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Serving all of  SANTA CRUZ COUNTY

Santa Cruz  PROSTATE CANCER SUPPORT GROUP

June 2007                                           NEWSLETTER

                                                                                                                                                      Howard Waage  (688-0423) ----Editor

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June Meeting – Special Featured Speaker

Jocelyn Dubin, MS, RD will speak to our group about nutrition for prostate cancer survivors at our June meeting. Jocelyn has a Master’s in Nutritional Science from San Jose State University and is a registered dietitian with the Commission on Dietetic Registration. Before she developed her private practice, Jocelyn worked to improve the nutritional health of individuals in hospitals, clinics, nonprofit organizations, schools, and private homes. In her private practice, Jocelyn visits clients’ homes to perform kitchen makeovers, takes clients grocery shopping, and teaches them how to order the healthiest items from a restaurant menu. She also develops and delivers customized nutrition presentations for the public, corporations, and nonprofit organizations. Jocelyn encourages her clients to use the power of their plates to be proactive about their health.  We plan on having some healthy food options available for tasting!

Where:   Our meeting will be in the Bennett & Suzy Katz Cancer Resource Center on the 2nd Floor of the

                    two-story redwood Education Building behind Santa Cruz Dominican Hospital.  We’ll be in the

                    large upstairs B-1 room.

When:   Tuesday, June 26th, 7:00 PM  For more information: Please call-The Bennett and Suzy

                 Katz Cancer Resource Center at Dominican Hospital (831) 462-7770

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

    Michael and Julie Batz 724-2701     Lynn Dreeszen 439-8632  Tim Ryan 476-6550       Joe Ferrara  426-7724

Our website: http://www.scprostate.org   Doug Thornton  724-6446 (Webmaster)

SUPPORT GROUP FOR MEN WITH ADVANCED PROSTATE CANCER

The Advanced support group is for men diagnosed with prostate cancer which has spread outside the prostate or who have experienced a recurrence after primary treatment. Our purpose is to address the special problems and issues of men with advanced prostate cancer.  This group meets every TWO months on the second Monday of the month, at the Katz Cancer Resource Center at Dominican Hospital. If you have any questions, please contact Tony Calvo at 

684-0940. Refreshments provided. 2007 MEETING DATE: MONDAY, 5 – 7PM  June 11th

SUPPORT GROUP FOR WIVES & PARTNERS OF MEN 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 June meeting has been cancelled, however stay tuned for some very special upcoming events……… for women only!  For more information or questions, contact Julie Batz at 724-2701.

….PROSTATE CANCER IN THE NEWS..…

Excessive Intake of Vitamins Linked With Prostate Cancer

Men who take multiple vitamins in the hope of improving their health may be raising their risk of the deadliest form of prostate cancer, especially if they have a family history of the disease By Julie Steenhuysen

TUESDAY, May 15 (Reuters) - Men who pop too many vitamins in the hope of improving their health may in fact be raising their risk of the deadliest form of prostate cancer, especially men with a family history of the disease, researchers reported on Tuesday.        

Researchers at the National Cancer Institute found that men who exceeded the recommended dose - taking more than seven multivitamins a week - increased their risk of advanced cancer by about 30 percent.

 The researchers followed 295,344 men over five years to see if there was a link between multivitamin use and prostate cancer. "We didn't see any relationship with overall prostate cancer," said Dr. Michael Leitzmann, a National Cancer Institute investigator who worked on the study. The increased risk from overuse of multivitamins was linked to more aggressive cancer that has spread beyond the prostate gland or cancer that proved fatal.

In men who took too many multivitamins, the risk of aggressive cancer increased by one third, and the risk of fatal prostate cancer doubled compared to those who took no multivitamins, according to the study, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. "We only saw the increase among the subgroup of men who used multivitamins in excessive amounts," Leitzmann said in a telephone interview.

The researchers said the association was strongest in men with a family history of prostate cancer and men who also took selenium, beta-carotene or zinc supplements.

No studies have yet found that people benefit from multivitamins or mineral supplements and some vitamins, like A and iron, are toxic at high levels. Beta-carotene has been found to increase the risk of lung cancer in smokers.

Leitzmann said the researchers were not able to pinpoint which vitamin or supplement ingredient could be driving the cancer. What it does suggest is the need for more study. "It's certainly a red flag," he said.

The important thing, Leitzmann said, is that men should heed the dosage on their vitamin bottle and use as directed.

Source: http://www.prostatecancerfoundation.org

Lycopene-Rich Tomatoes May Not Prevent Prostate Cancer

New data suggest that eating lycopene-rich tomatoes offers no protection against prostate cancer, contrary to the findings of some past studies

FRIDAY, May 18 (Reuters Health) - A new study suggests that eating lycopene-rich tomatoes offers no protection against prostate cancer, contrary to the findings of some past studies. In fact, the researchers found an association between beta carotene, an antioxidant related to lycopene, and an increased risk of aggressive prostate cancer.

In a written statement, Dr. Ulrike Peters of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle said the finding is "disappointing, since lycopene might have offered a simple and inexpensive way to lower prostate cancer risk for men concerned about this common disease. Unfortunately, this easy answer just does not work."

It's thought that antioxidants may help shield against cancer and heart disease by neutralizing harmful molecules known as oxygen free radicals. But studies to date on the role of lycopene in prostate cancer have been mixed; some suggest a protective effect, while others yield contradictory or inconclusive results.

The current study involved 28,243 men between the ages of 55 and 74 with no history of prostate cancer who were enrolled in the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial. As part of the trial, the men provided a blood sample and completed a questionnaire related to their health, diet and lifestyle.

During follow-up of up to 8 years, 692 men developed prostate cancer, and were matched to 844 men who were free of prostate cancer.  Data analysis failed to show any significant difference in blood lycopene levels between men who developed the disease and those who did not. "Our results do not offer support for the benefits of lycopene against prostate cancer," Peters said.

The study, published in the current issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, is one of the largest to evaluate the role of blood levels of lycopene and similar antioxidants in preventing prostate cancer.

Unexpectedly, the investigators noted an association between an increased risk of aggressive prostate cancer -- defined as disease that has spread beyond the prostate -- and higher intake of beta carotene, another antioxidant found in many vegetables and commonly used as a dietary supplement.

Although this observation "may be due to chance," Peters added, "beta carotene is already known to increase the risk of lung cancer and cardiovascular disease in smokers."

"While it would be counter-productive to advise people against eating carrots and leafy vegetables, I would say to be cautious about taking beta carotene supplements, particularly at high doses, and consult a physician," Peters said.

Funding for this study was provided through the NCI and the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services. SOURCE: Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, May 2007. http://www.prostatecancerfoundation.org/

DOC MOYAD’S WHAT WORKS & WHAT IS WORTHLESS COLUMN

ALSO CALLED “NO BOGUS SCIENCE” COLUMN…….“You say tomatoe (from the Ex-Vice President Dan Quayle spelling bee) and I say watermelon – lets call the whole thing off or just worthless!”

By Mark A. Moyad, MD, MPH University of Michigan Medical Center, Department of Urology

Hey, just a few years ago, lycopene and lycopene supplements were hotter than my bell bottom, powder blue, ruffled feathered tuxedo I wore at the high-school prom as I suffered numerous groin injuries attempting to dance to disco music, and lycopene was even hotter than my tight fitting Calvin Klein jeans I wore on my first date in ninth grade that probably increased my chances of permanent infertility (no wonder she never called me again). Let’s face a simple fact, there was tremendous excitement that lycopene would solve prostate problems, but a lot of this initial excitement around the pills, in my opinion, was generated by advertising dollars and greed. In short, lycopene has simply cooled off. In the past year, two separate wonderful studies have tried to determine the impact of lycopene in patients diagnosed with prostate cancer. The first was by Clark, et al1, that found that lycopene supplements at even ridiculously high doses had no impact on a rising PSA after conventional localized therapy (surgery, radiation…). The second and most recent study was by Jatoi, et al2, in men with androgenindependent prostate cancer. This was

also a fabulous study with 46 patients receiving 30 mg of dietary lycopene daily, but only one patient had a short-term PSA response, which means only 2% of the patients had an impact and this is similar to what would happen by chance using almost nothing.

The ultimate issue or question is that how can these compounds like lycopene help men with more advanced disease?

I think this is asking too much at this stage of the disease for this and for most nutritional products. Perhaps, tons of lycopene early in the disease may help, but this is speculative and it does have side effects. Lycopene interest remains big for prevention or for men with localized disease. However, this will not stop the hype train because the claims made about the pill have been silly. The USDA has determined that watermelon has as much lycopene as a tomato and most of the positive studies of lycopene have centered on just consuming more fruits and vegetables.

The bottom line is that lycopene has hit a bump in the road and unless something spectacular happens soon it may just be time to put these pills in the exact same place you just had to put that 10-week-old Chinese takeout that you left in the refrigerator that stunk up the whole kitchen but you didn’t realize it until now and your spouse made you feel guilty about it even though it wasn’t your fault. (Sorry Honey, but I really thought I was going to eat it while watching the Super Bowl—please don’t make me sleep in the garage again with our scary-looking dog).

References:

1. Clark P, et al: Urology 67: 1257-61, 2006.

2. Jatoi A, et al: Urology 69: 289-94, 2007.

Source: May 2007 US-Too “HotSheet” monthy newsletter. Copies always available at our monthly meetings

Editor's notes:

The following are some of the notes taken from Mark Moyad's talk entitled "Dietary Inhibitors of Prostate Cancer," given on November 19, 1998. (Notes taken by  Bob Southard, a long time prostate cancer survivor)

Mark Moyad is a clinical prostate cancer researcher and educator at the University of Michigan, where he is working with the world-renowned Dr. Ken Pienta. Mark is the author of "The ABCs of Prostate Cancer," and the "The ABCs of Nutrition & Supplements for Prostate Cancer," He advised:

A single best exercise is walking. The New England Journal of Medicine published that walking one mile per day lowered death rates by 25%. Walking 2 miles per day lowered death rates by 50%. Other studies have shown that walking for just 30 minutes 1 to 6 times per month lowered death rates by 33%. The key point -- walk, walk, walk.

Be careful taking supplements at too high a dosage. Many people believe that if one pill is good, two must be better. Often, more of a good thing can be harmful. It is best to take the dosage used in the clinical studies, for best results, and for safety.

If studies show that a particular food may be of benefit to you, try to eat that food. Many people will try to take a supplement in pill form to get the nourishment that is supposedly contained in the beneficial food. You can never be sure that the supplement contains all of the necessary ingredients for you benefit.

Suggested Reading: Available new and used at Amazon.com

Mark A. Moyad, M.P.H.  ABC's of Nutrition & Supplements for Prostate Cancer, ISBN# 1-886947-69-4, published April 2000. A companion book to The ABC's of Prostate Cancer, The ABC's of Nutrition & Supplements for Prostate Cancer offers expert advice on realistic approaches to the treatment of prostate cancer through common sense nutrition and supplements.

Robert Arnot, M.D. The Prostate Cancer Protection Plan: The Foods, Supplements, and Drugs That Could Save Your Life, ISBN: 0316051535.  Dr. Arnot has found that the foods men eat can have a profound influence on whether or not they get clinical prostate cancer. In The Prostate Cancer Protection Plan, Dr. Arnot tells us what these wondrous foods are and how we can use them as part of a sensible, fun, and delicious eating program.

Statins Cut Risk of Metastatic Prostate Cancer in Half

WASHINGTON –(UPI) March 20, 2007-A U.S. epidemiologic study released this week suggests men who use statin drugs may cut in half the risk of advanced prostate cancer.

The study, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute also showed that statins appear to cut in half the risk of metastatic or fatal prostate cancer, compared to men who did not use the cholesterol-lowering drugs.

The Health Professionals Follow-up Study involved more than 30,000 men, of whom between 4.4 percent and 9.3 percent initially reported using statins. This percentage had increased to 24% of study participants by 2000.

Compared with non-use of statins, current use was inversely linked to the risk of advanced disease after adjusting for age and other risk factors, the researchers said. In fact, the rate of advanced prostate cancer for the statin users in the study was 38 patients per 100,000 person-years, compared with 89 patients per 100,000 person-years for non-users, they noted. The association was even stronger for risk of metastatic and fatal prostate cancer, the team added.

Among men who used statins continuously for five or more years, the relative risk of higher-grade disease was lower than the relative risk of lower-grade disease, the researchers concluded.

Source: http://www.fightprostatecancer.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=7751

Statin Use Linked With Decreased Prostate Cancer Mortality Rates; Lower PSA Levels

Science Daily (May 20, 2007)- Urologists and researchers have postulated in recent years that statin medications could have an impact on the growth and progression of prostate cancer. Cholesterol is a primary building block for testosterone, which has in turn been linked with prostate tumor growth (less testosterone results in slower-growing tumors). In recent years, research has indicated a possible link between dietary fat intake and prostate cancer.

Research presented  at the 102nd Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Urological Association explores the effect statin medications (which work to reduce low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, levels) may have on prostate-specific antigen, the incidence of prostate cancer, and mortality due to prostate cancer.

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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.