More Stuff That Doesn't Help

If it sounds too good to be true...

Over the years there have been many studies and articles touting one food or vitamin as preventing or slowing prostate cancer. In many cases it later turned out that there was no benefit or even a negative relationship.

In an article by Dan Zenka, a prostate cancer survivor and VP of the Prostate Cancer Foundation, he discusses some recent studies. The article is A Fresh Look at Six PCa Myths. It is based on research gathered by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle. Some of this may surprise even you long time survivors. I'm going to mention five of these myths--you can go to his article to see all six.

Some commonsense beliefs from the past--now rejected

1 Eating tomato-based products prevents prostate cancer. For years men were encouraged to eat red pasta sauce, ketchup, and other products high in lycopene. Turns out there is no association with preventing prostate cancer. So go ahead and eat your red stuff, but don't expect it to save you.

2 Having high testosterone increases your risk of prostate cancer. Nope. Testosterone levels have no association with prostate cancer risk. Numerous studies have confirmed this.

3 Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) decreases prostate cancer risk. Actually, high blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids increase the odds of developing high-risk prostate cancer. Fish oil has always been considered the 'safe' supplement. Go figure.

4 Vitamins and dietary supplements can prevent prostate cancer. I think most of us have heard that this wasn't necessarily true, but recent studies confirm that there is no association with prevention for most vitamins and supplements and increased risk from others. For example, vitamin E has been shown to actually increase the risk of getting prostate cancer.

5 We don't know which prostate cancers need to be treated and which need to be left alone. That was true at one time but not now. Of the more than 27 known varieties of prostate cancer, there are differences in how they should or could be treated. There are several factors to help your oncologist determine how fast or slow your prostate cancer is growing and how large and aggressive the tumor is. The PSA test is one piece of the puzzle and the biopsy tells you how big the tumor is and how fast it is growing (Gleason score). Then make sure you are a part of the decisions  made regarding treatment or active surveillance.

There are no silver bullets to protect you from prostate cancer (except maybe being born female). Being active, eating healthy foods (as best you can determine), keeping an open mind, seeing your medical team on a regular basis, and maintaining a positive attitude might help (I believe this helps me, but I could be wrong).

axman

The Perils of being a Geriatric Adrenaline Junkie

…or maybe it’s a benefit

I spent a lot of the last week climbing around on the 2x4 skeleton of a large barn roof. It needed to be replaced and I hired someone younger and more talented to do the hard work but there was still plenty of climbing left for me. Way up there I move pretty slowly and hang on with at least one arthritic hand at all times.

I’ve noticed that I’m a lot more cautious on high ladders and roofs than I was 20 years ago and infinitely more cautious than when I was 18 (no fear in those days). What ever happened to my balance, grip, and confidence?

After all these years I still get a kick from taking a little risk – jumping out of an airplane for my 65^th birthday, driving the Jeep on steep, narrow, mountain ruts…

It’s fun to be just on the edge – not too close, but just enough uncertainty to get the old heart beating a little faster. Push the envelope just a little bit. I may not live longer but I don’t intend to die from boredom.

When I was first treated for prostate cancer (and NOT cured) I asked my doctor how long it would be before it killed me. His reply was: “Don’t worry; you’re more likely to get hit by a bus than die of cancer!” And that’s just how I intend to proceed; watch out buses!

axman