Nuclear Oncology

Archive for February, 2012

Green tea and prostate cancer prevention

A clinical study has shown that green tea can prevent prostate cancer, especially in men with family history. This new found benefits of this plant extract, besides its known diuretic and weight control.
After a study in which patients were analyzed in a prostate biopsy had found pre-malignant lesion called a PIN (Prostatic Intraepithelial Neoplasia), we know that to whom this lesion detected in the course of the first years, 30% will be diagnosed with prostate cancer.

We are currently working on obtaining catechins, green tea polyphenols, to be taken in capsule or tablet, since it is not yet available to all the green teas to drink 3 a day away from home. It is sometimes problematic, because the street is not found everywhere, nor is it advisable to prepare it before and have it in a bottle to take over the day, because after one hour polifemoles have been lost and no longer serve .

Although not the aim to study whether they improved the symptoms of prostate adenoma, benign growth but to treat the development of cancer after finding the PIN, 65% of patients with prostatic symptoms improved.

A prostate biopsy should be performed in two situations: when the DRE is a nodule, induration of the gland, or when the PSA is above the values that man is touched by age. However, the generally recommended value 4 by laboratories does not apply equally to all ages, a man of 70 years a value of 4 may be normal, but in another 40 years should not be more than 2, have 3 and would be high and should be biopsied.

If suspected the patient is made to biopsy with sedation, which allows us to have many more samples. Elsewhere in normal conditions, with local anesthesia will perform three samples from each side of the prostate, but not the same negative result with three signs that a negative result we do twenty, ten on each side.
There is always evolving, so that twice a year the patient must be resubmitted for review, get a PSA and when in doubt biopsy is done under sedation, which lasts about ten minutes. This unfortunately can not be done anywhere, we are privileged to be able to make a high quality medicine, having no limitations as may be in the public health.

The PSA is a marker of prostate cancer, not prostate cancer. Although up by the tumor, can also raise prostate infection, prostatitis, as well as inflammation or a benign growth, it also rises, but that does not necessarily mean cancer.

Apparently the men who are balding before age 30 have less risk of developing prostate cancer, according to a study by the University of Washington. And although baldness is not usually a desirable trait in males, it seems to be associated with better health forecasts, so if you have premature hair loss, consider from this study, to have health benefits.

The study was conducted by researchers at the University of Washington in the U.S., from a physical exam and 2000 men aged between 40 and 47 years, of which half of the sample had suffered from prostate cancer . The research results led to conclude that “(…) high testosterone levels that show those who lost their hair prematurely, have between 29 and 45 percent less likely to develop cancerous tumors,” especially those associated with the type aforementioned cancer.

According to Spain’s ABC newspaper, which is also disseminating this information, the researchers performed a comparison of the rate of tumors in those who said they had cut their hair as they were 30 years or less with those who did not suffer hair loss.

Within the study report that baldness is generated when the hair follicles of the head are subjected to an excessive amount of dihydrotestosterone, a chemical produced by the hormone, with high levels of testosterone, causing baldness also seem to be a protective factor against prostate cancer.

And that is despite acknowledging that people who already suffer from this cancer are given drugs that reduce testosterone levels, since it is associated with rapid tumor growth, are considered protective when presented at an early age.

If you want more information here recorded, may go directly to the publication by researchers at Cancer Epidemiology which made the publication of the article.