Preventing Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer in men. In fact, only skin cancer is more common. Over 200,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year, and one in six will be diagnosed with the disease for the rest of their lives.

However, there is some good news about prostate cancer as well. Out of one in six men who will be diagnosed with prostate cancer, only one in 34 will die from the disease. And, prostate cancer death rates are declining due to better early detection and treatment. Prostate cancer is usually a growing form of cancer, making it an excellent target for prevention.

Who Has Prostate Cancer?

Although doctors do not fully understand what causes prostate cancer, there are several risk factors that increase a person's chances of developing the disease.

Age - Most men diagnosed with prostate cancer are over 65 years old. By the time a man turns 80, his chance of getting prostate cancer is greater than 50%. However, at this age, prostate cancer is usually non-lethal, as it grows slowly until other health factors are more important.

Ethnicity - Doctors don't understand why, but African-American and Hispanic men are at greater risk for prostate cancer than Caucasian men.

Asian and Native American men have the lowest risk for the disease.

Diet - A diet high in saturated fat and low in fruits and vegetables increases the risk for men to develop prostate cancer. On the other hand, a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, high anti-oxidants and low saturated fat reduces a man's risk. Some foods that are considered important in reducing prostate cancer risk include:

or soya

o Tomatoes - Lycopene in tomatoes is a powerful antioxidant and is thought to be effective in preventing prostate cancer.

Omega 3 Fatty acids - as found in salmon and mackerel

o Vitamin D

of Selenium

Family History - The risk of developing prostate cancer is greater when he has a father or a brother who has developed the disease. It is true that his brothers developed a disease at a young age.

How can I prevent prostate cancer?

Well, obviously diet is an important concern in preventing prostate cancer. Make sure your diet is low in saturated fat and high in fruits and vegetables. Depending on the meat cut and make sure you get a good portion of fish rich in omega 3 fatty acids.

Another important aspect of protecting your prostate health is seeing your doctor. Currently, there are two ways to test for prostate cancer. The first is a simple digital anal exam. Most men will have this examination as part of their normal physical start after age 40.

In this test, the doctor inserted the lubricated finger, straddling the anus and manually sensing the prostate gland. The doctor can feel if the prostate is enlarged or if the lump can be felt. This is an important test, but it is not perfect, as doctors can only feel the bottom and sides of the prostate gland. There is still a problem with the upper part of the gland, or there may be a tumor that is too small to be felt.

The second test is called the PSA antigen (specific prostate) test. This is a blood test that examines the level of protein produced by the prostate. Normal prostitutes make only a small amount of this protein, but when a man has prostate cancer, he usually produces very high PSA levels.

Finally, along with a healthy diet, consider adding green tea. Green tea has been shown in many studies to prevent some form of cancer, prostate cancer among them. There has been a lot of research on this subject, as well as the ability of other foods and vitamins (as listed above) to prevent prostate cancer.

Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial is a document that examines all of these possible preventants, and looks at the available evidence to support their effectiveness. This report has been published by the UK Tea Council and includes numerous studies that support the theory that green tea can prevent prostate cancer. In addition, this report discusses the steps taken in the prevention of prostate cancer, and why it should be a prevention target, rather than a treatment.

Men often assume that at some point in their lives, they may have prostate problems, or possibly prostate cancer. And, it is still a common health issue that many men will face in their lifetime. However, if all men could adopt some simple preventive techniques, such as eating healthy foods including fruits, vegetables and green tea, and visiting their doctors regularly, it would be possible for us to reduce the number of men suffering from prostate cancer.

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