A New Agent That Might Change the Lives of Many Cancer Patients

This is not only good news for all prostate cancer patients, but is also good news for all cancer patients. 

The investigational radiopharmaceutical radium-223 chloride (Alpharadin) has recently been shown to improve survival in patients with advanced prostate cancer and bone metastases.  This agent could potentially be used in other cancer patients to extend their lives. 

The beauty of this product is that it is highly targeted for bone metastases; so this product will be valuable for many different Stage IV cancers patients whose cancers have spread to bones. 

Radium-223 chloride works by releasing minute, highly charged, targeted doses of radiation (alpha particles) that are highly lethal to cancer cancers but have a short penetration.  This specific targeting delivers radiation to the bone metastases and minimizes the damage done elsewhere. 

New Prostate Cancer Drug Approved by FDA

Good news for patients with metastatic prostate cancer.  The FDA (US Food and Drug Administration) has approved Johnson & Johnson’s Zytiga (abiraterone) in combination with prednisone to treat patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer who have received prior chemotherapy. 

Abiraterone blocks the formation of testosterone by inhibiting an enzyme called CYP17A1. This enzyme is involved in the formation of steroid hormones (DHEA and androstenedione), which may ultimately be metabolized into testosterone. 

In a clinical trial involving 1195 patients with late-stage prostate cancer, patients who received abiraterone once daily in combination with prednisone two times a day had a median overall survival of 14.8 months, compared to 10.9 months among patients receiving a placebo and prednisone combination. 

What should you do if you have Prostate Cancer?

You should check whether you are overweight or obese*.  If you have prostate cancer and are overweight, you should try to lower your weight immediately.  

A new study presented at the American Urological Association inWashington,DCfound that overweight and obese prostate cancer patients are more likely to have their cancer spread. 

Researchers atDukeUniversityfollowed 287 men who had their prostate gland after the cancer diagnosis for 6 years.  All these patients received androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) after the surgery, but their cancers recurred. 

United States Was Ranked Seventh in Global Cancer Rates

According to the data published by the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR), the United States has the seventh highest cancer rate in the world, according to new data published by the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR). 

Of the 50 nations with the highest overall cancer rates in the world, Denmark is ranked number one while South Africa is at the bottom.  Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, France, United States, Norway, Canada and Czech Republic are the other countries listed in the top ten countries with the highest cancer rates. 

The high cancer rates in these countries are thought to be related to the unhealthy lifestyles such as alcohol consumption and being inactive.  Denmark, for example, has a high rate of alcohol and tobacco consumption. 

Male Pattern Baldness – An Early Sign for Prostate Cancer?

Androgenic alopecia, commonly known as male pattern baldness, is a common disorder affecting almost 50% of men throughout their lifetime.  

Androgenic alopecia is caused by a genetic sensitivity of hair follicles to androgens, which causes the hair follicles to shrink. This shortens their lifespan and prevents the scalp from producing hair normally. 

Androgens have also been shown to play a role in the development of prostate cancer.  

Finger Length Can Tell Whether You Are at Risk of Prostate Cancer?

Some people say Chinese palm reading is superstitious.  I disagree.  In Western Medicine, scientists also use retrospective studies to  identify individuals at risk of developing certain diseases (such as lung cancer). 

In the latest issue of British Journal of Cancer, investigators analyzed the right-hand pattern and prostate cancer risk in 5000 individuals.  

Over a 15-year period, researchers from the University of Warwick and The Institue of cancer Research (ICR) collected data on finger length in 1,524 patients with prostate cancer as well as 3,044 healthy people. 

They found that men with index finger longer ring finger had a lower risk (33% risk reduction) of getting prostate cancer.  The risk reduction was even greater (87% reduction) in men younger than 60 years old.  Men whose index and ring fingers were the same length had a similar prostate cancer risk to those with a shorter index than ring finger.

Use of Aspirin was Found to Reduce Prostate Cancer Risk

Recent interest in the role of inflammation has sparked many studies to evaluate whether aspirin or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can prevent cancers.

In a case-control study designed to investigate the relation between pain relievers and prostate cancer risk, investigators evaluated the relationship between the use of anti-inflammatory drugs and the risk of prostate caner in 2000 individuals between 2002 and 2005.

The investigator found that use of aspirin was association with a significant 21% reduction in the risk of prostate cancer when compared with aspirin nonusers.

Aspirin Can Prevent From Several Common Cancers

If you are taking aspirin to prevent heart attack, you should be glad to know that you might also be protected from a variety of cancers.  

According to a new study published in Lancet, taking aspirin over a long period of time can cut the risk of dying from a variety of cancers.  The protective effect also increases with age. 

The study, involving 25,570 patients, was originally designed to evaluate the effect of aspirin to prevent heart attacks.  After a follow-up of 20 years, the researchers showed a 21 reduction in deaths due to cancers in patients who had taken aspirin.  

Prostate cancer – Causes, Symptoms, Prognosis, Diagnosis and Latest Treatment

Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer diagnosed in men in the U.S., with 179,000 new cases diagnosed in 2002 and 31,500 deaths are reported relating to this disease.  The National Cancer Institute estimates that one in six men will develop prostate cancer in their lifetime, typically after the age of 55.   With 29% of all cancers in men being prostate cancer, the incidence of the disease is comparable to that seen with breast cancer. 

In most cases, prostate cancer produces little or no symptoms.  The cancer usually grows very slowly and may remain confined to the gland for many years.  It is not until the tumor has enlarged and pressed on the urethra or has spread to other areas of the body, such as the spine or the pelvic bones, will symptoms begin to appear.  At that time, patients may experience incomplete bladder emptying, decreased urinary stream, urinary hesitancy, nocturia and pelvic pain.  

Aspirin Reduces Mortality in Prostate Cancer

In the Chinese Medicine, the cause of cancer is thought to be associated with the dysfunction of the coagulation system.  

Now, a study presented at the 52^nd Annual Meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) has confirmed this theory.  The results of the study indicated that antioagulant use in prostate cancer patients lowered prostate cancer mortality by more than 50%. 

The study cohort consisted of 5,295 men with localized adenocarcinoma of the prostate who underwent treatment with either radical prostatectomy (n = 3,523) or radiotherapy (n = 1772).   

Within this group, 37% (1,982 patients) received either warfarin (n = 428), clopidogrel (n = 287), enoxaparin (n = 26), aspirin (n = 1649), or a combination (n = 408) at the time of enrollment or during the follow-up period. 

After a median follow-up of 59 months (~5 years), prostate cancer mortality was significantly lower in patients who used anticoagulants than in nonusers (1% vs. 4% at 7 years and 4% vs. 10% at 10 years; P<.01). 

Further analysis by anticoagulant type indicated that the observed benefit was primarily due to the aspirin use.

Source: American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) 52nd Annual Meeting: Abstract 270. To be presented November 3, 2010.

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