The information in this report was taken from the website for the American Foundation for Urological Disease (www.afud.org/education/prostratecancer) and from research work reported at the University of California at Berkeley.

Prostate Cancer is the second leading cause of cancer related deaths in the United States, but can be treated effectively if caught in its' early stages.

All men should pay attention to the issues surrounding the prevention of prostate cancer and should consider all possible solutions to reduce cancer risks. Factors such as age, genetics, diet, exercise and proper nutritional supplementation are all important to maintain good prostate health.

What is the prostate?

The prostate gland is a small, walnut-sized gland in men, located below the bladder and surrounding the upper portion of the urethra. The prostate gland lies in front of the rectum, and its posterior surface can be felt during a rectal examination. The function of the prostate is to secrete a fluid that makes up part of the semen. The prostate gland may be a source of many health problems in men, the most common being benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), prostatitis and cancer.

What is prostate cancer?

Prostate cancer is a significant healthcare problem in the United States due to its high incidence. It is the most common cancer in men affecting approximately 189,000 American men each year with approximately 32,000 deaths each year. Prostate cancer differs from most cancers in that a large percentage of men may have a silent form of this cancer. It does not cause symptoms or progress beyond the prostate gland. Sometimes this cancer can be small, slow growing and present limited risk to the patient.
What are the causes and risks associated with prostate cancer?
What causes prostate cancer is a subject of intensive research. It is likely that prostate cancer occurs due to many reasons. Predominately a disease of elderly men, the diagnosis of prostate cancer is rare before age 40, but increases dramatically thereafter. In the United States, it is estimated that one in 55 men between the ages of 40 and 59 will develop prostate cancer. This incidence climbs almost to one in seven for men between ages 60 and 79. Prostate cancer accounts for 10.8 percent of cancer-related deaths in men between the ages of 60 and 79 and 24.6 percent in those over the age of 80.

Worldwide, prostate cancer ranks third in cancer incidence and sixth in cancer mortality among men. However, there is a notable variability in incidence and mortality among world regions. The incidence is low in Japan and intermediate in regions of Central America and Western Africa. The incidence is higher in North America and Northern Europe. Although some of these differences may be accounted for by differences in screening for prostate cancer and the risk of other diseases among world regions, it is likely that they can be accounted for, in part, by genetic predisposition as well as diet.

There are also ethnic determinants of risk. African Americans are in the highest risk group with an incidence of 224.3 cases per 100,000 men. The incidence in Caucasian and Asian men is considerably lower at 150.3 and 82.2 (per 100,000), respectively. In addition, African Americans tend to develop a more advanced form of the disease and have poorer overall prognosis than Caucasian or Asian men.

Men with a family history of prostate cancer are at an increased risk of developing the disease. The risk correlates with the number of first-degree relatives (father, brother or uncle) affected by prostate cancer and the age at onset. Men with a family history of disease may have a risk of developing prostate cancer two to 11 times greater than men without.

The intake of other certain dietary factors may also reduce the risk of developing prostate cancer. Such substances include lycopene, selenium and vitamin E. Cooked tomatoes are rich sources of the carotenoid lycopene. Lycopenes are antioxidants that may protect cells from becoming cancerous. Several studies have shown that the likelihood of developing prostate cancer is reduced by high intake of lycopene. Researchers found that men ingesting two or more servings of tomato sauce per week had a 36 percent reduction in cancer risk compared to those who did not.

Selenium intake has also been reported to lower prostate cancer risk. In a clinical trial designed to determine if selenium could lower skin cancer recurrences, men who took selenium had a 63 percent reduction in prostate cancer incidence compared to those who took a sugar pill (placebo). Although the study was looking at selenium's potential to protect skin from sun damage, the researchers discovered the value of selenium in maintaining a healthy colon, rectum, prostate, and lungs. Compared with controls, who did not receive selenium supplements, "prostate [health improved] over the 4.5-year study," concluded its authors (Clark 1998). New double-blind, randomized trials with selenium are underway at a research facility in Arizona to build on the promising volume of data concerning selenium's role as a potent guardian for prostate gland health (Marshall 2001).

Dietary indoles, specifically DIM has also been shown to fight against prostate cancer. Tests performed at the University of California at Berkeley The findings show that 3,3'-diindolylmethane (DIM), which is obtained by eating cruciferous vegetables in the Brassica genus, acts as a powerful anti-androgen that inhibits the proliferation of human prostate cancer cells in culture tests.

"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." In the new study, the researchers conducted a series of tests comparing the effects of DIM on androgen-dependent human prostate cancer cells as well as on their androgen-independent counterparts.

They found that androgen-dependent cancer cells treated with a solution of DIM grew 70 percent less than the same type of cancer cells that had been left untreated. The same solution had no effect on the growth of androgen-independent cells, pointing to androgen inhibition as the key mechanism by which the DIM is acting. This was confirmed with further tests showing that DIM inhibits the actions of dihydrotestosterone (DHT), the primary androgen involved in prostate cancer. DHT stimulates the expression of prostate specific antigen (PSA), which acts as a growth factor for prostate cancer. When androgen-dependent cells were treated with DIM, the researchers found a drop in the level of PSA. "There are lots of things that can stop growth, but the fact that DIM decreases the expression of PSA shows that it is functioning at a gene expression level," said Bjeldanes.

What are the symptoms of prostate cancer?

In its early stages, prostate cancer often causes no symptoms. When symptoms do occur, they may include any of the following:

1. Dull pain in the lower pelvic area;

2. Frequent urination;

3. Problems with urination such as the inability to urinate, pain or burning when urinating, weakened urine flow, blood in the urine or semen;

4. Painful ejaculation;

5. General pain in the lower back, hips or upper thighs;

6. Loss of appetite and/or weight; and

7. Persistent bone pain.

It is recommended that men over the age of 40 have routing digital rectal exams or DRE's that allow a urologist to determine if your prostate gland is enlarged, an abnormal shape or has any unusual lumps. After the age of 50 it is suggested that men annually have routine Digital Rectal Examinations (DRE) in conjunction with a prostate specific antigen or PSA test. PSA tests are blood tests that monitor the level of the "prostate specific antigen." This antigen is released regularly into the blood stream, but increases if the prostate gland becomes cancerous.

Prostate Cancer Screening

Currently, digital rectal examination (DRE) and prostate specific antigen tests (PSA) are used for prostate cancer detection. The age at which time screening for prostate cancer should begin is not known with certainty. However, most experts agree that healthy men over the age of 50 should consider prostate cancer screening with a DRE and PSA test. Screening should occur earlier, at age 40, in those who are at a higher risk of prostate cancer such as African-American men or those with a family history of prostate cancer.

DRE: The DRE is performed with the man either bending over, lying on his side or with his knees drawn up to his chest on the examining table. The physician inserts a gloved finger into the rectum and examines the prostate gland, noting any abnormalities in size, contour or consistency. DRE is inexpensive, easy to perform and allows the physician to note other abnormalities such as blood in the stool or rectal masses, which may allow for the early detection of rectal or colon cancer. However, DRE is not the most effective way to detect an early cancer so it should be combined with a PSA test.

PSA Test: The PSA test is usually performed in addition to DRE and increases the likelihood of prostate cancer detection. The test measures the level of PSA, a substance produced only by the prostate, in the bloodstream.
This blood test can be performed in a clinical laboratory, hospital or physician's office and requires no special preparation on the part of the patient.

Very little PSA escapes from a healthy prostate into the bloodstream, but certain prostatic conditions can cause larger amounts of PSA to leak into the blood. One possible cause of a high PSA level is benign (non-cancerous) enlargement of the prostate, otherwise known as BPH. Prostate cancer is another possible cause of an elevated PSA level. The American Urological Association (AUA) encourages men to have annual PSA testing starting at age 50. The AUA also recommends annual PSA testing for men over the age of 40 who are African-American or have a family history of the disease (for example, a father or brother who was diagnosed with prostate cancer).

Prevention

Although modern medicine focuses on the cure for the disease once it has been diagnosed, all men have the responsibility to take all the steps necessary to not only maintain a good level of prostate health, but also to prevent problems by providing the body with nutrients it requires. Many studies confirm that certain nutrients are beneficial and helpful. We need to step up to a higher and better life naturally and safely.