LifeCare Chiropractic

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prostate cancer

Herbal Mixture Can Reduce PSA Levels in Men With Prostate Cancer – (10-16-00)

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Herbal Mixture Can Reduce PSA Levels in Men With Prostate Cancer

Herbs and vitamins can be a very, very strong adjunct in conventional cancer care. We need to look at other methods of influencing current cancer treatment. Despite the belief that technology is at high levels, cancer always has been, still is and will continue to be a major killer if we do not start viewing treatment in an integrated fashion.

(article) The results of recent animal studies suggest that PC-SPES, the herbal preparation known to reduce prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels in men with prostate cancer, may have tumor-preventing properties as well. The studies were described at the annual meeting of the American Institute for Cancer research. They are some of the first in vivo experiments involving PC-SPEC, which since 1996 has been widely touted as a possible herbal therapy for prostate cancer. But evidence suggests that the preparation may prevent tumor development in an “all-or-nothing” fashion, only in some animals, said Dr. Jan Geliebter, a researcher at the New York Medical College in Valhalla, New York.

Watermelon Increases Concentrations of Lycopene, beta-Carotene – (04-23-03)

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Watermelon Increases Concentrations of Lycopene, beta-Carotene

What more could we ask for? Personally I could eat watermelon 24 hours a day. Recall that lycopene has strong evidence supporting its use for prevention and treatment of prostate cancer and is also present in tomato and grapefruit.

nutrition.org — Abstracts: Edwards et al. 133 (4): 1043

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Lack of significant genotoxicity of purified soy isoflavones – (03-31-03)

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Lack of significant genotoxicity of purified soy isoflavones (genistein, daidzein, and glycitein) in 20 patients with prostate cancer.

This article is interesting given the fact that men with history of prostate cancer and women with history of breast cancer are told to avoid soy products. However, the evidence seems to support the fact that soy compounds are not only non-harmful, but possibly show a benefit.

AJCN — Abstracts: Miltyk et al. 77 (4): 875

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Leptin Is Associated with Increased Prostate Cancer Risk – (05-21-01)

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Leptin Is Associated with Increased Prostate Cancer Risk

Try this out for size: this study suggests that leptin levels influence prostate cancer risk. Many studies have shown that insulin resistance can lead to leptin resistance and subsequent elevated leptin levels. It may be a stretch right now, but might eating refined carbs lead to increased risk of prostate cancer via this mechanism? I think it is entirely possible. Not that we needed yet ANOTHER reason to avoid refined carbs.

JCEM — Abstracts: Stattin et al. 86 (3): 1341

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Transdermal Dihydrotestosterone in Older Men with Androgen Deficiency – (09-10-01)

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Transdermal Dihydrotestosterone in Older Men with Androgen Deficiency

We get into a topic that always gets me a little concerned. I am usually against adding hormones to a patient’s body, especially when alternatives are available. This study uses DHT to affect these patient’s “youthful” status. A few things to consider here… DHT has been implicated in prostate cancer risk and this study only checks values at 3 months–hardly an adequate time frame in my opinion. Balancing the body is the key here; especially making sure that the adrenal glands are functioning optimally so they can provide adequate levels of testosterone. Next, how do we know, in our laughingly poor overall understanding of biochemistry, that lowered hormone levels in old age is bad?? There is much evidence that suggests that this is indeed a protective mechanism done deliberately by the body to protect from diseases such as cancer. Personally, in a bet of nature vs science being right, I’d put my money on nature…

JCEM — Abstracts: Ly et al. 86 (9): 4078

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High Intake of Dairy Foods May Increase Risk of Prostate Cancer – (04-24-00)

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High Intake of Dairy Foods May Increase Risk of Prostate Cancer

These findings support the hypothesis that calcium may lower levels of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, which is thought to protect against prostate cancer, Dr. June M. Chan, of the Harvard School of Public Health, in Boston, Massachusetts, told attendees of the 91st annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer research on Tuesday. “There were about 1,000 cases of prostate cancer confirmed among these men during that 11-year period,” Dr. Chan said. “We observed a small-to-moderate increased risk of prostate cancer associated with higher intakes of dairy products and dairy calcium.” The increased risk was approximately 30%.

Still think dairy products are so wonderful?? Not only are they VERY allergenic, not only may they INCREASE the risk of osteoporosis, now only may they cause Type I diabetes in susceptible infants, but now…

Soy Extract Slows Prostate Cancer Growth in Mice – (06-21-01)

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Soy Extract Slows Prostate Cancer Growth in Mice

More evidence is accumulating that altered estrogen metabolism in men can lead to prostate problems. This would be the unhealthy conversion of estrogen into a more dangerous by product, potentially irritating the prostate. It makes sense that soy would attunate these effects. Cruciferous vegetables high in indole-3-carbinol (brussel sprouts, broccoli) would also aid the proper metabolism of estrogens.

American Urological Association meeting in Anaheim, California The soy extract, genistein, slows prostate cancer growth in mice, suggesting a possible role as an adjunct to conventional therapy or as a preventive agent, according to Dr. Ralph deVere White, director of the University of California Davis Cancer Center, who presented his findings on Saturday at the American Urological Association meeting in Anaheim, California. Dr. White’s team treated PC-3 prostate cancer cells with aglycone isoflavones (GCP), a proprietary form of genistein that functions as a general protein kinase inhibitor, or with AHCC, a non-specific immune modulator found in shiitake mushrooms. The investigators also tested the two compounds in combination. GCP reduced PC-3 cell growth in a dose-dependent fashion. It also reduced vascular endothelial growth factor production, increased p21 production and induced apoptosis. AHCC enhanced GCP’s effects, but had no effect on prostate cancer cell growth when used alone. Armed with this information, Dr. White’s team subcutaneously inoculated 32 five-week-old nude mice with the treated prostate cancer cells. Some of the mice also received water or water plus genistein daily. “There was a significant drop in the cancer growth of the mice fed genistein in water,” Dr. White told Reuters Health. He said his team plans to continue their studies of GCP in a clinical trial of men with prostate cancer who have failed radical prostatectomy or radiation therapy and have a slow rising PSA to see if the extract can lower the PSA. “If it can, it might be used in an adjuvant fashion to make radiation therapy more effective and ultimately as a chemopreventive agent. But that is a long way off,” he added.