Apr
01
2008

High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) Treatment For Prostate Cancer

By | Cancer

High-intensity focused ultrasound, also known as HIFU is a treatment that prostate cancer patients are seeking out. The treatment technique is minimally invasive, has low risks of impotence and urinary incontinence and can be done on an outpatient basis. It is a two to three hour procedure which can be done with some mild sedation and spinal anaesthesia, and generally men can resume their normal lives immediately after surgery with the knowledge of being cancer-free. Dr.Ian Brown, the medical president of the Niagara HIFU clinic in Niagara Falls, Ontario likens the technique to the effect of a magnifying glass that focuses sunrays on a leaf and burns it. Except there is no sunlight, but a pulse of high-energy ultrasonic waves focused onto a specific area of the prostate. Temperatures reach approximately 90 °C (= 194 °F), until the cancer cells are dead. The transducer is equipped with ultrasonic imaging, so the treating physician can see the entire prostate gland on a monitor, and as a result surrounding nerve structures that are responsible for erectile function are not damaged. There is some inconvenience for the patient after the surgery. He has to wear a catheter for two to three weeks until he can urinate on his own. Like any prostate cancer treatment, HIFU also has potential side effects like retrograde ejaculation or urethral fistula.

High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) Treatment For Prostate Cancer

High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) Treatment For Prostate Cancer

Reports state that these side effects are minimalized with HIFU, but they are not eliminated. This treatment is not suitable for every patient. Patients with early stage prostate cancers are suitable candidates. HIFU is not available in the US at present, but has been approved by Health Canada in 2004 based on European data. It is not covered by health insurance, and at $20,000 this new costly option is not affordable for everybody.

More information about prostate cancer: http://nethealthbook.com/cancer-overview/prostate-cancer/

Reference: National Review of Medicine, March 2008, page 35, 39

Comment: Here is an update regarding FDA approval in the US. According to the FDA panel there is not enough solid data to confirm effectiveness or safety, so it was not approved in 2014.

Last edited November 3, 2014

Feb
01
2007

Lycopene Benefits Backed By Science

By | Cancer, Diabetes, Health, Heart Disease, Nutrition, Osteoporosis

Lately a lot of attention has been directed to the health benefits of vegetables and fruit. Vitamin C has long been an accepted household term, and nobody questions the benefits. Newer buzz words are the terms “bioflavonoids” and “antioxidants”. Some products are aggressively marketed extolling the above named beneficial substances, but often the consumer is left mildly bewildered by exaggerated claims. Often the sale prices of these miracle foods are as lofty as the bold statements that go along with them.
For any shopper it is important to know that some of the most beneficial foods are not high priced items, but very common staples. Take tomatoes, for instance. They are a significant source for the substance lycopene, which lately has received a lot of attention. Lycopene and its dietary sources as well as its benefits have been researched world wide, and the results are now in. It is responsible for the red color in fruit or vegetables, such as tomatoes, and its isomeric form 5-cis-lycopene is the most stable form having the highest antioxidant properties. Common dietary sources are tomatoes, watermelons, pink guava, pink grapefruit, papaya, apricot and other fruit. In the Western diet tomato-based foods account for about 85% of dietary sources of Lycopene. Studies have shown that lycopene is more efficiently absorbed from processed tomato products compared to raw tomatoes. Once it is absorbed it is distributed throughout the body. The highest levels showed up in the testes, the adrenal glands, prostate, breast and liver.
Research going back to 1995 showed an inverse relationship between the consumption of tomatoes and the risk of prostate cancer. A follow up publication in 1999 showed that the same inverse relation of lycopene intake and cancer also included breast, cervical, ovarian, liver and other organ sites. Further studies have followed these initial publications, and the great majority of them suggest that an increased intake of lycopene showed an association with a significant reduction in the risk of many cancers.
Coronary heart disease and lycopene benefits were also examined. The strongest population based evidence comes from a multi center case control study in Europe (EURAMIC). 662 Cases and 717 controls were recruited from 10 different European countries, and there was a significant relationship between levels of lycopene in fatty tissue and the risk of myocardial infarction. Lower lycopene levels were associated with a higher risk of heart attacks.Lycopene was also shown to decrease levels of oxidized LDL (LDL or low density lipoprotein is known as the “bad” cholesterol). Another small study showed that lycopene was reducing total cholesterol levels and as a result was lowering the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD).
The list of benefits does not end here: the dietary oxidant reduces oxidative stress and levels of bone turnover markers, meaning that it may contribute to the bone health, especially reducing the risk of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women.

Lycopene Benefits Backed By Science

Lycopene Benefits Backed By Science

For people with mild hypertension (high blood pressure), consumption of lycopene resulted in significant reductions of systolic and diastolic blood pressures.
Infertility in males was significantly helped by lycopene intake. In a study infertile man received 8 mg lycopene per day in capsule form. Laboratory tests confirmed an increased sperm density along with functional sperm concentration and mobility. This treatment protocol with lycopene supplementation resulted in a success rate of 36% pregnancies in their partners.
Pregnant women with pre-eclampsia who were treated with lycopene supplement significantly improved, which was shown by decreased diastolic blood pressure, the reduction of pre-eclampsia and a decrease of intrauterine growth retardation, resulting in a healthier mother and baby.
Future research is pending surrounding lycopene in metabolic and inflammatory diseases and in its role of possibly preventing neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. Other inflammatory conditions such as arthritis and emphysema will likely also be shown to benefit from lycopene. Preliminary data has already indicated this.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of USA has recently approved lycopene as a safe “natural coloring agent” and a Generally Recognized as a Safe (GRAS) component. The Department of Nutritional Sciences , Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, c/o Dr. A.V. Rao et al. who completed this meta analysis of the recent literature have recommended that we all consume a regular daily lycopene dose in our food and supplements as part of our diet for good health.

More info about lycopene and prostate cancer: http://nethealthbook.com/news/lycopene-reduces-prostate-cancer-risk/

Reference: The Whitehall-Robins Report, December 2006, Volume 15, No.4

Last edited November 2, 2014

Sep
01
2006

Prostate Cancer Recurrence Linked To Obesity

By | Cancer, Obesity

Prostate cancer affects a significant percentage of male patients in the higher age groups. Early diagnosis and treatment has shown good success rates. Early surgery in the form of a radical prostatectomy has given patients virtually a new lease on life. Radiotherapy as an alternative form of treatment has been an option for those who could not undergo surgery. Once the treatment is completed there is reason for optimism, if the tumor could be removed in total.

Dr. Sara Strom, PhD and research colleagues from the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas analyzed findings of 873 patients over the course of 14 years with localized prostate cancer who had received external beam radiotherapy as their sole treatment. The objective was to determine, whether all patients were doing well, or whether some could be more at risk. It turned out that those with normal body weight fared best. 27% of them experienced a recurrence of the disease. Those who were overweight had recurrence rates that jumped to 55%. Those who were obese were most severely affected with recurrence rates of 99%. The researchers believe that there is a difference of tumor behavior between patients with normal body weight and those who are overweight or obese.

Prostate Cancer Recurrence Linked To Obesity

Prostate Cancer Recurrence Linked To Obesity

Future studies will be needed to evaluate the relationship of obesity with dietary factors, genetic modifiers of steroid androgen metabolism, insulin and insulin like growth factors. This will clarify the underlying mechanism of action in the development of prostate cancer.

More information about prostate cancer: http://nethealthbook.com/cancer-overview/prostate-cancer/

Reference: The Medical Post, August 22, 2006, page 41

Last edited November 1, 2014

Sep
01
2005

Environmental Toxins Harmful For Generations To Come

By | Cancer, Health, Men's Health, Women’s Diseases

It is a known fact that exposure to toxic substances during pregnancy can cause birth defects.
Investigators at the Center For Reproductive Biology of the University of Washington in Seattle examined the consequences of environmental toxins, which are also known as endocrine disruptors in their research. Dr. Michael K. Skinner led the study. The research team worked with rats, and they noticed that it was not only the first generation that was affected, but the effect persisted for as many as four generations later The substance they used in the experiment was either vinclozolin, an antiandrogenic compound commonly used as a pesticide in vineyards or methoxychlor, an estrogenic DDT replacement. Both pesticides are endocrine disruptors, as they interfere with the normal functioning of reproductive hormones. It was no surprise that ninety percent of male offspring that had been born to the exposed females had low sperm counts and reduced fertility.
The unexpected result showed up in the next generation. If these offspring were mated to unexposed females, they still had low sperm counts and reduced fertility. The effect persisted-completely unexpectedly- through all generations tested without further pesticide exposure. The researchers concluded that the toxins affected inheritance by altering patterns of DNA in the germ line. Genetic changes that are passed on for generations to come might play a role in more frequently occurring diseases such as breast cancer and prostate disease, as they may not be caused by genetic mutations.

Environmental Toxins Harmful For Generations To Come

Environmental Toxins Harmful For Generations To Come

This is also the first report that shows the menacing ability of an environmental factor to reprogram the germ line and promote a transgenerational disease pattern.

More information on environmental toxins: https://www.askdrray.com/protecting-yourself-from-environmental-toxins/

Reference: Parkhurst Exchange Volume 13,Number 6, August 2005, page 33

Last edited October 29, 2014

Jan
01
2005

PSA Screening For Prostate Cancer Not Obsolete

By | Cancer, Men's Health, Prevention

Like with any test there are false positive results, and the blood test called PSA (short for Prostate Specific Antigen) has received some criticism as a result. Negative comments likening it to “Shooting flies with a bazooka” have been voiced, and yet, statistics on the mortality due to prostate cancer tell a different story.

In recent years the mortality rate in North America is down by 25%, and part of it is due to PSA. Currently there is no more effective testing in place, so the alternative is not attractive. It is like going back to the bad old times, where men where diagnosed only, once the prostate cancer was advanced, had formed metastases, and hopes for a cure were remote. There are promising new tests under development which at one point in time will replace the PSA, but for now it’s still the best test available. The only other way to find prostate cancer is by doing a biopsy.

PSA Screening For Prostate Cancer Not Obsolete

PSA Screening For Prostate Cancer Not Obsolete

More info on prostate cancer prevention: http://nethealthbook.com/cancer-overview/prostate-cancer/prostate-cancer-prevention/

Reference: National Review Of Medicine, December 15, 2004, page 22

Last edited October 27, 2014

Apr
01
2004

Lycopene Of Tomatoes Fights Cancer Cells

By | Cancer, Nutrition

Dr. John Erdman Jr. from the University of Illinois has done epidemiological studies that suggest that the red color of tomatoes, which is provided by lycopenes, is only effective against prostate cancer, if the whole tomato is consumed.

The professor of food science and human nutrition found that other phytochemicals in the tomato act in concert with lycopene to protect against cancer. To prove this more conclusively, he designed an experiment involving 194 rats with prostate cancer into three groups.

Group 1 was the control group without any detectable lycopene in their diet. Group 2 was fed the control diet with purified lycopene. Group 3 was fed the control diet with ground-up tomato paste (with seeds and skins). Group 3 was the only group where the risk of dying from prostate cancer was reduced by 30%. Group 2 rats had the same high death rates as the control group. These results were recently published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Dr. Erdman concluded that taking lycopene is not as effective as eating the whole tomato to prevent cancer of the prostate. He also suggested to use whole tomato products in tomato juice, in salads, pasta and pizzas.

Lycopene Of Tomatoes Fights Cancer Cells

Lycopene Of Tomatoes Fights Cancer Cells

Based on an article in the Medical Post, Vol 40, No.8, Feb.24, 2004 (page 33).

Link to prostate cancer chapter of the Net Health Book.

Last edited December 8, 2012

Dec
01
2003

New Tumor Marker For Prostate Cancer Detected

By | Cancer, Prevention

According to an upcoming article in the December 15th issue of Cancer (Cancer 2003;98) a research group from the Harvard Medical School, Boston, under Dr. Brian Liu describes a micro-dissection method where prostatic tissue from 17 suspected cancer patients were examined with a spectroscopic method for a new protein marker, the cellular protein PCa-24). This was found to be positive in 16 of the 17 samples. In contrast, 12 patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (also known as BPH or “benign prostatic hypertrophy”) showed no trace of this prostate cancer specific protein. As this protein is located inside the prostate cancer cell (it is a cellular protein), one has to obtain a tissue sample through a prostate biopsy. The group under Dr. Liu achieved this through laser capture micro-dissection  Proteomics, which is the method that was used to characterize the prostate cancer specific protein (PCa-24), is briefly discussed under this link, but it is not necessary to understand all of the ramifications of these methods. What is important regarding the work by the group under Dr. Liu is to note that there is now a very reliable method available to distinguish between the harmless BPH condition and the deadly prostate cancer condition, which requires invasive therapy such as a radical prostatectomy. Both of these conditions can produce high prostate specific antigen (PSA) that can be detected in the blood. Dr. Liu’s group plans to develop antibodies to the PCa-24 protein so that eventually there will be a more specific blood test available that could be used in patients with high PSA levels to distinguish between benign and cancerous prostate conditions. In the future the physician might use the cheaper PSA screening test to screen for prostate abnormalities and use the more expensive antibody test against the PCa-24 protein that is being developed to determine whether or not prostate cancer might be the underlying cause.

New Tumor Marker For Prostate Cancer Detected

New Tumor Marker For Prostate Cancer Detected

Dr. Liu also wants to develop a high resolution body scan where in the case of metastatic prostate cancer the cancer cells would be located exactly where they are with a new imaging technique. These would have a high probability of being specific for prostate cancer, as the antibodies would be highly specific against the prostate cancer protein. Here is a link to the Net Health Book’s chapter on prostate cancer.

Last edited December 9, 2012