Men's Health: Prostate Of The Union

by Kristen Fletcher

Your prostate likely ranks along with your colon atop a list of the things you don't want to read about, or even think about, for that matter. But--and it's a big, very important but--you still have to. The reason, of course, is that prostate cancer is among the most common cancers in men and is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in American males.

To really drive the point home, recently there has been some disconcerting news about how accurately the widely used prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood test is at detecting the disease. A study from Brigham and Women's Hospital, the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Harvard School of Public Health found that the PSA screen may miss as many as 82% of tumors.

Dr. Peter Scardino, chairman of the Department of Urology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, says the study doesn't change the fact that most men should continue to get tested every year after the age of 50, and if you're African-American or men with a family history, no later than 45. Prostate cancer risk increases with age and, although the reason is unknown, is more common among African-Americans. "

The great value of the PSA test, if you check it every year, is to watch it change over time," says Scardino. A rising level over the years may indicate cause for concern, but he says the test should be repeated a few weeks after a single high result to make sure it was not an anomaly and to determine if a biopsy is needed. The study also makes a strong argument that the cutoff point for a healthy PSA reading should be lowered from the current standard of 4 to 2.5 for men under 60, according to Scardino.

The good news is that researchers are gaining ground in discovering the causes of the disease and ways to better prevent and treat the condition. In fact, prostate cancer deaths are at an all-time recorded low. Below is a round up of the latest research findings and advice to prevent you from having to think much about your prostate in the future.

The Zinc Link
Zinc is crucial for bone health, the immune system and wound healing; it is found in oysters, steak, crab, nuts, fortified breakfast cereals and beans. The recommended daily allowance of zinc is 11 milligrams for men, but taking in too much zinc through supplements, which are often promoted as a way to prevent or reduce the length of colds, may increase your risk of prostate cancer. The U.S. National Cancer Institute recently found that men who took more than 100 milligrams per day, or took zinc supplements for ten years or more, had twice the risk of developing an advanced form of the disease. When it comes to zinc supplements, it may be better to chance the cold instead of the cancer.

Love Thyself
Turns out caring for your prostate can even be fun. Researchers at the Cancer Council Victoria in Melbourne, Australia, found that frequent masturbation between the ages of 20 and 50 may prevent carcinogens from building up in the prostatic ducts. Scardino says researchers have looked at many aspects of prostate cancer and sexual activity. "None has stood the test of time," he says. This one may not either, but a little insurance never hurts.
Lifestyle Changes Unfortunately, every aspect of prostate care isn't quite as enjoyable. Scardino says the best prevention is eating a low-fat diet, exercising and maintaining a healthy weight. New research also suggests that avoiding prostate cancer may be another reason to quit smoking. Although previous studies have been inconsistent, a coalition of researchers in Seattle published a study in the July 2003 issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention that found middle-aged smokers were 40% more likely to develop aggressive prostate cancer than nonsmokers.

Forbes Fact
An American man has a one-in-six chance of developing prostate cancer in his lifetime, according to the American Cancer Society, but deaths from prostate cancer have been declining gradually from a peak of 34,902 in 1994 to 31,078 in 2000. According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than 92% of the deaths from prostate cancer in 2000 were in men over the age of 65.

http://www.forbes.com/2003/08/05/cx_kf_0805htow.html