diets rich in plant-based foods stimulate the immune system, prevent substances we ingest from becoming carcinogens, aide in DNA repair, slow the growth rate of cancer cells, and reduce inflammation.

Here are some things to consider when overhauling your diet:

Use Natural Products

Exercise

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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.

Eat Less Meat And Dairy

Prostate Cancer – Steps To Reduce Your Risk

Studies have shown that men who eat foods high in animal fat, such as dairy and red meat, were more likely to develop prostate cancer. Its important to note that these studies do not show that fattening foods actually cause prostate cancer rather, they show there is a correlation between prostate cancer and consuming things like cheese or bacon. Nonetheless, oncologist Dr. David Wise of the Perlmutter Cancer Center at NYU Langone advises patients to err on the side of caution and get most of their fat from avocados and nuts over animal products.

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Grilled Or Fried Meats

The National Cancer Institute in the United States advises against eating meats cooked at high temperatures, typically by grilling or frying.

When a person cooks muscle meat, including beef, pork, and poultry, at high temperatures, the meat may form chemicals that cause changes in DNA, resulting in an increased risk of cancer.

Follow A Healthy Diet

First and foremost, I would recommend general healthy diet guidelines to encourage overall health, recommends Justin R. Gregg, M.D., a urologist at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Some evidence suggests the Mediterranean diet specifically may help protect against prostate cancer, he says. While more research is needed, he says, its still an awesome health choice for other reasons . Want to eat more of a Mediterranean diet? Work on increasing your intake of fruits and veggies, whole grains, healthy fats, and lean protein like fish, suggests the Mayo Clinic.

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Talk With Your Doctor About Medications

There also may be other drugs you can take to help reduce your risk of prostate cancer, says Dr. Ross. The ACS names 5-alpha reductase inhibitors as a class of medications that may help lower your prostate cancer risk. They work by blocking an enzyme in the body that creates dihydrotestosterone, which is the main hormone that causes prostate growth. That said, more research is needed to fully understand whether these drugs can significantly reduce prostate cancer risk in the long term, the ACS says.

What Is A Healthy Weight

A quick way to check if youre a healthy weight is to measure your waist. Wrap a tape measure around your body, half-way between the top of your hips and the bottom of your ribs. For a man, if your waist size is 94cm or more, youre likely to be overweight. This means you have a higher risk of health problems, possibly including aggressive or advanced prostate cancer.

A healthy weight can also improve your general wellbeing and help to prevent other health problems, such as type-2 diabetes, heart disease and some other cancers.

Visit the NHS website to read about other ways of checking whether youre a healthy weight.

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What Is A Healthy Diet

A balanced diet should contain all of the food groups shown in the Eatwell Guide below. This will ensure your body has all the energy and nutrients it needs, and only a small amount of fatty and sugary foods.

The Eatwell Guide shows how much of what you eat should come from each food group. This includes everything you eat and drink during the day.

There are lots of healthy eating tips and recipes on the NHS and World Cancer Research Fund websites.

Eat at least five portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day.
Base meals on starchy foods like potatoes, bread, rice, pasta, plantain and sweet potato, choosing wholegrain versions where possible.
Have some dairy or dairy alternatives, such as soya drinks, and choose lower-fat options.
Eat some protein, such as beans, pulses, fish, eggs and lean meat include two portions of fish every week, one of which should be oily.
Choose unsaturated oils and spreads and eat these in small amounts.
Drink six to eight glasses of fluid a day.
Only have small amounts of foods and drinks that are high in saturated fat or salt, such as butter, cakes and crisps.
Choose low-sugar foods and drinks that contain 5g or less of sugar per 100g.

The Bottom Line On Prostate Cancer Prevention

Theres no way to guarantee you wont get prostate cancer at some point in your lifebut understanding the known protective and risk factors can help you make sure youre taking all the steps you can to reduce the chances. Plus, taking steps that lead a healthier lifestyle could improve your treatment outcomes if you do end up developing cancer. Even with a diagnosis of prostate cancer, most men die of other causes, says Dr. Gregg. Therefore, being cognizant of things like cardiovascular health and decreasing the risk of developing other comorbidities is important.

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Can I Take Supplements To Lower My Risk

Some people take supplements to try to lower their risk of cancer, but studies suggest this isnt likely to work. In fact, some supplements may even be harmful.

The best way to get all the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients your body needs is to eat a healthy, balanced diet, including plenty of fruit and vegetables.

Speak to your doctor before taking any supplements and don’t take more than the recommended daily allowance.

Prostate Cancer Prevention Patient Version

How to prevent prostate cancer

Some risk factors for cancer can be avoided, but many cannot. For example, both smoking and inheriting certain genes are risk factors for some types of cancer, but only smoking can be avoided. Regular exercise and a healthy diet may be protective factors for some types of cancer. Avoiding risk factors and increasing protective factors may lower your risk but it does not mean that you will not get cancer.

Different ways to prevent cancer are being studied.

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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.

What Is The Prostate

Many people may not even be familiar with this important part of the male body. The prostate is a small gland, roughly the size of a walnut, that is found near a mans bladder, right in front of the rectum. The primary role of this gland is secreting the fluid that nourishes and protects the sperm during ejaculation. A healthy prostate is important for healthy, regular urination and sexual performance.

Side Effects And Nutrition

Cancer treatment often causes side effects, such as nausea, mouth sores, and taste changes that may make it difficult to eat or drink. Follow these tips to help you get the nutrition you need:

If water tastes unpleasant to you, take in more liquid though items such as soup, tea, milk or milk substitutes such as almond milk, or a sports drink. Or, flavor your water by adding fresh cut fruit.
If food tastes bland, try seasoning it with flavorful spices such as garlic, cayenne, dill, and rosemary.
Eat several small meals throughout the day instead of trying to eat large amounts of food at one time.
Enhance your protein intake with protein from foods such as fish, egg whites, cheese, beans, or high protein smoothies.
Suck on mints, chew on gum, or try fresh citrus fruits if you have a metallic taste in your mouth. Brushing your teeth before eating, using plastic utensils, and cooking in glassware can also help.
If you have mouth sores or a gum infection, use a blender to make vegetables and meats smooth. Try juicing or making smoothies.Some side effects are often treated with medication, so talk with your doctor or another member of your health care team for more information.

Can Any Foods Lower My Risk Of Prostate Cancer

There is no strong evidence that any individual food can lower your risk of prostate cancer.

You may have heard that certain foods might lower your risk, including pulses, such as beans, peas, lentils and soya foods, and foods containing:

lycopene such as tomatoes and tomato products
selenium such as Brazil nuts, fish, seafood, liver and kidney
vitamin E such as nuts, seeds, wholegrains, green leafy vegetables and avocados.

But there isn’t any strong evidence that these help. Instead it’s a good idea to choose a balanced diet, including lots of fruit and vegetables and a wide range of other healthy foods, to prevent other health problems and help stay a healthy weight.

The 10 Commandments Of Cancer Prevention

About one of every three Americans will develop some form of malignancy during his or her lifetime. Despite these grim statistics, doctors have made great progress in understanding the biology of cancer cells, and they have already been able to improve the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.

But instead of just waiting for new breakthroughs, you can do a lot to protect yourself right now. Screening tests can help detect malignancies in their earliest stages, but you should always be alert for symptoms of the disease. The American Cancer Society developed this simple reminder years ago:

C: Change in bowel or bladder habits
A: A sore that does not heal
U: Unusual bleeding or discharge
T: Thickening or lump in the breast or elsewhere
I: Indigestion or difficulty in swallowing
O: Obvious change in a wart or mole
N: Nagging cough or hoarseness

It’s a rough guide at best. The vast majority of such symptoms are caused by nonmalignant disorders, and cancers can produce symptoms that don’t show up on the list, such as unexplained weight loss or fatigue. But it is a useful reminder to listen to your body and report sounds of distress to your doctor.

2. Eat properly. Reduce your consumption of saturated fat and red meat, which may increase the risk of colon cancer and a more aggressive form of prostate cancer. Increase your consumption of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.