While this study was observational and does not show a direct cause between milk and prostate cancer, other studies have shown there may be a link.

Read more

See also

Colostrum Increases Risk of Prostate Cancer

Eggs may give you Prostate Cancer

Calcium Increases Prostate Cancer Risk in African American Men

Drinking Milk May Cause Prostate Cancer

Calcium supplements

101 Ways to Love Your Prostate

46 Things to Avoid for Prostate Health

Alpharadin is a first-in-class alpha pharmaceutical designed to stop the spread of cancer to bone (bone metastases), which it does by using alpha radiation (radium-223 chloride) to kill cancer cells. According to Chris Parker, MD, of the Royal Marsden Hospital in London, where the trial was conducted, Alpharadin “is the first drug targeted to bone metastases in prostate cancer to improve survival.”  He noted that although other bone drugs are used in men with prostate cancer, “they help to minimize symptoms; they don’t improve survival.”

Results of the Phase III trial with Alpharadin were announced at the European Multidisciplinary Cancer Congress, where attendees also learned that Alpharadin use was associated with fewer skeletal-related side effects and that the drug was well tolerated.

In August 2011, the Food and Drug Administration announced that it would fast-track Alpharadin because the drug had demonstrated such positive results on this Phase III trial. When a drug is fast-tracked, the approval process is usually accelerated by about six months.

Alpharadin uses high-energy, short-range alpha particles to attack bone metastases. Because the alpha particles have an extremely tiny range, the amount of damage to adjacent cells is limited.

The Phase III trial involved 922 men with advanced prostate cancer and all with bone metastases. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either Alpharadin or placebo. Alpharadin is administered via injection, one every four weeks for a total of six injections.

Median overall survival was 14.0 months in the men who received Alpharadin and 11.2 months in men who received placebo. The most common side effects were bone pain (43% of treated men vs 58% of placebo group), diarrhea (22% vs 13%), nausea (34% vs 32%), vomiting (17% vs 13%), and constipation (18% both groups).

Parker believes the results of their trial “may have paved the way for improvements in survival for very many cancer patients.” Time will tell.

Source: Parker C et al. Overall survival benefit of radium-223 chloride (Alpharadin) in the treatment of patients with symptomatic bone metastases in castration-resistant prostate cancer: A phase III randomized trial (ALSYMPCA). ECCO-ESMO 2011; abstract 1LBA

BPH affects more than 50% of men older than 50, and nearly all men (90%) by age 80, although not all men experience symptoms. When symptoms are present, they may be mild and not require treatment. 

The investigative team examined the association between BPH and the risk of prostate cancer in 5,068 men who participated in the placebo arm of the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial (1993-2003). Among this group, 1,225 men had prostate cancer detected during the seven-year trial while the remaining 3,843 men had a diagnosis of prostate cancer excluded after undergoing a biopsy.

Symptomatic BPH was identified either by self-report of surgical or medical treatment, based on an International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) greater than 14 (indicating moderately severe symptoms), or by a physician’s diagnosis. After taking these three factors into consideration, as well as controlling for age, race, and body mass index, the researchers did not find any association between symptomatic BPH and prostate cancer risk.

Source: Schenk JM et al. Association of symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer: results from the prostate cancer prevention trial. Am J Epidemiol 2011 Jun 15; 173(12): 1419-28

While a healthy diet is certainly important in the fight against many diseases, adding dietary supplements is not a sure-fire way to prevent problems from occurring.  Most recently, researchers from the University Health Network in Toronto, Canada found that three hopeful contenders in the fight against prostate cancer – vitamin E (as alpha-tocopherol), selenium, and soy – were not found to be effective, even after three years of taking them daily.

For the study, Dr. Neil Fleshner MD, FRCSC, MPH, the head of the urology department at UHN, and colleagues randomly assigned 303 men to take either a combination of the three nutrients or a placebo every day.  The experimental group received 40 grams of soy (equivalent to about 1/3 of a cup), 800 IU of vitamin E (as alpha-tocopherol) (35 times the recommended dietary levels), and 0.2 grams of selenium (4 times the RDA).

All of the men had a precancerous condition called high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (HGPIN) that placed them at a higher risk for developing prostate cancer.  After three years, twenty-six men out of every 100 developed prostate cancer regardless of whether they took the dietary supplement or the placebo control.

Selenium and vitamin E (principally, as alpha-tocopherol) are two nutrients that were also studied in the large SELECT prevention clinical trial funded by the National Cancer Institute.  Both are antioxidants which are thought to help control cell damage that can lead to cancer.  Over 35,000 men participated in the study however, the researchers found that selenium, either alone or combined with vitamin E (as alpha-tocopherol), did not prevent the development of prostate cancer. The researchers did observe a statistically nonsignificant increased risk of prostate cancer with vitamin E alone and newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes with selenium alone. (Lippman 2009) A post-SELECT Trial analysis, however, has suggested that further research is needed to determine whether selenium should still be considered in the fight against prostate cancer. (Ledesma 2010)

“I think in the absence of more compelling scientific data for vitamin E and selenium that we should move on” said Dr. Eric Klein.  Dr. Klein was not involved with the Canadian study, but is the chair of the Glickman Urological and Kidney Institute at the Cleveland Clinic and headed previous research into the nutrients’ potential affects against prostate cancer.

It should be noted that the studies that have evaluated the potential benefit of vitamin E supplements and health conditions use the form alpha-tocopherol, which is the most common form of the vitamin in both body tissues and dietary supplements.  Emerging research is taking into consideration another form of vitamin E, known as gamma-tocopherol which is the major form of vitamin E found in plant seeds and the diet.  According to a study published in 2001 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, gamma-tocopherol may well be more effective of an antioxidant than alpha-tocopherol and it has been shown that alpha alone, without gamma is not as effective as when higher concentrations of gamma exist in the right ratio.  Researchers are looking into the gamma form for benefits in preventing both prostate cancer and heart disease and the results to date are encouraging.

On the other hand, previous research has shown a beneficial association between soy and prostate cancer.  Genistein is an antioxidant and isoflavone found primarily in soybeans and has been shown in test tube and animal studies to interfere with the growth of prostate cancer cells and help prevent metastasis.  Observational studies note that men in countries such as China in Japan who regularly eat soy products such as tofu and miso have lower rates of prostate cancer incidence, although the type and quantity of soy consumed in those countries is much different than consumed in the West.

Dr. Fleshner notes that the study may not have shown positive benefits because taking the dietary supplements for just three years may not have been enough to prevent HGPIN from progressing to prostate cancer.

Resources:

1.  Original Reports – Urologic Oncology:Progression From High-Grade Prostatic Intraepithelial Neoplasia to Cancer: A Randomized Trial of Combination Vitamin-E, Soy, and Selenium

Neil E. Fleshner, Linda Kapusta, Bryan Donnelly, et al. JCO May 2, 2011:JCO.2010.32.0994; published online on May 2, 2011;

http://jco.ascopubs.org/content/early/2011/04/26/JCO.2010.32.0994

2.  Medical News Today, Prostate Cancer: More Soy In Diet May Protect Against Deadly Disease, accessed May 5, 2011 at http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/224373.php

3.  NCHS Data Brief, Number 61, April 2011

Dietary Supplement Use Among U.S. Adults Has Increased Since NHANES III (1988–1994), accessed May 5, 2011 athttp://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db61.htm

4.  gamma-tocopherol, the major form of vitamin E in the US diet, deserves more attention.  Jiang Q, Christen S, Shigenaga MK, Ames BN.  Source:  University of California, the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Berkeley, USA.  Am J Clin Nutr. 2001 Dec;74(6):714-22.  accessed May 7 at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11722951

5.  Dr. Neil Fleshner’s profile can be found at:

http://www.uhnresearch.ca/researchers/profile.php?lookup=1843

He was introduced to Dr. Eliaz who found that an old injury in Vietnam was the missing piece that needed to be addressed. Read more

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurologic disorder that leads to tremors and difficulty with walking, movement, and coordination.  It most often develops after age 50 and equally affects both men and women.  Parkinson’s occurs when the nerve cells in the brain that make dopamine are slowly destroyed, causing a disruption of messages between the cells.  There is no known cure for Parkinson’s disease; the goal of treatment is to control symptoms as long as possible.

Because neurodegenerative disorders may share some common disease-causing mechanisms with some cancers, Dr. Stefan M. Pulst MD, a professor and chair of the department of neurology at the University of Utah, used the Utah Population Database to explore the association.  The UPDB contains data on birth, death and family relationships for over 2.2 million individuals going back over 15 generations.  It is also linked with the Utah Cancer Registry.

The study team screened the database to identify nearly 3000 individuals with at least three generations of data who had Parkinson’s disease listed as the cause of death.  The researchers found that the risk of prostate cancer and melanoma within the population was significantly higher than expected.  They also observed that the risk for prostate cancer extended to first, second, and third degree relatives.

To validate the findings, the researchers also worked in reverse.  They identified individuals who were diagnosed with either melanoma or prostate cancer and found that they were also at a significantly increased risk for death with Parkinson’s disease.

Previous research into the connection between melanoma and Parkinson’s disease suggest a possible genetic link, as first-degree relatives tend to also be at higher risk.  However, the studies are noted to be limited in that the relatives often shared similar surroundings, raising the question about environmental risk factors as well.

Dr. Susan Bressman, chair of the department of neurology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (not involved with the University of Utah study) notes that the association between Parkinson’s and melanoma may have roots in the treatments given to PD patients.  L-DOPA has a role in melanin production and giving pro-dopaminergic drugs would increase the risk for skin cancer.

“Our findings point to the existence of underlying pathophysiologic changes that are common to PD, prostate cancer, and melanoma,” says Lisa Cannon-Albright PhD, co-author of the study and a professor of internal medicine. “Exploring the precise genetic links among these diseases could improve our understanding of PD and influence strategies for prostate and skin cancer screening.”

These findings of this study will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) 2011 Annual Meeting in Honolulu, HI from April 7 through April 16.

Resources:

University of Utah Health Care

PubMed Health, National Institutes of Health

PD Online Research (Michael J. Fox Foundation)

Results of a four-year study show that men who took dutasteride (Avodart), a drug commonly prescribed for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), were less likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer. However, men taking dutasteride who did develop prostate cancer were more likely to have more deadly tumors—those with a high Gleason score—than men who took a placebo. The study appears in The New England Journal of Medicine (April 2010).

All of the 6,729 men enrolled in the study were at high risk for prostate cancer but believed to be disease-free when the study began. Prostate biopsies were done at two and four years. Although 25 percent of men who took placebo developed prostate cancer compared with 20 percent of those who took Avodart, investigators are unsure whether dutasteride helped prevent the development of cancer or whether it suppressed PSA levels. Men who are taking Avodart and who undergo PSA screening should inform their healthcare provider they are taking the drug and about the results of this study.

See also:

GSK withdraws from seeking approval for dusateride (Avodart) for prostate cancer treatment

Source: Andriole GL et al. Effect of dutasteride on the risk of prostate cancer. N Engl J Med 2010 Apr 1; 362(13): 1192-202

Dark colas, such as Coke and Pepsi, use a coloring that is manufactured through a chemical reaction between sugars, ammonia, and sulfates.  According to CSPI Executive Director Michael Jacobson, these reactions produce two carcinogens:  2-methylimidazole (2-MEI) and 4-methylimidazole (4-MEI).  Studies by the National Toxicology Program have identified these two chemicals as causing cancer in animals – specifically of the lung, liver, thyroid, and blood (leukemia).

California has added 4-MEI to its list of carcinogens and is pursuing legislation that would require a product that elevated levels of the chemical to carry a warning on the label.  Levels higher than 16 micrograms per person per day would require a warning.  Jacobson says some sodas have levels eight times higher than that.  A 12-ounce can of cola contains up to 130 micrograms, according to CSPI.

Clear sodas such as Sprite do not contain the caramel coloring.

Jacobson has petitioned the FDA to ban the artificial colorings, which have no nutritional or preservative value, and move toward natural colorings such as from beets or carrots.

Of course, to every story, there is two sides.  The American Beverage Association contends that there is no evidence yet that shows that 4-MEI causes cancer in humans.  Take the case of saccharin, which carried a warning level for years because it caused bladder cancer in rats.  However, it was later discovered that rats respond to saccharin differently than humans, and over time, an increased risk of cancer was not found to occur in humans.

Medpage Today, a news service for physicians developed in part by the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, notes that while there was “clear evidence” that 4-MEI caused cancer in mice, the studies in rats were less clear.  They also note that the significant increases in leukemia were found in females and not males.

Even if future studies find no risk in humans, excessive intake of soda is still concerning for other health reasons.  First, regular soft drinks can contribute a significant amount of calories to the diet.  Obesity is rampant now in our country, with over two-thirds of Americans over their ideal body weight.  Excess body weight increases the risk for heart disease (the number one killer of American adults), diabetes, respiratory problems such as sleep apnea, and some types of cancer including those of the colon and pancreas.

But diet soda may be no better.  Another recent study highlighted this month found that diet sodas may potentially increase the risk of strokes by as much as 60%.  In background information for this study, conducted at the University of Miami, notes that those who drink more than one type of soft drink per day, regular or diet, are at a greater risk of metabolic syndrome (a cluster of cardiovascular risk factors) and that this may be contributing to the increase in stroke risk.

The bottom line for health – decrease the amount of soft drinks you consume – regular or diet, brown or clear – and increase your intake of water.  After all, as Dr. Jennifer Ashton says to CBS News, “our bodies are about 60% water, not 60% soda.”

What is a Vasectomy?

A vasectomy is an outpatient procedure in which the vas deferens (a narrow tube that connects the testicles to the urethra) in each testicle is cut, clamped, or sealed to prevent sperm from combining with semen that is ejaculated from the penis. Vasectomy is generally considered to be a permanent and nearly foolproof method (99.85% effective) of birth control. Although surgery to reconnect the vas deferens can be performed, the operation is difficult and not always successful.

After vasectomy, the testicles still produce sperm, but rather than leave the body through ejaculation, they are reabsorbed by the body. This is a natural process; sperm that has not been ejaculated after a while is reabsorbed in all men, even those who have not had a vasectomy.

How a Vasectomy is Done

A vasectomy can be performed in a doctor’s office, clinic, or outpatient department in a hospital. The entire process takes about 20 to 30 minutes. First, the testicles and scrotum are cleaned with an antiseptic and may be shaved. An oral or intravenous medication may be administered to reduce anxiety. The physician then locates the vas deferens by touch and injects a local anesthetic into the area. One or two small incisions are made in the scrotum, and the two vas deferens tubes are cut.  Both ends of the vas deferens are tied, stitched, or sealed with electrocautery. Scar tissue that develops from the surgery helps block the tubes. The physician then places the vas deferens back into the scrotum and closes the incisions with dissolvable stitches.

Two other vasectomy procedures are available. One uses a small clamp with pointed ends rather than a scalpel. The clamp is poked through the skin of the scrotum and then opened. This no-scalpel vasectomy is just as effective as a traditional procedure, involves less bleeding, and makes a smaller hole in the skin.

In a Vasclip implant vasectomy, the vas deferens is closed with a clip about the size of a grain of rice, rather than being cut, sutured, or sealed by burning (cauterization). Although this approach can reduce pain and complications, some experts suggest clipping is not as effective as other methods. (Labrecque 2002)

Side Effects and Complications of Vasectomy

After a vasectomy, the scrotum will be numb for 1 to 2 hours, and swelling and minor pain can be expected for several days. Men should avoid heavy lifting and sexual intercourse for at least seven days. Because it takes several months after a vasectomy for a man’s sperm count to reach zero, another form of birth control should be used until a follow-up sperm count test shows a zero count. This test is typically done two months after a vasectomy. Men who have 10 to 20 ejaculations over a shorter time period may reach a zero count sooner.

Serious complications after a vasectomy are rare. Possible complications include the following:

• Sperm granuloma. A sperm granuloma is a mass that develops over time as the man’s immune system reactions to any sperm that may leak from the severed end of the vas. About 15 to 40 percent of men experience this complication, which is not dangerous and can be easily treated with ibuprofen. In rare cases the granuloma causes significant discomfort and must be surgically removed.
• Bleeding. Less than 5 percent of men experience excessive bleeding. This risk can be reduced if men do not use aspirin or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for at least one week before surgery and by following their doctor’s postsurgical instructions regarding activity.
• Fullness. A full sensation occurs in up to 6 percent of men after a vasectomy. The feeling can be uncomfortable, but it usually resolves after a few weeks and does not require treatment. The feeling of fullness is caused by stretching of the testicle surface from stored sperm cells. In rare cases the fullness develops into chronic pain that may require a vasectomy reversal or other surgery.
• Infection. Up to 4 percent of men experience an infection around the incision after a vasectomy. Infections are easily treated with a short course of oral antibiotics.

In very rare cases, the vas deferens reconnects (recanalization) and the man becomes fertile again.

Side effects and complications not associated with vasectomy include interference with libido, erectile function, sensation of orgasm, or the ability to ejaculate.

Vasectomy and Prostate Cancer

Investigations into evidence of a relationship between vasectomy and prostate cancer have been underway for about two decades. In 1993, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development held a conference for this purpose. After scientists carefully reviewed all the data available at that time, they determined the research results were not consistent, and that there was no convincing biological explanation for a link between an increased risk of prostate cancer and vasectomy.

A subsequent National Cancer Institute group convened in 1997 concluded that any evidence linking vasectomy and prostate cancer was weak. In that same year, investigators at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center conducted a cross-sectional study of the records of more than 95,000 men who had participated in a study of prostate cancer screening. Their goal was to determine if undergoing a vasectomy and time since having the vasectomy were associated with a higher risk of prostate cancer. Twenty-eight percent of the men had had a vasectomy, and 2,530 prostate biopsies had been performed. After extensive analyses, the researchers concluded that vasectomy and a prolonged time since having the procedure was not associated with a higher risk of prostate cancer. (DeAntoni 1997)

Not all studies agree with these conclusions.  A Johns Hopkins study reported in 2005 followed men who were enrolled in the CLUE II cohort study in 1989. Between 1996 and 2004, a total of 78 cases of prostate cancer were confirmed among the 3,373 men who were at least 35 years old when they entered the study. The results of the study suggest a positive relationship between vasectomy and prostate cancer, especially low-grade disease. The association for vasectomy was more pronounced in men who were 40 years old at the time they had their vasectomy than it was in those who were younger. (Rohrmann 2005)

A recent meta-analysis conducted in 2009 attempted to answer the question about whether vasectomy has a role in prostate cancer. A team of researchers evaluated 27 studies (7 cohort and 20 case-control studies) that included a total of 20,088 cases and 232,506 controls. They concluded there was no positive association between having a vasectomy and developing prostate cancer. (Tang 2009)

Overall, the evidence thus far suggests that vasectomy is not a high risk factor for prostate cancer. Men who are considering a vasectomy or who have already had a vasectomy should however discuss any concerns with a knowledgeable healthcare provider. The American Urological Association also recommends that, as a precaution, men older than 40 who had a vasectomy more than 20 years previously should be checked for prostate cancer on a yearly basis.

References

National Cancer Institute: http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/vasectomy

DeAntoni EP et al. A cross-sectional study of vasectomy, time since vasectomy and prostate cancer. Prostate Cancer Prostatic Dis 1977 Dec; 1(2): 73-78

Labrecque M et al. (2002). Effectiveness and complications associated with 2 vasectomy occlusion techniques.  J Urol 2002; 168(6): 2495-98.

Rohrmann S et al. Association of vasectomy and prostate cancer among men in a Maryland cohort. Cancer Causes Control 2005 Dec; 16(10): 1189-94

Tang LF et al. Vasectomy not associated with prostate cancer: a meta-analysis. Zhonghua Nan Ke Xue 2009 Jun;15(6): 545-50