You want to know what you can do to decrease your risk of getting it, or if you already have it, why.The answer is multiple: location in the world, ethnic background, breast cancer in close relatives, BBQ'd meat, age, and, believe it or not, NOT having diabetes. In this article we'll take a look at each of these causes and how they relate to prostate cancer.
The job of the prostate gland is to produce fluid which forms part of semen and helps to nourish sperm. The prostate gland sits in front of the back passage or "rectum" which is why if a doctor wants to examine the prostate gland they feel it by putting a finger into your back passage. This is also called a "digital rectal examination" or DRE for short. From feeling the prostate gland the doctor can tell how enlarged the gland is and whether it feels normal or cancerous, this can then provide a picture of prostate cancer if it exists.
If you are below they age of 50, you are extremely unlikely to have it. Simple as that, and the information leads to the best preventative: regular screening after age 50. In addition to age, there is a genetic risk as well.
If you have more than one close women relative who has had breast cancer or a father or brother who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer, your chances increase even more. This is an indication that a faulty gene is the culprit and is being passed through your family. And what your family's ethnicity is can also be a risk.
The cause of prostate cancer is not known. What is known is the characteristics of those men who tend to develop prostate problems. These are known as "risk factors" i.e. men with these characteristics are at greater risk of developing the cancer. However it is important to realise that ALL men are at risk of prostate cancer and even young men who have no history of cancer in their family can develop prostate cancer.
Age
Well how about BBQ'd meat? A few recent studies have shown that cooking meat over an open flame may be a cause of cancer (Cancer Causes Control 2000; 11:731-739). However, other studies have not shown a correlation (J Natl Cancer Inst, 1999; 91:2038-2044). Still others suggest that the charring of the meat is what's bad, and that one should aim to flip their grilled meat several times to prevent blackening, or scrape off any charring before eating.
Besides hormonal drugs, hormone manipulation may also be done by surgically removing the testes. Hormone manipulation is mainly used as a treatment to relieve symptoms in men whose cancer has metastasized (spread). Prostate cancer that has spread (metastasized) may be treated conventionally with drugs to reduce testosterone levels, surgery to remove the testes, chemotherapy or nothing at all.
How about location in the world?
If you live in North America or Western Europe, you are at slightly more risk than anywhere else. This may be a dietary difference or hereditary, but the picture is not yet complete. It may even simply be a result of more often and more aggressive testing procedures in the "developed" world. There is a large ongoing study in Europe called EPIC (European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition) to try to determine the correlation between European diet and prostate cancer, but results won't be in for another ten years.
Eat a lot of fruits and veggies every day, not just a token banana or apple. For natural treatment for the prostate make an appointment with a naturopathic doctor, called a naturopath; ask around for referrals. Eat foods that contain the essential fatty acids.
If possible eliminate all hormone-containing foods like meat and dairy from your diet. Studies done on antioxidant vitamins question their value when not contained in food; it's clearly better to consume these antioxidants in living foods because they may also need to work with other nutrients present in the foods to work properly. Put two tablespoons of unbleached, unrefined and undeodorized coconut oil in your smoothies; coconut oil is plant-based, not animal-based and is actually good for us.
Diet may have an influence on the development of prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is more common in men who have a "western" diet high in saturated fats. Saturated fats are found in red meats such as beef, lamb etc and in some dairy produce e.g. butter and things made with butter e.g. cakes, biscuits etc., and also in highly processed foods e.g. ready meals. It seems that men who have a diet high in saturated fat are at increased risk of developing prostate cancer. It is also widely believed that a diet high in fruit and vegetables helps to prevent many cancers. This may be through the action of cancer protective chemicals found in many fruit and vegetables known as "anti-oxidants". This is one of the reasons it is recommended that we include five portions of fruit and vegetables in our diet every single day.
So where does all this mess leave us?
Age. That's it. Age is the only reliable cause of prostate cancer. All the others are only potential risk factors that are still too early in their stages of study to know exactly what do about them or what they mean. When you get old your skin wrinkles, you get arthritis, and you get prostate cancer. It's simply a fact of life.
The job of the prostate gland is to produce fluid which forms part of semen and helps to nourish sperm. The prostate gland sits in front of the back passage or "rectum" which is why if a doctor wants to examine the prostate gland they feel it by putting a finger into your back passage. This is also called a "digital rectal examination" or DRE for short. From feeling the prostate gland the doctor can tell how enlarged the gland is and whether it feels normal or cancerous, this can then provide a picture of prostate cancer if it exists.
If you are below they age of 50, you are extremely unlikely to have it. Simple as that, and the information leads to the best preventative: regular screening after age 50. In addition to age, there is a genetic risk as well.
If you have more than one close women relative who has had breast cancer or a father or brother who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer, your chances increase even more. This is an indication that a faulty gene is the culprit and is being passed through your family. And what your family's ethnicity is can also be a risk.
The cause of prostate cancer is not known. What is known is the characteristics of those men who tend to develop prostate problems. These are known as "risk factors" i.e. men with these characteristics are at greater risk of developing the cancer. However it is important to realise that ALL men are at risk of prostate cancer and even young men who have no history of cancer in their family can develop prostate cancer.
Age
Well how about BBQ'd meat? A few recent studies have shown that cooking meat over an open flame may be a cause of cancer (Cancer Causes Control 2000; 11:731-739). However, other studies have not shown a correlation (J Natl Cancer Inst, 1999; 91:2038-2044). Still others suggest that the charring of the meat is what's bad, and that one should aim to flip their grilled meat several times to prevent blackening, or scrape off any charring before eating.
Besides hormonal drugs, hormone manipulation may also be done by surgically removing the testes. Hormone manipulation is mainly used as a treatment to relieve symptoms in men whose cancer has metastasized (spread). Prostate cancer that has spread (metastasized) may be treated conventionally with drugs to reduce testosterone levels, surgery to remove the testes, chemotherapy or nothing at all.
How about location in the world?
If you live in North America or Western Europe, you are at slightly more risk than anywhere else. This may be a dietary difference or hereditary, but the picture is not yet complete. It may even simply be a result of more often and more aggressive testing procedures in the "developed" world. There is a large ongoing study in Europe called EPIC (European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition) to try to determine the correlation between European diet and prostate cancer, but results won't be in for another ten years.
Eat a lot of fruits and veggies every day, not just a token banana or apple. For natural treatment for the prostate make an appointment with a naturopathic doctor, called a naturopath; ask around for referrals. Eat foods that contain the essential fatty acids.
If possible eliminate all hormone-containing foods like meat and dairy from your diet. Studies done on antioxidant vitamins question their value when not contained in food; it's clearly better to consume these antioxidants in living foods because they may also need to work with other nutrients present in the foods to work properly. Put two tablespoons of unbleached, unrefined and undeodorized coconut oil in your smoothies; coconut oil is plant-based, not animal-based and is actually good for us.
Diet may have an influence on the development of prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is more common in men who have a "western" diet high in saturated fats. Saturated fats are found in red meats such as beef, lamb etc and in some dairy produce e.g. butter and things made with butter e.g. cakes, biscuits etc., and also in highly processed foods e.g. ready meals. It seems that men who have a diet high in saturated fat are at increased risk of developing prostate cancer. It is also widely believed that a diet high in fruit and vegetables helps to prevent many cancers. This may be through the action of cancer protective chemicals found in many fruit and vegetables known as "anti-oxidants". This is one of the reasons it is recommended that we include five portions of fruit and vegetables in our diet every single day.
So where does all this mess leave us?
Age. That's it. Age is the only reliable cause of prostate cancer. All the others are only potential risk factors that are still too early in their stages of study to know exactly what do about them or what they mean. When you get old your skin wrinkles, you get arthritis, and you get prostate cancer. It's simply a fact of life.
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Rest assured that you can prevent prostate cancer with this simple way if you apply it.
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