Howard Waage ---- Editor
Where: Our meeting will be in the Bennett & Suzy Katz Cancer Resource Center on the 1st Floor of the two-story redwood Education Building behind Santa Cruz Dominican Hospital.
When: Tuesday, October 25th, 2011 at 7:00 p.m.. For more information, please call The Bennett and Suzy Katz Cancer Resource Center at Dominican Hospital (831) 462-7770
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By Joan Endyke
GateHouse News Service, Sept 28, 2011 - Prostate cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men. Research suggests what you eat or choose not to eat may help in prevention.
Genetics account for only an estimated 5 to 10 percent of prostate cancer risk, according to the American Cancer Society. Age increases risk, and ethnic background also plays a role. Men with a first-degree relative diagnosed with prostate cancer before age 65 and African-American men are at double the risk, and perhaps this sub population should be extra vigilant with their diets.
The dietary factors linked with increased risk of prostate cancer are red meat, dietary fat, saturated fat, dairy products and too much calcium. Factors that lower risk appear to be plant foods high in carotenoids, lycopenes and antioxidants like soy, fiber and fruit.
Men who consumed red meat (beef, pork or lamb) at least five times per week had more than double the risk than those who had it less than once per week in Harvard's Physician's Health study of almost 15,000 men. Other studies find daily meat consumption to triple risk.
Nitrate-preserved cold cuts and charbroiled beef also appear detrimental because they contain chemical compounds that affect DNA and cancer progression. Consider substituting turkey or veggie burgers for beef burgers; chicken or turkey sausage for pork sausage; hummus or tuna for cold cuts in sandwiches; and vegetarian soy crumbles (found in the freezer section) for ground beef in chili or meat sauce recipes. And try choosing red meat once a week or less.
This one change can help in other ways. For example, it will likely lower total and saturated fat, which promotes production of sex hormones that affect the prostate, and may create room on the plate for factors that offer protection like fruits, vegetables, soy and fiber.
Excess milk, dairy products and calcium could be detrimental, too. Studies find milk in excess of two glasses per day, high-fat dairy products like cheese and ice cream and taking a calcium supplement raises the risk of prostate cancer.
Dairy products may affect risk because of an increase in insulin growth factor, which promotes tumor growth. Excess calcium needs vitamin D for absorption, which pulls this important gene-expression nutrient out of the bloodstream and away from helping DNA in cells.
Like red meat, consider limiting full-fat cheese and ice cream, and perhaps try soy milk or vanilla soy milk as a substitute for cow's milk. In one study, drinking just one glass of soy milk daily decreased the incidence of prostate cancer risk by 70 percent. Men should not take a calcium supplement unless evaluated by a doctor or dietitian.
What to eat? Eat two or more fruits daily, including tomatoes and tomato products; generous portions of vegetables, including onions, broccoli, cauliflower and other cruciferous vegetables as well as carrots, sweet potatoes and other carotenoid-rich varieties. Also eat whole grains, lean proteins like fish or poultry and vegetarian meals made from beans or soy.
Joan Endyke is a registered dietitian with a master's degree in food and nutrition. Source: http://www.enterprisenews.com
By Jo Ciavaglia
September 30, 2011 - How old is too old to treat prostate cancer? At Central Bucks Urology in Doylestown Pennsylvania, doctors have recommended some men as young as 55 years old forgo treatment, while prescribing surgery for men in their late 70s. Abington Memorial's Rosenfeld Cancer Center occasionally treats men for prostate cancer who are in their early 80s.
Mount Laurel, N.J., urologist Dr. Adam Perzin has a prostate cancer survivor who underwent aggressive treatment in his mid-70s. Today he is 93. "He's doing absolutely fine," added Perzin, president of Delaware Valley Urology, a large private practice in South Jersey with offices in Medford and Mount Laurel in Burlington County.
To treat or not to treat, that is the ongoing debate over how the medical community should handle older men diagnosed with prostate cancer, the second leading cause of cancer death in U.S. men, behind lung cancer. Recent U.S. medical guidelines recommend against routine prostate cancer screenings or treatment for men over age 75 citing studies that show it can cause more harm than benefit; other research has questioned the benefit of aggressive treatment for patients with advanced disease or other health problems.
Most recently, UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers found that men over age 75 were under-treated for prostate cancer though most had a life expectancy of at least 10 years, while others who had other health problems, such as heart disease or diabetes, were over-treated and doing more poorly than expected. The results were based on a review of medical records for roughly 1,000 prostate cancer patients treated at two veterans hospitals between 1997 and 2004. The study appeared this week in an online edition of the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
Generally, prostate cancer is considered a slow progressing cancer and can take 10 years or longer before it becomes life-threatening. Aggressive treatment is generally not recommended in patients older than 75 to avoid overtreatment and related debilitating side effects. A 2008 study found that older men with early-stage prostate cancer were not taking a big life risk by not seeking immediate treatment and most were alive 10 years later without serious symptoms or had died of other causes. Among local urologists and cancer specialists, the consensus is that there is no specific age limit when it comes to treating prostate cancer, it depends entirely on the individual.
Dr. Albert Ruenes Jr. of Central Bucks urology in Doylestown says more important than age when recommending a treatment course for prostate cancer tumor aggressiveness, the patient's overall health and life expectancy."There are certain 75-year-olds and I ask, 'What did their parents die of?' And they say my dad is still alive," Ruenes said. "That is a guy you should probably consider treating."Typically aggressive treatment is
not recommended in cases involving patients with a low-grade tumor and a life expectancy of less than 15 years, Ruenes said. In his practice, watching and waiting, not treatment, is recommended for one-quarter of prostate cancer patients.
Oncologist Dr. Anthony Magdalinski of Bucks-Mont Oncology-Hematology in Sellersville agrees that age is only one factor. He has patients who are chronologically 75 years old, but physiologically are more similar to a 55-year-old and other patients who are the reverse. Magdalinski also pointed out that the UCLA study didn't specify other factors such as if the patients had aggressive or low-grade cancer, which is as important as age when determining the best course of treatment.
Retrospective studies, like the UCLA one, use previously collected data, lack a control group, and often are not considered as strong as data collected in a randomized prospective study, Magdalinski added. "There is always new research and always new therapies on the horizon," he added. "Patients shouldn't throw their hands up too early."
The question of how old is too old for treatment is something doctors grapple with daily, said Dr. Wayne Pinover, a radiation oncologist at Abington Memorial Hospital, and co-director of its prostate evaluation program. Doctors typically use age 75 as the cutoff for aggressive treatment based on actuarial data that men that age have an average life expectancy of less than 10 years, he said. But there are always exceptions. "You don't want to automatically say, 'We don't want to treat you,' " he added.
There is a great deal of ageism in how society approaches medical treatment for senior citizens, added Dr. Adam Perzin of Delaware Valley Urology. Studies often attempt to create the illusion that it's possible to create a formulaic approach to prostate cancer, he added. "To suggest there is a formula that could be handed to someone, some nice algorithm that you can hand to the medical resident, it's not that simple," he added.
Source: http://www.phillyburbs.com/
The San Jose, Santa Cruz, Silicon Valley, and Silicon Valley Advanced Prostate Cancer Support Groups Present:
DR. CHARLES E. "SNUFFY" MYERS World Renowned Prostate Cancer Oncologist
Date and Time: Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011 @ 7:00 PM Location: El Camino Hospital, Conference Room F 2500 Grant Rd, Mountain View, CA 94040
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Below are online resources for learning about your prostate cancer. "Prostate Cancer Websites" includes some of the more popular locations for newly diagnosed patients to do research, with links to more specialized sites where patients may go to get answers and do their “homework”. NOTE: The resources listed here are not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult qualified medical resources before making any treatment decision.
The Santa Cruz County Prostate Cancer Support Group maintains quite a few up to date books and videos about prostate cancer, prevention, diagnosis and treatment options for anyone interested in doing research or needs information about this disease. The library is located at the Katz Cancer Resource Center Dominican Hospital Education Building 1555 Soquel Drive, Santa Cruz, CA Open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday or by Appointment (831) 462 7770.
Our support group has ongoing operating expenses beyond what our sponsors can provide. We do not have dues, but hope members will consider making any size donation to help us. Donations are welcome to assist us in maintaining and expanding our programs within the local community including the costs to run our website. The funds also help in keeping our library up to date with up to date books and literature regarding the treatment of prostate cancer, managing side affects, active surveillance, as well as information on nutrition, diet and lifestyle. Please make checks payable to "Santa Cruz County Prostate Cancer Support Group" and mail to:
Santa Cruz County Prostate Cancer Support Group
C/O Howard Waage
63 Asta Drive
La Selva Beach, CA 95076
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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.
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.