Santa Cruz County Prostate Cancer Support Group
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Serving all of SANTA CRUZ COUNTY Santa Cruz PROSTATE CANCER SUPPORT GROUP September 2005 NEWSLETTER Howard Waage (688-0423) -----Editor _____________________________________________________ ___________________________________________ A Special Event Will Replace Our Regular Meeting ++ PROSTATE CANCER FORUM ++ Where: *We’ll be meeting in the main building of Santa Cruz Dominican Hospital. Enter through the Outpatient front door of the hospital and take the elevator down to Conference Room 2 & 3
When: Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2005 7:00 PM For more information: Please call-The Bennett and Suzy Katz Cancer Resource Center at Dominican Hospital 831-462-7770
PANEL DISCUSSION WITH-SANTA CRUZ COUNTY UROLOGISTS AND RADIATION ONCOLOGIST No registration required No cost to participate. Refreshments will be served
(The September Steering committee meeting will begin earlier at 5:00 p.m., before the regular meeting at our regular location in the Katz Resource Center) 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.
Tony & Beverley Calvo 684-0940 Frank Schmetz 438 4781 Bill McDermott 423-8350 Howard Waage 688-0423 Richard & Tina Koch 761-3577 Julie Batz 724-2701 Lynn Dreeszen 439-8632 Tim Ryan 476-6550 Our website: http://www.scprostate.org Doug Thornton 724-6446 (Webmaster)
New! Support Group Meeting for Wives & Partners of Men Living with Prostate Cancer
This group is for women to share information with each other, learn more about prostate cancer, and how to cope with the impact of the disease individually and within the family in a supportive, caring and confidential environment. The meeting will be held every two months, the 2nd Monday of the month, 5 – 7pm (same time as the men’s Advanced Prostate Cancer Meeting). Meeting dates: October 10, 5 – 7 pm, Katz Resource Center, Rm. C (upstairs) December 12, 5 – 7 pm, Katz Resource Center, Rm. B-2 (upstairs) For more information, contact Julie Batz at 724-2701
Prostate Health & Yoga: Developing Your New Path to Health and Well Being
Please join us Wednesday September 21st from 7:15 p.m. - 9:00 pm. for a unique and especially relaxing evening for men with prostate cancer and their partners. We will be meeting at The Om Room (www.omroom.com) 300 Natural Bridges Drive, Santa Cruz 95060
This special event will be lead by Victor Dubin, voted Santa Cruz's Best Yoga Instructor. Victor, known for his fun and supportive teaching method, has been leading individuals of all ages, shapes and sizes since 1996. "Yoga, as
opposed to western medical practice, is concerned with healing, not curing. I do what I can to help each person find his/her own way to health- physical, mental, emotional, spiritual-- regardless of your starting point", states Victor. The Om Room is a lovely environment to explore the many benefits of yoga and your path to health. There is no charge for this event. Dress comfortably. For more information: call 476-6550
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY PROSTATE CANCER SUPPORT GROUP SUB-GROUP FOR MEN WITH ADVANCED PROSTATE CANCER MEETINGS.
This group will be for men that have been diagnosed with prostate cancer which has spread outside the prostate or who have experienced a recurrence after primary treatment. Typically, these men are receiving hormone blockade, are participating in a clinical trial or are receiving some other form of advanced treatment.
The sub-Group will meet every TWO months at the Katz Cancer Resource Center of Dominican Hospital. The sub-group will meet on the SECOND MONDAY OF THE MONTH with a meeting held on September 8th, from 5:00 to 7:00 PM. The next meeting will be on MONDAY, October10th at the same times.
The purpose of this group will be to better address the special problems and issues of men with advanced prostate cancer. In addition, at some meetings, we will invite local medical oncologists to discuss their approach and treatments Men with advanced prostate cancer will continue to be welcomed at the regular monthly meetings on the last Tuesday of the month. Tony Calvo has agreed to coordinate the sub-group. If you have any suggestions or questions, contact Tony at 684-0940.
A Heads Up for our Upcoming Meetings !!!! Heidi Faivre, M.P.H., R.D., dietitian from Dominican Hospital staff,has agreed to present a talk to us at our OCTOBER meeting 10/25/05 7:00 p.m. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Maren Martin has agreed to to return to speak to our group on JANUARY 31, 2006! The subject will be "intimacy" especially as it relates to prostate cancer
Maren Martin is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a psychotherapy practice in Pacific Grove as well as a Certified Sex Therapist and specializes in sex and couple therapy. She has a special interest in helping cancer survivors have emotional intimacy and fulfilling sexual relationships. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ….PROSTATE CANCER IN THE NEWS..…
A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, 2005
For Immediate Release- August 29, 2005 --------- Office of the Press Secretary
Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among American men. This year, thousands of men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer, and thousands will die from the disease. While great strides have been made in the battle against prostate cancer, we have more work to do. During National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, we renew our commitment to fight prostate cancer by finding better ways to prevent, detect, and treat this deadly disease.
My Administration is committed to funding research for prevention and better treatments for prostate cancer. This year, the National Institutes of Health will invest an estimated $381 million in prostate cancer research, including $310 million at the National Cancer Institute. The Department of Defense's Prostate Cancer Research Program will spend an estimated $85 million, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will devote an estimated $14 million toward prostate cancer research. Scientists are examining risk factors to identify ways to prevent prostate cancer, and they are finding ways to detect this disease earlier, when it is easier to treat. In addition, newer treatments are helping to slow or stop the spread of prostate cancer in men with advanced stages of the disease. This progress offers hope to men who are living with prostate cancer and those who are at risk.
As we observe National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, I encourage all men, especially those over the age of 50, to talk with their doctors about the risk of prostate cancer and the appropriate screenings. I commend those who fight this disease, and I applaud the dedication of researchers, health care providers, and all who are working to increase our knowledge of prostate cancer. By raising awareness and supporting research, we can save lives.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim September 2005 as National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. I call upon government officials, businesses, communities, health care professionals, educators, volunteers, and all people of the United States to reaffirm our Nation's strong and continuing commitment to treat and prevent prostate cancer.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty ninth day of August, in the year of our Lord two thousand five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirtieth.
GEORGE W. BUSH
Prostatectomy and Radiation More Effective for Locally Advanced Prostate Cancer
FRIDAY, Aug. 12, Cancer Information From CancerConsultants.com--Among men with prostate cancer that has extended beyond the outer covering of the prostate, those who receive radiation therapy immediately after their prostatectomy survive longer without a worsening of their cancer than those who are treated with prostatectomy alone, according to a study published in The Lancet.
The prostate is a gland of the male reproductive system that is responsible for producing some of the fluid that transports the sperm during ejaculation. After skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer diagnosed in men. Patients diagnosed with locally advanced prostate cancer (prostate cancer that has extended outside of the prostate, without spread to lymph nodes or distant sites) must choose between treatment with radiation therapy, surgery (radical prostatectomy), participation in a clinical study or "watchful waiting" in selected circumstances. Unfortunately, there have been few well-controlled clinical studies comparing these treatment approaches.
To determine whether prostatectomy followed immediately by radiation therapy offers better treatment results than prostatectomy alone for men with locally advanced prostate cancer, researchers in Europe conducted a randomized clinical trial that directly compared these two treatments in 1005 men. All men enrolled in the clinical trial had either prostate cancer that extended beyond the outer covering of the prostate (T3) or surgical results suggesting that not all of the cancer had been removed (positive surgical margin).
None of the men had cancer that had spread to lymph nodes or distant sites in the body. All men were treated with prostatectomy, and half the men received additional treatment with radiation therapy within 16 weeks of their surgery (immediate radiation therapy). In the group of men that received treatment with prostatectomy alone, subsequent treatment (most often with radiation therapy) was provided if there was evidence that the cancer progressed.
Approximately five years from treatment, the men treated with the combination of prostatectomy and immediate radiation therapy were more likely to survive without a worsening of their cancer than men treated with prostatectomy alone. Currently, 74% of the men in the combined treatment group are alive without a worsening of their cancer compared to only 53% of men treated with prostatectomy alone. Many of the men in the radiation therapy group experienced adverse effects of radiation, such as diarrhea or frequent or painful urination, but severe adverse effects were rare.
The researchers conclude that immediate radiation therapy after prostatectomy in men with positive surgical margins or cancer that has spread beyond the outer covering of the prostate survive longer without a worsening of their cancer than men who are treated with prostatectomy alone. Longer follow-up is necessary to determine whether immediate radiation therapy reduces the probability of distant spread of the cancer and improves overall survival. Reference: Bolla M, van Poppel H, Collette L et al. Postoperative radiotherapy after radical prostatectomy: a randomized controlled trial (EORTC trial 22911). The Lancet. 2005.366:572-78.
Vitamin D, NSAIDs Provide Double Whammy Against Prostate Cancer, Stanford Study Finds
STANFORD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 1, 2005--The growth of prostate cancer cells can be halted by combining a form of vitamin D, available only by prescription, with low doses of an over-the-counter painkiller, researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have found. The combination reduced prostate cancer cell growth in a laboratory dish by up to 70 percent, according to the findings, published in the Sept. 1 issue of Cancer Research.
The study's senior author, David Feldman, MD, professor of medicine, who has been studying vitamin D for 25 years, had shown in previous studies that a form of the vitamin, known as calcitriol, limits the growth of prostate cancer cells. Calcitriol, the active form of vitamin D, is the metabolite that is created in the body after consumption of vitamin D-containing food or exposure to the sun.
Feldman wanted to see if he could boost calcitriol's effects and lower the dose by using it in conjunction with another drug. He and his colleagues, including professor of urology Donna Peehl, PhD, who specializes in developing models of prostate cancer in cultured cells, found that by using calcitriol with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or
NSAIDs, they could suppress prostate cancer growth in vitro even more -- and with smaller doses -- than using either drug alone."There is great enhancement when the drugs are given together, using what we think is a safe dose in humans," said Feldman. "It's hard to make an exact comparison, as we are talking about cells in a dish and not a person." Still, based on the findings, he and his colleagues have already begun a clinical trial in men who have a post-treatment recurrence of prostate cancer. Both calcitriol and nonselective NSAIDs have been used in humans for years, and the safety and risks of these drugs are well known.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 30,000 men die annually in the United States from prostate cancer. Among cancers, only lung cancer kills more men. Although prostate cancer is often a slow-growing, noninvasive type of cancer, there are some cases where a deadly migration of cancer cells invades other parts of the body. The standard treatment for such cases is hormone therapy, but that treatment ultimately does not work for most patients. Slowing the growth of the prostate cancer cells could buy time for patients before beginning this last-ditch therapy. Over the course of Feldman's years of vitamin D research, he and others had determined that the vitamin has several actions that make it useful in cancer therapy. While a great deal is now known about these effects, there is still much to be learned about how the vitamin stymies tumor growth.
To get an idea of what calcitriol does on a genetic level to halt tumor growth, the researchers used a cDNA microarray, a tool that provides an overview of the genetic changes that occur when prostate cancer cells react to calcitriol. The researchers discovered that two of the affected genes are critical in the production and breakdown of prostaglandins -- hormones that cause a range of physiological effects, including inflammation. Inflammation, in turn, is also associated with cancer growth.
Like calcitriol, NSAIDs also block prostaglandin production. Thus, it seemed logical to test calcitriol in various combinations with NSAIDs to see if the double whammy could knock out prostate cancer better than either drug alone, explained study leader Jacqueline Moreno, PhD, a postdoctoral scholar in Feldman's lab.
When the researchers began the study, which was done on cells in culture, they were using selective NSAIDs, such as Vioxx and Celebrex. These drugs specifically target the prostaglandin pathway, reducing the gastrointestinal side effects of the nonselective NSAIDs. But after Vioxx was pulled from the market last year due to cardiovascular risks, the researchers switched to using two nonselective NSAIDs, ibuprofen and naproxen, so that the controversy over selective NSAIDs wouldn't cast a shadow over their work.
The group saw a 25 percent reduction in prostate cell growth using only calcitriol, and approximately the same reduction using only ibuprofen and naproxen. But when they combined calcitriol and an NSAID, they saw up to a 70 percent reduction. This result was obtained using from one-half to one-tenth the concentration required for either of the drugs used alone.
The group's findings are the basis of a new clinical trial Feldman has begun with oncologist Sandy Srinivas, MD, assistant professor of medicine. Men who have been treated for prostate cancer, but who are experiencing a recurrence,
take naproxen twice a day combined with a high, once-weekly dose of calcitriol. Weekly administration of calcitriol avoids a pitfall of earlier studies that used daily dosing: too much calcium in the blood, a condition called hypercalcemia, which can lead to kidney stones. Feldman's group uses calcitriol for both the cell culture studies and the clinical trial to ensure that enough of the active form of vitamin D is in the patients to be effective. Feldman emphasized that calcitriol is available by prescription only. "We don't want the patient to think that if they take over-the-counter vitamin D, it will work in the same way," he said.
Staff research scientist Aruna Krishnan, PhD, research associate Srilatha Swami, PhD, and urology postdoctoral scholar Larisa Nonn, PhD, also contributed to this work, which was funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Defense. For more information, please visit the Web site of the medical center's Office of Communication & Public Affairs at http://mednews.stanford.edu.
Dietary Pattern May Increase Prostate Cancer Risk
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Aug 25 - The results of a study published in the September issue of the International Journal of Cancer suggest an association between a dietary pattern including refined grain products, processed meats, red meat and organ meat, and an increased risk of prostate cancer.
In a case-control study, Dr. Kristan J. Aronson, of Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada, and colleagues, identified dietary patterns and compared them with prostate cancer risk. The subjects included 80 men with prostate cancer and 334 urology clinic controls, who were enrolled from 1997 through 1999. The patients completed food frequency questionnaires prior to diagnosis and intake was assessed in the 2 years prior to enrollment. The researchers identified four dietary patterns: Healthy Living, Traditional Western, Processed Diet, and Beverages.
The Processed Diet, which was composed of processed meats, red meats, organ meats, refined grains, onions and tomatoes, vegetable oils and juices, soft drinks, and bottled water, was associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer. "The odds ratio for the highest tertile compared to baseline (was) 2.75, with a dose-response pattern (p < 0.0035)," the researcher report.
The Traditional Western pattern was rich in red meats, processed meats, organ meats, eggs, milk, dessert, potatoes, mayonnaise, nuts, cream for coffee, tap water, and liquor. This pattern was associated with a slightly increased prostate cancer risk.
The Healthy Living pattern was characterized by vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fish and poultry. The Beverage diet pattern contained tap water, soft drinks and fruit juices, potatoes, poultry and margarine, and the absence of alcohol. Neither of these two patterns were associated with increase prostate cancer risk.
"These results support the idea that consumption of fruits, vegetables and poultry may be associated with decreased prostate cancer risk and consumption of meat, refined grains and possibly soft drinks is associated with increased prostate cancer risk," Dr. Aronson and colleagues conclude.
Int J Cancer 2005;116:592-598. Source: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/511570
PSA in young adulthood may predict prostate cancer
Mon Aug 29, 2005-Levels of prostate specific antigen (PSA) in young men seem to foretell their likelihood of developing prostate cancer later in life, according to the results of a new study. Dr. Alice S. Whittemore, of Stanford University School of Medicine, California, and colleagues assessed PSA levels from blood samples collected from a group of young black and white men between 1959 and 1966. The subjects, who were 34 years old on average at the time the samples were taken, were followed for several decades for prostate cancer.
The researchers report in the Journal of Urology that prostate cancer risk increased with increasing PSA in black and white men."When the men were young, their PSA levels were well within the normal range, but the men with higher (though still normal) levels had higher risk," Whittemore explained in an interview. Specifically, for men with the highest levels compared to those with the lowest, the chances of developing prostate cancer were 4.4-times higher for black men and 3.5-times higher for white men.
There are several possible explanations for a positive relationship between PSA in young adulthood and prostate cancer risk later in life. A direct biological reason could be that PSA in youth may increase in proportion to the number of premalignant or malignant cells in the prostate. Or, "PSA may itself contribute to neoplastic initiation or progression in the prostate," the researchers point out. Another possibility is that inflammation of the prostate increases PSA as well as the subsequent risk of prostate cancer.
"One might think that we should screen men at younger ages," Whittemore noted. "However, we still don't know if PSA screening saves lives," she said. "The disease is common in older men, yet only a tiny fraction of these cancers would cause trouble had they never been detected," she commented. Also, "Screening carries a psychological burden, not to mention the cost." SOURCE: Journal of Urology, September 2005. Source: http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20050829/hl_nm/psa_predict_dc_1
Lifestyle changes shown to slow prostate cancer A primarily vegan diet and yoga are among adjustments that seem to help By ROB STEIN-Washington Post
WASHINGTON Aug. 10, 2005 - Eating better, exercising regularly and reducing stress apparently can slow the progression of early prostate cancer, according to the first study to provide evidence that lifestyle changes can fight the malignancy.
The study of 93 prostate cancer patients found those who adopted a series of lifestyle changes that included a primarily vegan diet, regular moderate exercise and yoga and other relaxation techniques scored better on a standard blood test used to monitor prostate cancer growth a year later. They were also less likely to require additional treatment, and their blood showed signs of being able to inhibit prostate cancer cells in lab tests.
Although many studies have suggested that adopting healthy lifestyles can have a host of health benefits, including reducing the risk for various cancers, the new research is the latest in a series of recent studies that have found that factors such as diet, exercise and stress reduction may have a powerful effect on cancer patients' prognoses.
"Diet and other lifestyle changes play an important role in the development of many health problems," said Dean Ornish of the University of California at San Francisco, who led the new study, which is being published in next month's issue of the Journal of Urology. "Now we have evidence it can slow the progression of prostate cancer."
Other researchers said many more studies will be needed to explore which components of the lifestyle changes might be important, and to demonstrate whether the effects translate into a reduced risk of early death.
"There's a building body of evidence that lifestyle may affect cancer progression," said Peter Greenwald of the National Cancer Institute. "This is a very important area, and this is one more important lead that indicates a crucial direction for more research."
But given that a healthful diet and regular exercise can have other benefits, several researchers said there was no reason patients should not consider adopting them in addition to their standard care.
Prostate cancer strikes 232,000 men each year in the United States, and it kills about 30,000, making it the leading cause of cancer among men and the second leading male cancer killer after lung cancer. Source: http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/health/3305494
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 200 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.
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