Lycopene Effective With Prostate Cancer Treatment

Introduction

Study has been done by the author on the effect of taking lycopene during the surgical of removing the testicles. Further reading will give us more inside to the finding.

Lycopene Effective With Prostate Cancer Treatment

by Darin Ingels, ND, MT (ASCP)

Men with prostate cancer who take supplemental lycopene in addition to surgical removal of the testicles may experience less active disease, less bone pain, and live longer than those who only have surgical removal of the testicles, according to a new study in British Journal of Urology International (2003;92:375'8). This is exciting news for millions of men who have to undergo aggressive treatment for advanced prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer found in men over the age of 50 years, with more than 200,000 new cases each year in the United States. The cause of prostate cancer, like many other cancers, is unknown; however, some studies suggest alterations in testosterone metabolism may play a role in its development. Prostate cancer is generally slow growing and may not cause any symptoms until late in the disease. Symptoms may include frequent or painful urination, dribbling after urination, sensation of incomplete emptying of the bladder, or blood in the urine. The symptoms of prostate cancer are similar to those of a non-cancerous condition called benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), so men experiencing these symptoms should consult their physician for an accurate diagnosis.

In the new study, 54 men with advanced prostate cancer were randomly assigned to have surgical removal of the testicles (orchidectomy) alone or orchidectomy plus oral supplementation with 4 mg of lycopene a day. Measurements of PSA (a blood marker of prostate cancer activity), bone scans, and urinary flow were taken initially and every three months for two years. Men receiving lycopene started on the day of their surgery.

After six months, PSA had significantly decreased in both groups, indicating a reduction in prostate cancer activity. However, PSA levels in those receiving lycopene were more than 65% lower than in those who did not receive lycopene. After two years, PSA levels in the lycopene treatment group had fallen into the normal range, while those who only underwent surgery still had PSA levels more than twice the upper limit of normal. Urinary symptoms significantly improved in both groups, but better improvement was again observed in the lycopene group. The lycopene group also experienced less bone pain.

The survival rates after two years in the lycopene-plus-surgery group and surgery-only groups were 87% and 78%, respectively, a statistically significant difference. No adverse side effects were observed in men taking lycopene.LycopeneLycopene is one of a group of compounds called carotenoids. It is found in high amounts in tomatoes.The findings of this study corroborate the findings of other similar studies examining the effectiveness of lycopene in the treatment of prostate cancer. However, the amount used in the current study (4 mg per day) was substantially less than the amounts used in other studies (30 mg per day). It may also help stimulate the immune system and has been shown to cause cancer cells to die on their own. Although more research is needed to clarify what amount of lycopene is most effective, men with prostate cancer may benefit from taking daily lycopene supplements. Eating one moderately sized tomato a day also provides approximately 4 mg of lycopene. Other tomato products, such as an 8-ounce portion of tomato juice or tomato paste may provide up to 25 mg of lycopene.

Comment

We can start eating fresh tomatoes daily so that we can add the needed amount of lycopene to our body in order to help relieve the prostate cancer.

Author Info
Darin Ingels, ND, MT (ASCP), received his bachelor's degree from Purdue University and his Doctorate of Naturopathic Medicine from Bastyr University in Kenmore, WA. Dr. Ingels is the author of The Natural Pharmacist: Lowering Cholesterol (Prima, 1999) and Natural Treatments for High Cholesterol (Prima, 2000). He currently is in private practice at New England Family Health Associates located in Southport, CT, where he specializes in environmental medicine and allergies. Dr. Ingels is a regular contributor to Vitamin Herb University. marketing@webadvantage.net

What We Miss About Prostate cancer

Hope of New Prostate Cancer Test

Scientists have found a potential new way to assess whether prostate cancer is aggressive.

They have found tiny bubbles of fat in the urine may hold the key information needed to decide what type of treatment the patient needs.

Prostate cancer is a major killer

If prostate cancer is aggressive it requires urgent treatment, but this is not appropriate for patients with slow-growing forms of the disease.

The study appears in Cancer Research UK's British Journal of Cancer.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8045345.stm

Prostate Cancer won’t prevented by Vitamin, Selenium

Men who want to reduce their prostate cancer risk shouldn’t bother popping antioxidant vitamins and supplements, according to two of the largest trials ever conducted on vitamins and cancer prevention.
Vitamin E, alone, with selenium or in combination with vitamin C did not prevent prostate cancer.

Vitamin E, alone, with selenium or in combination with vitamin C did not prevent prostate cancer.

The studies, published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association, show that vitamin C, vitamin E, and selenium won’t ward off prostate cancer — or other types of the disease — in men.

In one study, 35,533 cancer-free men in their 50s or older took selenium and vitamin E alone or in combination. Several years later, they had the same risk of developing the disease as men who took a placebo. In a second study of 14,641 men — some of whom may have had early-stage prostate cancer — a combination of vitamin E and vitamin C didn’t prevent prostate cancer, or any other type of cancer.

“It looks like these particular antioxidants are not effective,” says Howard Soule, Ph.D., chief scientific officer of the Prostate Cancer Foundation in Santa Monica, California, who was not involved in either study.

According to the American Cancer Society, 1 in 6 men will get prostate cancer in his lifetime, and 1 in 35 will die of the disease. The ACS estimates that 28,660 U.S. men will die of prostate cancer in 2008, accounting for roughly 10 percent of all cancer-related deaths in men.
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