Please feel free to contact any of the following steering committee members if you would like to volunteer or if you have any suggestions or questions.

Joe Ferrara 426-7724
Frank and Janet Schmetz 438 4781
Bill McDermott 423-8350
Howard Waage 688-0423 Michael & Julie Batz 724-2701
Tim Ryan 476-6550

...PROSTATE CANCER IN THE NEWS...

Eating Broccoli May Keep Prostate Cancer Away, Study Suggests

ScienceDaily (July 2, 2008) - Eating one or more portions of broccoli every week can reduce the risk of prostate cancer, and the risk of localized cancer becoming more aggressive.

For the first time, a research group at the Institute of Food Research led by Professor Richard Mithen has provided an explanation of how eating broccoli might reduce cancer risk based upon studies in men, as opposed to trying to extrapolate from animal models. Prostate cancer is the most common non-skin cancer for males in western countries. The research has provided an insight into why eating broccoli can help men stay healthy.

For the study men who were at risk of developing prostate cancer ate either 400g of broccoli or 400g of peas per week in addition to their normal diet over 12 months. Tissue samples were taken from their prostate gland before the start of the trial and after 6 and 12 months, and the expression of every gene measured using Affymetrix microarray technology.

It was found that there were more changes in gene expression in men who were on the broccoli-rich diet than on the pea diet, and these changes may be associated with the reduction in the risk of developing cancer, that has been reported in epidemiological studies.

Previous studies have suggested that the fifty percent of the population who have a GSTM1 gene gain more benefit from eating broccoli than those who lack this gene. The study showed that the presence of the GSTM1 gene had a profound effect on the changes in gene expression caused by eating broccoli.

This study fills the gap between observational studies and studies with cell and animal models. While observational studies have shown that diets rich in cruciferous vegetables may reduce the risk of prostate cancer and other chronic disease, they do not provide an explanation of how this occurs. Evidence from animal and cell models has sought to provide an explanation, but these studies are usually based on high doses that would not normally be experienced as part of the diet.

The results of the study suggested that relatively low amounts of cruciferous vegetables in the diet -- a few portions per week -- can have large effects on gene expression by changing cell signaling pathways. These signaling pathways are the routes by which information is transmitted through a molecular cascade which amplifies the signal to the nucleus of the cell where gene expression occurs.

The Norwich-based team are currently planning a larger study with men with localized prostate cancer, and will compare the activity of standard broccoli with the special variety of high glucosinolate broccoli used in the current study.

"Other fruits and vegetables have been shown to also reduce the risk of prostate cancer and are likely to act through other mechanisms," says Professor Mithen. "Once we understand these, we can provide much better dietary advice in which specific combinations of fruit and vegetable are likely to be particularly beneficial. Until then, eating two or three portions of cruciferous vegetable per week, and maybe a few more if you lack the GSTM1 gene, should be encouraged."

The work was supported by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). Cruciferous vegetables include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, rocket, watercress, garden cress, kale, bok choy, radish, horseradish and wasabi. Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080701221450.htm

ScienceDaily (June 20, 2008) Ñ Men whose tumors recur after prostate cancer surgery are three times more likely to survive their disease long term if they undergo radiotherapy within two years of the recurrence. Surprisingly, survival benefits were best in men whose new tumors were growing fastest, according to results of a "look-back" study of 635 men by Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions.

Previous studies of radiation therapy for recurrent prostate cancer found that it reduced disease progression, but this study demonstrates that it significantly prolongs survival, as well, according to Bruce J. Trock, Ph.D., associate professor of urology, epidemiology, oncology, and environmental health studies, and director of the Division of Epidemiology in the Brady Urological Institute at Johns Hopkins.

"What this new study tells us is that even men with aggressive disease that has recurred after surgery appear to benefit from radiation therapy. It also means that we may be able to give radiation selectively to those who are really likely to benefit from it," advises Trock.

"I found the results of this study remarkable," says Patrick C. Walsh, M.D., University Distinguished Service Professor of Urology at the Brady Urological Institute. "Previously, we believed that these men -who have aggressive disease defined by a rapid doubling of PSA in six months or less -- had distant metastases and would not benefit from any form of local salvage therapy."

PSA, or prostate specific antigen, is the blood-based protein shed by the organ that signals the likely presence of cancer. Rapid rises in PSA levels after surgical removal of the prostate signal the recurrence of cancer and often convey a poor prognosis.

Approximately 30 to 40 percent of men with high-risk tumors experience no recurrence of their cancers after surgery and can be spared the side-effects, that is, urinary and bowel problems, that may come with radiation. So, the Johns Hopkins researchers were looking to determine whether radiation could improve survival in men with recurrent prostate cancer and the optimal timing for the therapy.

In the new study, the researchers reviewed records of 635 men who developed recurrent cancer following radical prostatectomy at Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions between June 1982 and August 2004. Of these, 397 received no salvage radiation therapy, 160 received only salvage radiation, and 78 received both salvage radiation and hormonal therapy. Median follow-up was six years after recurrence.

Among men who had received radiotherapy for prostate cancer recurrence, the probability of surviving 10 years was 86 percent, compared to 62 percent among those who did not have radiation. For patients with rapidly growing tumors, defined by a PSA doubling time of less than six months, the benefits of salvage radiation therapy existed regardless of Gleason score, a numerical value that measures prostate cancer aggressiveness.

"This review suggests that even patients with aggressive cancer at the time of surgery not only benefit from salvage radiation therapy, but also actually live longer without a second prostate cancer recurrence," says Theodore L. DeWeese, M.D., professor and chairman of the Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences. "This is the most important news for this group of patients in a long time." DeWeese suggests that radiation oncologists and urologists now consider salvage radiation therapy for a broader group of patients with recurrent prostate cancer following surgery. Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080617160804.htm

PHILADELPHIA - A simple blood test screening for a panel of biomarkers can accurately predict whether a patient who has had prostate cancer surgery will have a recurrence or spread of the disease.

Calling their findings a major step forward in prostate cancer care, Texas researchers report in the June 15 issue of Clinical Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, that the presence of seven of these biomarkers can predict prostate cancer risk with 86.6 percent reliability. This is at least 15 percentage points higher than standard clinical measures currently in use, the researchers say.

"We have been looking at these biomarkers for the past 10 to 15 years in the laboratory, but now we can translate these findings into progress for the individual patient," said Shahrokh F. Shariat, M.D., chief resident in urology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

Clinicians need this information to decide whether to take a "watchful waiting" approach with their prostate cancer patients or to move to more aggressive additional therapy such as hormone therapy, chemotherapy or radiation, Shariat says. Urologists currently use a risk predictor that includes variables like stage, Gleason score and serum levels of prostate-specific antigen. "However, this method is only accurate about 70 percent of the time, which is not optimal," Shariat said.

Shariat and colleagues enrolled 423 patients who were surgically treated for prostate cancer with either radical prostatectomy or bilateral lymphadenectomy. Using commonly available blood tests, they measured levels of the following seven biomarkers: transforming growth factor-1, interleukin-6, interleukin-6 soluble receptor, vascular endothelial growth factor, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, endoglin, urokinase plasminogen activator.

"We reviewed background literature over 60 separate biomarkers and determined that these were the optimal seven that would have predictive value," Shariat said. Patients were followed for approximately four years, and researchers noted cancer recurrence in 17.7 percent of patients. Elevated levels of the seven biomarkers were associated with increased risk of relapse. For example, the presence of urokinase plasminogen inhibitor-1 increased risk by 37 percent, while the presence of vascular endothelial growth factor increased risk by 47 percent.

The combination of all seven biomarker variables accurately predicted risk 86.6 percent of the time in this study. "This is a large and unique improvement for patient care. Neither preoperative MRI nor any of the clinical features we have used before even comes close to this level of accuracy," Shariat said.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-06/aafc-ebp062608.php

When: Sunday, September 14th
Time: 10:00 AM- 10:00 PM
Where: Shadowbrook Restaurant, 1750 Wharf Road, Capitola, Ca.

Local entertainer, Joe Ferrara, will sing and play his guitar continuously from 10 AM to 10 PM on Sunday, September 14th in the Rock Room Lounge at the Shadowbrook Restaurant in Capitola, Ca. The twelve-hour marathon will set a world record for a solo performance by an individual in a club setting without repeating a song or using sheet music or lyric sheets. "It will be me, my guitar and the audience", says Ferrara.

September is National Prostate Cancer awareness month. "The average woman has a working knowledge of the facts about breast cancer," says Ferrara, a three-year survivor of prostate cancer. "The average man knows almost nothing about prostate cancer. I hope to change that."

The event promises to be a challenge. "I know over 400 songs," says fifty-nine year old Ferrara. "I play folk, standards, soft rock, show tunes and classic rock so material is not the problem. However, I'm only allowed a five-minute break every hour! I plan to save them up and only take four breaks but we'll see if Mother Nature has other plans!Ó Ferrara hopes folks will take a few minutes out of their day to help him set the record. "Come for five minutes or five hours it doesn't matter. Request a song and even sing a long", he says. "Just come have a good time. I can't set the record without an audience."

Information about prostate cancer will be available during the event. Members of the Santa Cruz County Prostate Cancer Support Group will also be in attendance to answer any questions. Contact: Joe Ferrara (831) 426-0158 joe@atlantisfantasyworld.com Howard Waage (831) 688-0423

SUTTER PROSTATE CANCER AWARENESS DAY EVENT - Free Screening
Where: Sutter Maternity & Surgery Center - 2900 Chanticleer Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA
When: Saturday, September 20th, 2008 9:00 am to 12: noon
FREE: PSA Screenings and a presentation with urologist Steven Roberts, MD

DOMINICAN - KATZ CANCER RESOURCE CENTER - Lecture
Where: Katz Cancer Resource Center, 1555 Soquel Drive, Santa Cruz, CA
When: Tuesday Evening, September 30th, 2008 7:00 P.M.
Lecture: SANDY SRINIVAS, M.D Associate Professor of Medicine (Oncology) at Stanford University will present the latest information about prostate cancer research.

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The Santa Cruz County Prostate Cancer Support Group does not endorse any provider, organization, product or individual. All medical decisions should be made with the advice and consultation of medical professionals.

Our newsletter serves over 260 members. Many THANKS to the American Cancer Society for assisting with the printing and mailing of this newsletter and the Katz Cancer Resource Center for allowing us to use their facility.