Prostate Cancer Prevention Tips

By the age of 50, many men will have prostate cancer by then. It's very irritating and uncomfortable. It can also interrupt your sex life. Thankfully, we have a few tips that can prevent you from getting one. The supplements mentioned vary from being used to prevent prostate problems, improve symptoms in people who already have problems with their prostate and help treat various kinds of prostate problems such as prostatitis and benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Lycopene is a member of the carotenoid family and a deep pigment responsible for the red color of certain fruits and vegetables. The meaning is derived from the Greek language and is translated into the meaning "wolf peach".The highest source of lycopene that is regularly consumed by the average person is in tomatoes though sources of lycopene include watermelon, apricots, guava, papaya, and pink grapefruit. Another source that may not be familiar to some is a fruit called gac, which is Vietnamese in its origin and is also known as Sweet Gourd. It is used for various medicinal uses in Vietnam and is available in the form of many juice supplements. Its lycopene content is much higher than tomatoes themselves and is the only source that has such high content of lycopene.

EGCG, which green tea contains, inhibits the growth of PSA (prostatic specific antigen) and also the growth of blood vessels that supply the cancer with oxygen and nutrients. This is possible as the EGCG and polyphenols in green tea help prevent prostate cancer itself and the spread of active prostate cancer. It actively helps reduce the production of the antigen, a contributor to prostate cancer.In a study it was found that 130 prostate patients that consumed green tea on a regular basis were reduced by 86 % of prostate cancer progression. Similar studies have suggested similar benefits with lycopene consumption.

The African plum tree is a very tall tree in Africa, Prunus Africana or better yet known as the African Plum tree is used to specifically treat one of the most common problems in the prostate, BPH (benign prostate hyperplasia). The useful part of the tree is however the bark, not the fruit. The active ingredient within the bark is the oil which contains many useful compounds for the human body. One of these compounds is phytosterol, similar in structure to cholesterol but less absorbed from the body than cholesterol. The way it helps in improving the symptoms of BPH is due to its anti-inflammatory properties which may help reduce the size of the prostate aiding in relief. Results from a study conclude after taking a dose of 100 mg a day for 60 days, that symptoms of BPH such as nocturia and residual urine decreased as an increase of urine flow and comfort levels were of the results as well. Because of the great number of positive results and improvement the treatment gives the patients, the African Plum tree bark is used in many countries in Europe such as France to promote prostate health. Some side effects may come with use of this supplement, so before considering use of it, you should check with a doctor.

Multivitamins and Your Prostate

As the old saying goes, "too much of a good thing can be bad." That's exactly what taking too much multivitamins can do to your prostate. According to US researchers, taking in multivitamins more than seven times a week may increase the risk of advanced and fatal prostate cancer.

It is unclear why the multivitamins may increase the risk of certain types of prostate cancer.

Study leader Dr Karla Lawson from the US National Cancer Institute said: "The possibility that men taking high levels of multivitamins along with other supplements have increased risk of advanced and fatal prostate cancers is of concern and merits further evaluation."

Because multivitamins contain so many different components and men taking a lot of them were more likely to be taking other supplements, the researchers were unable to tease out what was causing the association.

In an accompanying editorial, European researchers said a high intake of fruit and vegetables has been shown to reduce the risk of cancer.

But it is not clear which nutrients have a positive effect.

Ejaculating Frequently May Be Good For Your Prostate

This new research just gave you a new reason to celebrate. If women have their migraines, men have their prostates. You can now actually say, "honey, this is for my health", and without any guilt whatsoever.

According to the study, frequent ejaculation may be healthy because of the following reasons:

• Flushing out cancer-causing substances. Frequent ejaculation may help flush out retained chemical carcinogens in the prostate glands.

• Reducing tension. The release of psychological tension that accompanies ejaculation may lower nervous activity associated with stress and slow the growth of potentially cancerous cells in the prostate.

• Promoting rapid turnover of fluids. Frequent ejaculation may help prevent the development of mini-crystals that can block ducts within the prostate gland, reducing cancer risk.

Although researchers found frequent ejaculation appeared to lower the risk of developing prostate cancer, it's unclear how ejaculation may affect men destined to develop or already in the early states of prostate cancer. Men who reported high ejaculation frequency throughout their lives and in the last year appeared to have a higher risk of developing advanced prostate cancer, but researchers say the numbers were too small to draw any firm conclusions.

Guide To A Healthy Prostate

If you are reading this article, you’re probably concerned about your chances (or a loved-one’s chances) of getting prostate cancer. Being diagnosed with any form of cancer is one of the most frightening and highly stressful experiences of anyone’s life. Prostate cancer, is a very serious health-risk in men, and should not be treated lightly. Yet, the encouraging news is that the disease does not have to be a death sentence, and even men with the disease (detected early) can maintain a healthy prostate by following specific recommendations.

Step One:

Nutritional Guidelines - Studies show that prostate health is largely associated with both the Japanese and Southern Mediterranean diets. The Japanese diet consists of a daily intake of green tea, soy, vegetables, and fish; while the Mediterranean diet is largely fresh fruits, vegetables, garlic, tomatoes, red wine, olive oil, and fish. Speaking of fish, fresh cold-water fish such as salmon, sardines, mackerel, and trout, should be consumed at least two to three times a week. Never eat fish that is fried. Instead, have it poached, baked, or lightly grilled. Other healthy foods include green tea., purple grapes, grape juice, red wine, cruciferous vegetables (cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower), and of course fruits. Tomatoes and tomato products such as pizza sauce, tomato paste, and ketchup are great along with olive oil; which is rich in vitamin E and antioxidants. As a note, doctors suggest also reducing animal fat in your diet. Studies show that excess fat, primarily red meat and high-fat dairy, stimulates prostate cancer to grow.

Step Two:

Lifestyle Choices - Everyday lifestyle choices may also be associated with prostate health. For example, maintaining a healthy body weight is essential, and is the most pressing concern regarding lifestyle and its connection to prostate cancer. Research studies show that obesity is linked to the development of prostate cancer. Researchers are still trying to determine the reason for this. Studies also show that obese men have higher rates of surgical complications, experience more problems with radiation treatments, and have lower survival rates than normal weight men. As mentioned in the previous section, a healthy diet is important for prostate health. So, make it a daily habit to eat healthy. Exercise regularly. A brisk walk for 30 minutes at least 3 days per week is sufficient. Studies show that regular exercise helps to maintain a healthy weight, lowers the rate of complications after surgery, improves cancer treatments, and increases the rate of survival.

Step Three:

Get Annual Prostate Screenings - The purpose of the screening is the early detection of prostate cancer. The screening consists of both a Digital Rectal Examination (DRE) and a Prostate-Specific Antigen test (PSA). Both exams must be done simultaneously in order to make accurate diagnoses. The screening needs to be performed on a yearly basis.

Measles Virus As An Effective Prostate Cancer Cure

A new study appearing in The Prostate has found that certain measles virus vaccine strain derivatives, including a strain known as MV-CEA, may prove to be an effective treatment for patients with advanced prostate cancer. The findings show that this type of treatment, called virotherapy, can effectively infect, replicate in and kill prostate cancer cells.

Prostate cancer is a leading cause death among males in the western world. It is currently the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths among American men with 186,320 new cases and 28,660 deaths expected to be recorded in 2008. A sizeable proportion of these patients ultimately relapse, with a 5-year failure rate for treatment ranging from 14 to 34 percent. No curative therapy is currently available for locally advanced or metastatic prostate cancer.

The median survival time of MV-CEA-treated mice in the study almost doubled compared to the controls, and complete tumor regression was observed in one-fifth of treated animals.

“Based on our preclinical results as well as the safety of measles derivatives in clinical trials against other tumor types, these viral strains could represent excellent candidates for clinical testing against advanced prostate cancer, including androgen resistant tumors,” says Evanthia Galanis, M.D., of the Mayo Clinic, senior author of the study. The study was supported by the Mayo Clinic Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) in prostate cancer.

These oncolytic strains of measles virus, represent a novel class of therapeutic agents against cancer that demonstrates no cross-resistance with existing treatment approaches, and can therefore be combined with conventional treatment methods.

Because primary tumor sites are easily accessible in prostate cancer, locally recurrent disease represents a promising target for virotherapy approaches. The virotherapy agent can easily be applied directly to the prostate tumor via ultrasound-guided needle injections and close monitoring of therapy can be achieved by non-invasive techniques including ultrasound and MRI.

The measles vaccine strains also have an excellent safety record with millions of vaccine doses having been safely administered in over 40 years of use. Repeated measurements of the marker CEA (carcinoembryonic antigen, produced when the virus replicates) following MV-CEA treatment can be performed via a simple blood test, and can potentially allow for optimization of dosing as well as the tailoring of individualized treatment. To date, no significant toxicity from MV-CEA treatment of patients with other tumor types has been observed.

Prior studies have demonstrated the therapeutic potency of MV-Edm derivatives against a variety of preclinical animal models including ovarian cancer, glioblastoma multiforme, breast cancer, multiple myeloma, lymphoma and hepatocellular carcinoma.

The promising results prompted the rapid translation of engineered MV-Edm strains in three clinical trials that are currently active. In the ovarian cancer trial, the furthest advanced; evidence of biologic activity has been noted in refractory ovarian cancer patients.

The results set the foundation for additional studies in preparation for using engineered measles strains in a clinical trial for the treatment of patients with advanced prostate cancer.

A new study appearing in The Prostate has found that certain measles virus vaccine strain derivatives, including a strain known as MV-CEA, may prove to be an effective treatment for patients with advanced prostate cancer. The findings show that this type of treatment, called virotherapy, can effectively infect, replicate in and kill prostate cancer cells.

Prostate cancer is a leading cause death among males in the western world. It is currently the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths among American men with 186,320 new cases and 28,660 deaths expected to be recorded in 2008. A sizeable proportion of these patients ultimately relapse, with a 5-year failure rate for treatment ranging from 14 to 34 percent. No curative therapy is currently available for locally advanced or metastatic prostate cancer.

The median survival time of MV-CEA-treated mice in the study almost doubled compared to the controls, and complete tumor regression was observed in one-fifth of treated animals.

“Based on our preclinical results as well as the safety of measles derivatives in clinical trials against other tumor types, these viral strains could represent excellent candidates for clinical testing against advanced prostate cancer, including androgen resistant tumors,” says Evanthia Galanis, M.D., of the Mayo Clinic, senior author of the study. The study was supported by the Mayo Clinic Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) in prostate cancer.

These oncolytic strains of measles virus, represent a novel class of therapeutic agents against cancer that demonstrates no cross-resistance with existing treatment approaches, and can therefore be combined with conventional treatment methods.

Because primary tumor sites are easily accessible in prostate cancer, locally recurrent disease represents a promising target for virotherapy approaches. The virotherapy agent can easily be applied directly to the prostate tumor via ultrasound-guided needle injections and close monitoring of therapy can be achieved by non-invasive techniques including ultrasound and MRI.

The measles vaccine strains also have an excellent safety record with millions of vaccine doses having been safely administered in over 40 years of use. Repeated measurements of the marker CEA (carcinoembryonic antigen, produced when the virus replicates) following MV-CEA treatment can be performed via a simple blood test, and can potentially allow for optimization of dosing as well as the tailoring of individualized treatment. To date, no significant toxicity from MV-CEA treatment of patients with other tumor types has been observed.

Prior studies have demonstrated the therapeutic potency of MV-Edm derivatives against a variety of preclinical animal models including ovarian cancer, glioblastoma multiforme, breast cancer, multiple myeloma, lymphoma and hepatocellular carcinoma.

The promising results prompted the rapid translation of engineered MV-Edm strains in three clinical trials that are currently active. In the ovarian cancer trial, the furthest advanced; evidence of biologic activity has been noted in refractory ovarian cancer patients.

The results set the foundation for additional studies in preparation for using engineered measles strains in a clinical trial for the treatment of patients with advanced prostate cancer.

Discover The Magical Power of Massage in Healing Your Prostate

Ok, I just saw this ad the other day and it means exactly what it says.... massage cab heal your prostate. I haven't really researched about it but rest assured that in the coming days will be more articles about it. In the meantime, here a copy of the ad.

You can have excellent prostate health again! And I mean radiant health! With simple proper prostate massage, whether you're 30 or 90, you can start feeling better immediately! And, it's easy to do, once you know how. I know this is true, because I had to learn it all myself!

Your pain will melt away, day by day! Your symptoms will gradually disappear. You'll start to feel good again. In fact you'll feel better all over. You'll sleep better, you'll have more energy, you'll be happier and your sex life will take back it's former sparkle.

You'll Learn Everything You Need To Know To
Enjoy Radiant Sexual Health!

Not only will you learn all the most effective massage techniques and the correct way to do them. You will also learn the wholistic approach to having a healthy, pain free, fully functional sexual and urinary system.

And, you'll see how men have relieved the pain and swelling without drugs or surgery. Simple natural methods can change your life to the point where you'll forget you even had a prostate problem.

You can learn how to Feel Great Again!

So, let's get started!.....

BPH

Many men have problems with the prostate at some time in their lives. The prostate gland is part of the male reproductive system. It’s located just below the bladder. The prostate surrounds the urethra (the tube that carries urine out of the body). When problems occur in the prostate, the bladder and urethra are often affected as well. Urinary symptoms can result. The most common prostate problems are described below.

BPH

BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia) develops when changing hormone levels cause the prostate to grow larger. This often begins around age 50. Excess tissue can block the urethra, making it harder for urine to flow. The enlarged prostate can also press on the bladder, so you may need to urinate more often. Other symptoms include straining during urination, a weak urine stream, and feeling that the bladder isn’t emptying all the way. Note that BPH is not cancer and does not cause cancer.

How BPH Affects the Bladder

Pushing to urinate through a narrowed urethra can cause the bladder walls to thicken or stretch out of shape. A stretched bladder may have problems emptying all the way. Infections or bladder stones can occur. Also, the kidneys can’t drain properly into a bladder that doesn’t empty completely. This can lead to kidney failure. Pressure from urine buildup can also cause leaking of urine (called overflow incontinence).

Other Prostate Problems

Prostatitis is an infection or inflammation that causes the prostate to become painful and swollen. This narrows the urethra and can block the bladder neck. Prostatitis can cause a burning sensation during urination. You may also feel pressure or pain in the genital area. In some cases, prostatitis can cause fever and chills, and can make you very sick.
Cancer occurs when abnormal cells form a tumor (a lump of cells that grow uncontrolled). Some tumors can be felt during a physical exam, others can’t. Prostate cancer often causes no symptoms at all, especially in its early stages. Prostate symptoms are more likely to be caused by a problem that is NOT cancer.

How To Ease The Symptoms Of An Enlarged Prostate

Obviously, if you have the symptoms of an enlarged prostate, the first thing you need to do is to see a doctor. Remember, there's a chance that your symptoms may signal something more serious. Once your doctor diagnoses your enlarged prostate, there are many things you can do to help yourself. If your symptoms are mild, these self-care steps, and who knows, they may be the only treatment you need.

•You can cut down on nighttime trips to the bathroom by avoiding drinking beverages after 7 pm.

•Every time you urinate, make an extra effort to empty the bladder completely.

•Go easy on alcohol and caffeine, which increase the need to urinate.

•Avoid over-the-counter cold remedies that contain antihistamines and decongestants. Antihistamines can impair the muscles that control the opening to the bladder and the bladder itself. Decongestants can tighten muscles around the bladder, making it difficult to empty. If the cold medication contains both, it may be impossible to urinate.

•Stay active. Regular exercise can help keep urine from pooling in your bladder.

•Keep warm. When your body is cold, your bladder is more likely to retain extra urine.

Quick Prostate Facts

Prostate cancer is a group of cells growing abnormally out of control in the prostate that may invade and destroy healthy tissues and organs. Prostate cancer can grow differently for different people. Some cancers grow and spread rapidly, quickly leading to death. Others grow slowly, presenting little threat to the man.

* Prostate Cancer Information Prostate cancer can be cured if detected early.
* Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men.
* Men at high risk (men with a family history of prostate cancer and African-American men) should begin yearly screening for prostate cancer at age 40 or earlier, all others at age 50.
* African-American men have the world’s highest rate of prostate cancer.

What Are The Risk Factors ?
Age
40 or above for men with a family history of prostate cancer and African-American males, 50 or above for other men.
Family History
Father/brother/or male family member has prostate cancer.
Race
African-American males are at highest risk.

Early-stage prostate cancer usually has no symptoms.

* Get regular checkups and see your health care provider if you experience any of the following: Persistent hip or back pain
* Difficulty urinating
* Painful or burning urination
* Blood in your urine

But remember, most prostate cancers today have no symptoms

Screening Tests Currently Available
PSA - Prostate Specific Antigen
A blood test that can often detect a prostate related problem. An abnormal test may mean additional testing is needed.
DRE – Digital Rectal Exam
A test where the doctor puts a gloved finger in the rectum to feel the prostate.

Prostate Cancer's Genetic Fingerprint

One in six American men are diagnosed with prostate cancer within their lifetime and 186,000 will be diagnosed this year. For most men, their disease is confined to the prostate gland, making it easier to treat and less lethal. However, some unfortunate patients suffer from a more aggressive cancer that metastasizes, or spreads beyond the boundaries of the prostate gland.

Physician-scientists are trying to uncover part of the disease's molecular fingerprint, with the hope of explaining why some forms metastasize. Their findings may help physicians provide tailored, and therefore, more effective treatments for patients.

Dr. Mark A. Rubin, professor of pathology and laboratory medicine, and vice chair for experimental pathology at Weill Cornell Medical College, and attending pathologist at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, believes that the common joining of two genes to form a new fusion gene influences a certain type of prostate cancer that is more aggressive and sensitive to hormones. In a recent article published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Dr. Rubin describes how in addition to the male hormone testosterone, estrogen — typically thought of as a female hormone — can stimulate this fusion gene. Dr. Rubin's group is currently exploring how this mechanism may help us understand how aggressive prostate cancer progresses in the absence of male hormones.

Currently, Dr. Rubin and his colleague Dr. Francesca Demichelis, assistant professor in pathology and laboratory medicine and computational biomedicine at the Institute of Computational Biomedicine at Weill Cornell Medical College, are testing blood samples and comparing the DNA of over 2,500 men with and without prostate cancer. They hope to discover clear genetic indicators of prostate cancer, especially its aggressive forms. Their findings will potentially lead to the development of diagnostic tests and preventive drugs for prostate cancer.

Web Tool Aids Men in Prostate Decisions

Men considering prostate cancer screening who used an interactive Web-based, decision-making tool knew more about the disease and were less likely to choose screening than men who got information from credible Web sites, a U.S. study concludes.

Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles, looked at 611 men, all older than 50, who were randomly assigned to different prostate screening decision support approaches, including a Web-based decision aid that explained the nature, detection and treatment of prostate cancer. The tool included video clips of doctors and patients expressing different opinions about prostate cancer screening.

Other men were told to get information about prostate cancer screening at the Web sites of the American Cancer Society and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Men who used the decision aid were less likely to seek other sources of information afterward. This suggests they were more satisfied with the information they received and more confident about their decisions based on that information, said study author Dominick L. Frosch, an assistant professor of medicine.

Men With Wives, Significant Others More Likely To Be Screened For Prostate Cancer

Although the link between early screening and prostate cancer survival is well established, men are less likely to go for early screening unless they have a wife or significant other living with them, according to a study published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

"In terms of motivating people to get screened, there may be benefit in targeting wives or significant others as well as men," said lead author Lauren P. Wallner, M.P.H., a graduate research associate at the University of Michigan.

Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among men in the United States, and early detection is associated with drastically improved five-year survival rates. However, what motivates a man to get screened is not known.

Wallner and colleagues identified 2,447 Caucasian men ages 40 years to 79 years from Olmstead County, Minnesota. These men completed questionnaires containing queries on family history of prostate cancer, concern about getting prostate cancer and marital status. If men had a family history of prostate cancer, they were 50 percent more likely to be screened. If men said they were worried about prostate cancer, they were nearly twice as likely to be screened.

However, the likelihood among men with a family history to get screened decreased if they lived alone. Specifically, men who lived alone were 40 percent less likely to be screened than those who were married or had a significant other in their home. Wallner said the study did not assess what caused a married man to be more likely to be screened. She also said that further studies would need to examine this effect in non-Caucasian populations.

Preventing Prostate Cancer

Doctors cannot always explain why one person gets cancer and another does not. However, scientists have studied general patterns of cancer in the population to learn what things around us and what things we do in our lives may increase our chance of developing cancer.

Anything that increases a person’s chance of developing a disease is called a risk factor; anything that decreases a person’s chance of developing a disease is called a protective factor. Some of the risk factors for cancer can be avoided, but many cannot. For example, although you can choose to quit smoking, you cannot choose which genes you have inherited from your parents. Both smoking and inheriting specific genes could be considered risk factors for certain kinds of cancer, but only smoking can be avoided. Prevention means avoiding the risk factors and increasing the protective factors that can be controlled so that the chance of developing cancer decreases.

Although many risk factors can be avoided, it is important to keep in mind that avoiding risk factors does not guarantee that you will not get cancer. Also, most people with a particular risk factor for cancer do not actually get the disease. Some people are more sensitive than others are to factors that can cause cancer. Talk to your doctor about methods of preventing cancer that might be effective for you.

Prostate Cancer Prevention

As with all kinds of cancers, the best way to treat prostate cancer is to ensure that it never becomes out of control in the first place. Being able to catch the signs and symptoms of prostate cancer is one of the first lines of defense against what could quickly become a deadly disease. While it is not totally possible to prevent all cases of this tragic illness, there are quite a few ways that you can significantly lower your risk of developing prostate cancer. Unfortunately, at this point, all forms of prostate cancer prevention are totally speculative, though more and more studies are being started each day that could eventually lead to cures, treatments and preventative drugs that could one day cure this crippling form of cancer.

Chances are that if you have prostate cancer in your family history, you will want nothing more than to look long and hard for a way to prevent prostate cancer from developing in your own body. At this point, all you can really do is undergo an annual blood test and manual exam to see if your prostate will present any signs of the early stages of prostate cancer. As painful of a process as this may be, it is totally necessary if you hope to catch your developing cancer in time and be able to undergo treatment that will turn out to be successful in the long term.

Even though the annual prostate exams are good enough for most aging men, if you want to decrease your risk of developing prostate cancer in the first place, there are a few ways in which you can do so. It is important to remember that these preventative medicines are not totally proven at this point, but scientific studies have shown a directly link between lowered risk of prostate cancer and the consumption of certain vitamins and minerals.

Six years ago, a major breakthrough was found in the world of prostate cancer prevention. During a fourteen year study, a team of scientists and doctors from the National Cancer Institute, the Harvard Medical School and other world renowned medical facilities conducted a study of nearly fifty thousand men. After the results were tallied and compiled, the researchers found out that it appears that fish oil can provide men with a significant amount of prostate cancer preventative agents. Without going into detail too much, it looks as if there was a dramatic decrease in prostate cancer rates for people who ate fish on a regular basis. Oddly enough, these benefits only come from eating fish itself and not taking any fish oil supplements.

Study supports pomegranate’s anti-prostate cancer potential

Pomegranate, a rich source of antioxidants, has been linked to improved heart health, but a growing body of science indicates the fruit protect against prostate cancer. Studies have also reported a role in joint health by slowing cartilage loss in arthritis.

It is these antioxidants, and particularly ellagitannin compounds like punicalagins and punicalins, which accounts for about half of the fruit's antioxidant ability, that are reportedly behind the proposed health benefits.

According to the researchers, early stage prostate tumours are dependent on testosterone levels circulating in the blood, but recurrent prostate tumours become unaffected by circulating testosterone levels. The cancer cells themselves can then increase testosterone synthesis, and this is linked to an over-expression of the so-called androgen receptor (AR).

Using androgen-dependent and androgen-independent prostate cancer cell lines, Mee Young Hong, Navindra Seeram, and David Heber from UCLA investigated if pomegranate extract and juice had an effect on the expression of genes for key androgen-synthesising enzymes and the androgen receptor.

They report that the polyphenols from pomegranate were capable of stopping the spread of both types of cancer, and that the compounds promoted apoptosis (programmed cell death) in the cells.

Family History Of Prostate Cancer Does Not Affect Some Treatment Outcomes

In a first of its kind study, a first-degree family history of prostate cancer has no impact on the treatment outcomes of prostate cancer patients treated with brachytherapy (also called seed implants), and patients with this type of family history have clinical and pathologic characteristics similar to men with no family history at all, according to a January 1 study in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics.

"This information is relevant for both physicians and patients with new diagnoses as they embark on complex treatment decisions," Christopher A. Peters, M.D., lead author of the study and a radiation oncologist at Northeast Radiation Oncology Center in Dunmore, Pa. (chief resident at Mount Sinai School of Medicine at the time of the study), said. "Now patients with a family history of prostate cancer can be confident that they have the same outcomes as patients with sporadic disease, regardless of the treatment modality they chose."

In the study, researchers at the Departments of Radiation Oncology and Urology at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York sought to determine if having a familial history of prostate cancer, which is defined as a clustering of prostate cancer cases within a family, had an impact on the prognosis of men treated with brachytherapy for clinically localized prostate cancer patients.

Cough medicine ingredient may treat prostate cancer

Noscapine, a natural substance found in cough medicine, may prove useful in treating advanced prostate cancer, according to studies in mice.
Researchers found that noscapine -- a non-addictive derivative of opium -- reduced tumor growth in mice by 60 percent and limited the spread of tumors by 65 percent without causing harmful side effects.
Dr. Israel Barken, of The Prostate Cancer Research and Education Foundation, La Mesa, California, and colleagues report their finding in the journal Anticancer Research.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in the United States. According to the American Cancer Society, one man in six will get prostate cancer during his lifetime.
Noscapine has previously been studied as a treatment for breast, ovarian, colon, lung and brain cancer and for various lymphomas, chronic lymphocytic leukemia and melanoma. The current study, however, is the first to demonstrate its potential as a treatment for prostate cancer.
The research team examined the effect of noscapine in 20 mice inoculated with human prostate cancer cells. One group of 10 animals was treated daily with orally administered noscapine diluted in water and the other group was given plain water (control). The treatments were continued for 56 days.
When the animals were sacrificed, researchers found that the tumors from the noscapine-fed animals weighed significantly less than the tumors from the animals fed plain water (0.42 grams versus 0.97 grams). Prostate cancer was also led apt to spread in the noscapine group compared with the control group (30 percent versus 90 percent.
No significant toxicity was observed with noscapine.
These findings, the researchers say, suggest that noscapine "may be a potential therapeutic agent for safe and efficacious treatment of prostate cancer in humans and a desirable alternative to currently used therapeutic agents that have serious side effects."