An expensive, cutting-edge prostate cancer therapy promoted by the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center is being questioned for increasing the very problem it claims to reduce – side effects.

In a new study, records of select patients with prostate cancer show that those treated with  proton therapy had more bowel complications, such as bleeding, than those who underwent the conventional technique.

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The latest hot news about curcumin, the active ingredient in the curry spice turmeric, is that it may slow the growth of prostate cancer tumors. The results of the pre-clinical study suggest curcumin may be helpful in men with castration-resistant prostate cancer who were taking hormone therapy (androgen deprivation therapy [ADT).

A research team at Thomas Jefferson University’s Kimmel Cancer Center used prostate cancer cells and showed that curcumin suppressed two substances (p300 and CPB) known to work against hormone therapy. In addition, they investigated the use of curcumin in mice and noted prostate cancer tumor growth and mass were significantly reduced in mice dosed with the spice.

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Findings of an analysis conducted by researchers at the Duke Cancer Institute Results raise an interesting question—is heart disease a risk factor for prostate cancer? The possibility arose after evaluation of data from 6,390 men enrolled in a four-year trial that tested the impact of the drug dutasteride in reducing the risk of prostate cancer.

The Duke researchers found that having coronary artery disease increased the men’s risk of prostate cancer by 35%. The risk of developing prostate cancer among men with heart disease also increased over time, reaching 74% after four years into the study.

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Older men who experience severe sleep problems may be at greater risk of prostate cancer, according to a study presented at the Genitourinary Cancers Symposium in San Francisco. Since this was an observational study, the researchers did not explore whether treating sleep problems would help reduce the risk of prostate cancer.

In this new study, the risk of developing prostate cancer was increased by 70% when severe sleep problems were present compared with men who had no sleep disturbances. Some previous studies have indicated that disrupted sleep, which is typical of working the night shift, has an impact on the risk of prostate cancer the longer a man continues such a schedule.

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A novel injectable drug called radium-223 chloride (Alpharadin) improved survival by 30% in men with hormone therapy resistant prostate cancer in a recent clinical trial. Alpharadin also significantly reduced the men’s risk of bone fracture and spinal cord compression, as well as the need for external beam radiation.

These trial results were reported at a press briefing prior to their presentation at the Genitourinary Cancers Symposium in New Orleans and should be considered preliminary until they are published in a peer-reviewed journal. However, according to a statement by A. Oliver Sartor, MD, of Tulane University, “we believe this novel alpha-pharmaceutical…may provide a new standard of care for the treatment of patients with bone metastases in advanced prostate cancer.”

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Scientists at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) believe they have discovered why vigorous exercise lowers the risk of prostate cancer progression. While previous studies have indicated that vigorous exercise is associated with a lower risk of prostate cancer progression, they did not identify why this benefit occurred. Now, a research team has identified the molecular profile of 184 genes in the healthy prostate tissue of men with low-grade prostate cancer that are linked to vigorous exercise.

According to June Chan, ScD, the Steven and Christine Burd-Safeway Distinguished Professor at UCSF, understanding how vigorous exercise has an effect on these genes that leads to a reduced risk of prostate cancer progression may help uncover new ways to manage the disease.

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A warning to men considering a pricey new treatment for prostate cancer called proton therapy: Research suggests it might have more side effects than traditional radiation does.

A study of Medicare records found that men treated with proton beams later had one-third more bowel problems, such as bleeding and blockages, than similar men given conventional radiation.

This is an observational study so it is not definitive, but it is one of the largest to compare these treatments. Proton therapy is rapidly growing in use — Medicare covers it — even though no rigorous studies have tested whether it is as safe or effective as usual care.

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High levels of vitamin D in the bloodstream has been linked to a lower risk of colorectal cancer. Among the findings in the new study was the observation that vitamin D levels interacted with specific areas of the vitamin D receptor gene, with increased vitamin D levels linked to even greater reductions in the risk of colorectal cancer. Read more

It may be time to make walnuts a regular part of your diet if you want to help fight prostate cancer. A new study from researchers in California notes that feeding mice the equivalent of 3 ounces of walnuts per day resulted in a 50% reduction in the size of prostate cancer tumors and a 30% slowing in the growth of prostate tumors. Read more

Green tea, onions, and olive leaf extract: no, it’s not a recipe but it is a list of natural substances that can help fight heart disease by assisting with weight loss and obesity. A researcher from the University of Southern Queensland reported that green tea and other foods fed to rats experienced a decline in fat cells and lost weight. Read more