Prostate Cancer

Physical activity appears to decrease the risk of pancreatic cancer, especially among those who are overweight. [JAMA. 2001;286: pp.921-929]

African-Americans have higher rates of diabetes, prostate cancer, hypertension and coronary heart disease than whites.

October, 2017: A major Chinese study involving 600,000 subjects reported that daily aspirin use results in a 14% reduced risk of developing prostate cancer.

A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in November, 2012 found that those who drank at least one can of sugar-containing soft drink per day were 40% more likely to develop prostate cancer than those who never consumed these drinks.  Even worse, this increased risk applies to the more aggressive (faster-growing) forms of prostate cancer that are more likely to be fatal.  The study followed the dietary habits of more than 8,000 men for an average of 15 years and found a clear (but as yet unproven) link between sugary drinks and prostate cancer.  One theory is that sugar triggers the release of insulin, which feeds tumors.

Although there are cases of post-prostatectomy prostate cancer after apparent complete remission (from reawakened metastases), this is rare.

May 15, 2015: Results from a study of 32,000 men over 18 years were reported by the American Urological Association.  The conclusion of this study was that "the risk for prostate cancer was 20% lower in men who ejaculated at least 21 times a month than in men who ejaculated 4 to 7 times a month."

Carotene compounds called lycopenes, which are found in high amounts in tomatoes, have been shown to protect against prostate cancer.  Several studies have shown that males consuming tomato sauce receive some protection against cancer.

A cancerous prostate gland may interfere with blood flow and nerve impulses to the penis.  That can cause ED; impotence can be one of the signs of prostate cancer.

Men with a high PSA level or a history of prostate cancer should not be using maca.

Soy protein is one of the dietary elements that has been talked about for a long time as having a potentially beneficial effect for preventing prostate cancer.  Soybeans are full of chemicals called isoflavones which closely resemble the structure of estrogen-like hormones once widely used to treat prostate cancer.

Phytochemicals in soy protect against cancer via several different mechanisms, including interacting with intracellular enzymes, regulating protein synthesis, controlling growth factor actions, inhibiting malignant cell proliferation, inducing differentiation, deterring cancer cell adhesion, and inhibiting angiogenesis.

Soy extracts also provide doses of soy isoflavones such as genistein.  Cancer cells use the enzyme protein kinase as a growth factor and genistein is a potent inhibitor of its activity.  Genistein may reduce the metastatic capacity of hormone-dependent cancers.  Studies have shown that genistein inhibits proliferation of prostatic cancer cells.

Laboratory studies are backed up by observations in Asian countries, particularly Japan, where men may develop small prostate tumors but rarely the kind of large, aggressive tumors seen in American men.  However, the aggressive form of the cancer becomes more prevalent when Asian immigrants come to the US and are likely to substitute their soy-rich diet with one based mainly on animal protein.

Since prostate cancer cells usually multiply slowly, the development of prostate cancer can take many years before symptoms appear.  During this time period, the benefits of natural therapies like soy consumption are more effective at dealing with the problem while it is still small.

Note: Do not take any soy genistein products 10 days prior to, during, or 3 weeks after any form of radiation therapy.  Genistein may protect cancer cells against radiation-induced death.

Dr. Bihari, MD has found that the treatment does not seem to work for prostate cancer patients who have received or are receiving some form of hormone manipulation treatment prior to starting the low dose naltrexone.  This includes patients who have received Lupron, Casodex, Eulexin, DES, or other drugs designed to reduce testosterone.  In addition, patients who have been treated with PC-SPES, the herbal preparation with estrogenic effects, also do not seem to respond.

See the link between Cancer (General) and Hydrazine Sulfate.

A 14-year study by a team from the Harvard School of Public Health found that men over 65 who worked out vigorously for at least three hours a week had an almost 70% lower risk of advanced and fatal cases of prostate cancer.  The 47,620 men involved in the study were followed from 1986 to 2000.

A preliminary study reported at the AACR-Prostate Cancer Foundation Conference in 2014 found that men who reported walking at a brisk pace had more regularly-shaped vessels in their tumor, which has been associated with having a better prognosis.

Dr. John Lee, M.D., the author of several books including What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menopause, has found that progesterone for men is one of the most effective treatments for prostate cancer.  He has a series of patients who had metastatic prostate cancer who went into complete remission with natural progesterone.  5-6mg twice per day is applied to the back of the hands in cream form.  Progesterone appears to turn on the anti-cancer gene p53.

DIM is a nutrient found in cruciferous vegetables.  Several epidemiological and dietary studies have revealed an association between high dietary intake of cruciferous vegetables and decreased prostate cancer risk.  DIM may reduce prostate cancer incidence as it has been shown to stop human cancer cells from growing (by 54-61%) and provokes the cells to self-destruct (apoptosis).  DIM also improves prostate function.

In two papers published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry (Mar 27, 2003) researchers reported that DIM significantly halted proliferation of androgen-dependent human prostate cancer cells.  In one of the studies, androgen-dependent prostate cancer cells treated with DIM grew 70% less than androgen-dependent untreated cells.  DIM also inhibited dihydrotestosterone (DHT) stimulation of DNA synthesis in the androgen-dependent cancer cells.  These effects were not seen in androgen-independent prostate cancer cells.

To determine whether men are at risk for prostate cancer, they are usually tested for levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), a growth factor for prostate cancer.  In prostate cancer cells, DIM reduced intracellular and secreted PSA protein levels caused by DHT.  The researchers determined that DIM's molecular structure is similar to Casodex, a synthetic anti-androgen drug.

"As far as we know, this is the first plant-derived chemical discovered that acts as an anti-androgen," said Leonard Bjeldanes, professor and chair of nutritional sciences and toxicology at UC Berkeley's College of Natural Resources and principal investigator of the study.  "This is of considerable interest in the development of therapeutics and preventive agents for prostate cancer."

Testosterone supplementation causes the acceleration of pre-existing prostate cancer growth.  It is recommended that physicians screen for prostate cancer with a digital rectal exam and PSA (prostate specific antigen) level prior to initiating therapy, and monitor hematocrit and PSA levels closely during therapy.

Surgery is the main treatment for most prostate cancer.  The most common technique is a "radical prostatectomy", which involves removing the prostate gland, seminal vesicles and nearby lymph nodes.  It is a major operation, so it is most suitable for otherwise healthy men (usually, those under 70) whose cancer appears not to have spread.  About 80% of men who have this operation are still alive after 10 years.  Possible side-effects of the procedure include some urinary incontinence, sterility and erectile dysfunction (impotence), although modern surgical techniques can minimize the risks of this to some extent.  It is important to remember that it is very hard through surgery alone to remove every single cancer cell: a radical prostatectomy is no guarantee that one will remain free from cancer.

See the link between Prostate Cancer and Vitamin D.

In patients with advanced hormone refractory prostate cancer with bone metastases, 2000 IU of vitamin D with 500mg of calcium per day for three months was found to reduce bone pain, increase muscle strength, and improve the quality of life. [J. Urology 2000; 163: pp.187-190]

Several studies have shown an inverse relationship between blood levels of fish oils (eicosapentaenoic acid [EPA] and docosahexaenoic acid [DHA]) and the risk of prostate cancer.  A study by medical researchers at the Karolinska Institute confirms this association. [The Lancet, Vol. 357, June 2, 2001, pp. 1764-66 (research letter), British Journal of Cancer, Vol. 81, No. 7, December 1999, pp. 1238-42]

It may be possible to reduce the risk by avoiding a high fat diet through, for example, cutting down on dairy foods and red meat.

The body produces the most melatonin at night, when it is dark.  Bright lights at night or too little light during the day disrupt the production of melatonin.  A 2014 study of 928 Icelandic men without prostate cancer found that men who had higher levels of melatonin had a 75% reduced risk for developing advanced prostate cancer, and a 31% decreased risk for prostate cancer overall, compared with men who had lower levels of melatonin. [Eur Urol. 2015 Feb;67(2): pp.191-4]  This suggests that lowering one's risk for prostate cancer is as simple as getting enough sleep.

Melatonin has been shown to inhibit several types of cancers, especially hormone-related cancers like breast cancer and prostate cancer. [Bartsch and Bartsch]  This may be due to its ability to reduce the number of cellular estrogen receptors, which reduces the production of cell-multiplication factors.

The immune-modulating properties of melatonin seem to convey additional anti-cancer properties.  It has been shown to support the use of interleukin-2 in anti-cancer therapy, especially under conditions of controlled lighting.  Many animal studies have demonstrated an increase in tumor growth rates in animals whose pineal glands (which secrete melatonin) have been removed.

Positive results have been shown with melatonin on its own and in combination with interferon, tumor necrosis factor, and tamoxifen.  These preliminary results are quite encouraging because approximately 30% of the patients taking anywhere from 10 to 50mg daily (at 8pm) experienced improvements in survival time and quality-of-life assessments. [Lissoni et al, Brit J Cancer 7l(4): pp.854-6, 1995]

In one study, the risk of prostate cancer for men receiving a daily supplement of 200mcg per day of selenium was found to be one-third that of those receiving a placebo.

A study conducted by Harvard researchers examined the relationship between carotenoids and the risk of prostate cancer.  Of the carotenoids studied, only lycopene was clearly linked to protection.  The men who had the greatest amounts of lycopene in their diet (6.5mg per day or more) showed a 21% decreased risk of prostate cancer compared with those eating the least. [J Natl Cancer Inst 1995;87: pp.1767-76]

This suggests that lycopene may be an important tool in the prevention of prostate cancer.  The study also reported that those who ate more than ten servings per week of tomato-based foods had a 35% decreased risk of prostate cancer compared with those eating less than 1.5 weekly servings.  When the researchers looked at only advanced prostate cancer, the high lycopene eaters had an 86% decreased risk (although this did not reach statistical significance due to the small number of cases).

Contrary to popular opinion, research suggests that there is no preferential concentration of lycopene in prostate tissue [Am J Epidemiol 2000;151: pp.124-7 (review, discussion 128-30)].  Although prostate cancer patients have been reported to have low levels of lycopene in the blood [Nutr Cancer 1999;33: pp.159-64], and lycopene appears to be a potent inhibitor of human cancer cells in test-tubes [Nutr Cancer 1995;24: pp.257-66], evidence is conflicting concerning whether an increased intake of tomato products is protective against prostate cancer.  Some studies, like the one discussed above, have reported that high consumption of tomatoes and tomato products reduces risk of prostate cancer.  Other studies, however, are inconclusive [Am J Epidemiol 2000;151: pp.119-23], and some have found no protective association.