Prostate Cancer Prevention
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[edit] Prostate Cancer Prevention
The observation that Chinese and Japanese men have 70-fold less prostate cancer than North American men has lead to a thorough review in an attempt to explain these differences. As mentioned in the beginning of this chapter there was a significant difference found in the content of the prostate enzyme 5-alpha-reductase in prostatic tissue.
It was much lower in the Chinese/Japanese population. The 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor finasteride (brand name: Proscar) has been used as a result of this type of research for many years, mainly for treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).
North American men who use finasteride on an ongoing basis to control the size of the prostate have been followed by the researchers and DHT blood values have fallen significantly and prostate cancer rates have also fallen significantly in this group of men. It often takes decades before the final verdict is in, but there certainly seems to be a possible role for finasteride in high risk populations.
The other important factor that came out of this type of research is the fact that there are significant differences between the North American diet (rich in fat, lots of refined carbohydrates, lacking in vegetables and fruit) and the Chinese/Japanese diet (low fat content, less refined carbohydrates, lots of vegetables and fruit ).
| The most important aspect for protecting against prostate cancer is to change your food intake to a low fat diet with lots of vegetables. This diet contains a host of anticarcinogenic substances, which prevent not only prostate cancer, but other cancers as well. |
| Home page | Cancer overview | Prostate cancer |
References:
The following references were used apart from my own clinical experience:
1. Cancer: Principles &Practice of Oncology, 4th edition, by V.T. De Vita,Jr., et. al J.B. Lippincott Co.,Philadelphia, 1993. Vol.1: Chapter on Prostate cancer.
2. The Merck Manual, 7th edition, by M. H. Beers et al., Whitehouse Station, N.J., 1999.Chapter 233, p.1918-1919.
3. Cancer: Principles&Practice of Oncology. 5th edition, volume 1. Edited by Vincent T.DeVita, Jr. et al. Lippincott-Raven Publ., Philadelphia,PA, 1997. Chapter on prostate cancer.
4. A Waghray et al. Cancer Res 2001 May 15;61(10):4283-4286.
5. BM Fisch et al. Urology 2001 May;57(5):955-959.
6. CC Parker et al. BJU Int 2001 May;87(7):629-637.
7. B Aschhoff Drugs Exp Clin Res 2000;26(5-6):249-252.
8. Conn's Current Therapy 2004, 56th ed., Copyright © 2004 Elsevier
9. Ferri: Ferri's Clinical Advisor: Instant Diagnosis and Treatment, 2004 ed., Copyright © 2004 Mosby, Inc
