9 prostate cancer myths, debunked

After skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer in men. In 2017, the American Cancer Society estimates about 161,360 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed and about 26,730 men will die from it. The good news is that survival rates for prostate cancer are high, but experts say there are several myths out there about how it’s diagnosed and treated, and how it may affect men’s health and sex lives.

1. It’s an old man’s disease. According to the American Cancer Society, six in 10 cases of prostate cancer are diagnosed in men ages 65 and older. Although many men think prostate cancer is something they need to start thinking about in their 60s, men as young as 40 are diagnosed with prostate cancer too. What’s more, screening all men between ages 45 and 49 for prostate cancer can predict almost half of all deaths several decades later, a 2013 study in the journal BMJ found.

2. There are no symptoms. It’s true that many men with prostate cancer may not have any symptoms, even for those who have metastatic disease. Many symptoms of prostate cancer can also mimic other benign conditions like prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) or an enlarged prostate, a urinary tract infection (UTI) or another type of cancer. Nevertheless, if you notice urinary frequency, urgency, a slow or weak flow or an obstruction of the flow, blood in your urine or ejaculate, bone pain, or unexpected weight loss, you should see your doctor to be evaluated, Dr. Chung-Han Lee, a medical oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Westchester in West Harrison, New York, told Fox News.

3. Blood PSA levels are only one way to make a diagnosis. High blood prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels usually indicate prostate cancer, but the only definitive way to diagnose it is with a prostate biopsy, Lee said.

4. You must start treatment right away. If you’re diagnosed with prostate cancer, your doctor will first determine the stage and your risk group — low, intermediate or high-risk — before deciding on a treatment plan. He’ll also take into account other conditions you may have, like obesity, heart disease and type 2 diabetes, as well as your smoking history, before deciding on the course of treatment. If you have other medical problems but a low-grade prostate cancer, for example, your doctor may hold off on treatment. Yet if you’re otherwise healthy and have an aggressive form of prostate cancer, treatment may be done earlier.

5. Natural remedies can help. Selenium, alkaline water, high-dose vitamin C, and even a combination of maple syrup and baking soda have been cited as ways to prevent and treat prostate cancer. The thinking behind them is, “If you alkalize your blood then cancer has a hard time surviving because cancer cells love an acidic environment,” Dr. Geo Espinosa, a naturopathic and functional medicine doctor in New York City, and author of, “Thrive, Don’t Only Survive,” told Fox News. Yet experts agree there’s no evidence any of these can help.

6. Surgery will end your sex life. Surgery will likely cause impotence at least initially, but most men will regain the ability to become erect with treatments such as Kegel exercises. How the surgery will impact your sex life depends on whether or not your doctor has to remove the nerve bundles that run on either side of the prostate. “If they can save at least one of them, then they can still have erections, sometimes with assistance,” Lee said. Medications like Viagra or injections, or a a penile implant or pump can help.

7. Diet and lifestyle don’t matter. You might think there’s no way to reduce your risk for prostate cancer, but diet and lifestyle actually play a significant role. Diets low in carbohydrates and sugar like the Mediterranean diet, and moderate to vigorous exercise three to four hours a week have been shown to help prevent the disease. It’s also a good idea to get 15 to 30 minutes of sun exposure sans sunscreen on 40 percent of your body, or talk to your doctor about a supplement, as low levels of vitamin D may predict aggressive prostate cancer, a 2016 study out of Northwestern Medicine found. Also, herbs like curcumin and boswellia lower inflammation and reduce biological markers that contribute to cancer, Espinosa said.

8. Treatment is a cure. Within 10 years of prostate cancer treatment, 40 percent of the time PSA levels will start to rise again, Espinosa said. It’s also not uncommon to be diagnosed and treated for low-grade prostate cancer and years later be diagnosed again with metastatic prostate cancer. If you’ve have prostate cancer, it’s important to be monitored roughly every three to six months within the first one to two years of treatment, After two years, you should get checked out every six to 12 months. If the PSA is undetectable after five years, you should be monitored every 12 months.

9. It’s fatal. The risk that prostate cancer will be fatal depends on how aggressive it is and the other medical conditions you may have. The good news is that for all stages of prostate cancer, the survival rates are high: The five-year survival rate is nearly 100 percent; the 10-year survival rate is 98 percent; and the 15-year survival rate is 95 percent.

One cancer is linked to highest suicide risk

Suicide is more common among cancer patients, but a new study suggests people suffering from lung cancer are at a higher risk than those who struggle with other forms of the disease.

For the study, researchers from Weill Cornell Medical College/New York Presbyterian Hospital analyzed information from a large patient database of 3,640,229 people, looking at suicide deaths for lung, prostate, breast and colorectal cancers individually. They found that over four decades, there were 6,661 suicides among cancer patients. When they compared suicides among cancer patients to the general population, the rate in patients with any kind of cancer was 60 percent higher.

"Cancer patients are under a lot of duress and stress when they're under treatment," said study author Dr. Jeffrey Port, a thoracic and cardiac surgeon at Weill Cornell Medical Center, told CBS News. When the scientists broke down the data on suicide by cancer type, they found dramatic differences. The suicide rate among lung cancer patients stood out: it was more than four times higher than the general population. They also found suicide rates were 40 percent higher than average among colorectal cancer patients, and 20 percent higher among those diagnosed with breast cancer or prostate cancer. Despite this, many doctors don't consider suicide risk in cancer patients, Port said. Patients may feel anxiety, depression or hopelessness after hearing stories from family members or friends who knew someone with the disease.

Port said doctors need to reassure their patients that every case is unique and that there are good treatments for early stage patients. "As lung cancer surgeons, we know the lung cancer diagnosis is a very serious diagnosis, but what's not out there is that patients with early stage disease are highly curable," said Port. What was most striking about the findings, Port said, is that 50 percent of suicides in lung cancer patients occurred in people who had what specialists consider highly treatable disease. "There's a disconnect about patients understanding their particular outcomes," he said. Suicide rates were also higher among Asians, men, older patients, those who were widowed, those who refused surgical treatment, and those with metastatic lung cancer , according to the study, which was presented at the American Thoracic Society 2017 International Conference, in Washington, D.C. Lung cancer (small cell and non-small cell types) is the second most common type among both men and women in the U.S. (not counting skin cancer, which was not included in the study).

The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2017, there will be about 222,500 new cases of lung cancer diagnosed and approximately 155,870 deaths from the disease. Lung cancer specialists don't tend to be well trained on the mental health side of patient care, said Port. "For us as a group it's striking that we're trained in medical school – we learn about the physical aspects of exam, but especially surgeons, we don't do a deeper dive into the psychosocial exams. It's pretty eye-opening that we should have to learn to ask patients, 'Are you sleeping, are you eating, how are your feeling about your diagnosis?' Doctors need to include these questions as part of the exam," said Port, adding that their care should be integrated with nurses and others who provide health care during cancer treatment.

One factor that may weigh heavily on the shoulders of patients: the consequences of lifelong health choices. "Eighty-five percent of our patients have traditionally been smokers and may have guilt about smoking all their life," Port said. But he also noted, "There's reason to be hopeful." "Each person's tumor is different genetically and we now have unique targeted therapies —immunotherapy — for early stage disease regardless of tumor type," he said. Dr. Joseph Weiner, an psychiatrist at Zucker Hillside Hospital, in Glen Oaks, New York, told CBS News that while the new study shows a correlation between lung cancer and suicide, other issues may come into play. "There may be other variables contributing that may be related to chemotherapies. And some people with lung cancer have changes in hormone secretions that may affect mood. A decrease in oxygen going to the brain may affect judgment and impulsivity, too," said Weiner.

Over much of Weiner's career he's worked with people who have had medical illnesses, including cancer. "I've gotten to see people suffer tremendously, emotionally. Some are unable to cope with a serious diagnosis and fall into depression, while others transcend their suffering and find hope even in the face of death," Weiner said. The way a doctor speaks to a cancer patient can have a big impact on that person's mental health and how he or she copes with the disease, said Weiner, whose wife died of lung cancer in 2015 almost a year after her diagnosis. He said she was a very strong person, but had some physicians who were better than others when it came to communication and compassion. "My wife asked her oncologist, 'Will I live long enough to watch my daughter graduate?' and the oncologist said, 'Now you're pushing it,'" said Weiner.

He said his wife was a strong person and didn't let it get in her way of focusing on her dream. But Weiner said a better alternative would have been to say, "I can't promise, but I can promise we'll try as hard as we can." For patients struggling with depression and suicide risk, words can have a powerful affect, he noted. Support can make a difference. "One of the destructive things a clinician can say is that there's nothing more we can do for you. There's always something we can do for you, whether it's pain management, symptom control, holding a hand, giving a hug, connecting with a chaplain or mental health provider, or discussing medication for depression and anxiety. It's not just the application of chemotherapy.

It's about the provision of humanity," he said. Most of all, he said doctors treating lung cancer and other cancer patients can provide hope. "Hope is broad. None of us live forever. What are we hoping for? Are we hoping to be loved? Are we hoping to leave a legacy for our lives? To see someone get married? Are we hoping to demonstrate to our loved ones that we can approach a life circumstance with great dignity? Are we looking to thank people? Are we looking to ask for forgiveness? I'm talking about hope as a process of how you want to live your life. Focusing on the day rather than the medical outcome."

Prostate, Hair Loss Drugs Not Tied to Suicide Risk

Drugs used to treat enlarged prostate and male pattern baldness may raise an older man's risk of depression and self-harm, but not their risk of suicide, a new study finds. The study focused on a class of medications called 5a- reductase inhibitors (5ARIs), which include widely used drugs for male pattern baldness, such as Propecia, and Proscar, used to fight an enlarged prostate gland.

Researchers led by Dr. Blayne Welk, of Western University in Ontario, Canada, noted that "there have been concerns raised by patients and regulatory agencies regarding serious psychiatric adverse effects" in users of 5ARIs. To learn more, Welk's team tracked data on more than 93,000 Canadian men, aged 66 and older. The men had started a new prescription for a 5ARI medication between 2003 and 2013. Although the study wasn't designed to prove cause-and-effect, some psychiatric trends were seen.

The men had an 88 percent increased risk of self-harm in the first 18 months of starting on 5ARIs, but that risk disappeared after that point. Their risk of depression rose by 94 percent during the first 18 months and continued to be elevated after that, but to a much lesser degree, the findings showed. However, the study did not show any elevation in suicide risk for men taking the drugs, according to the report published online March 20 in JAMA Internal Medicine. Overall, the researchers said that the absolute risk of psychiatric effects to any one patient remain low.

"And the potential benefits of 5ARIs in this population likely outweigh these risks for most patients," the study authors concluded. Two physicians -- a urologist and a psychiatrist -- believe the findings should be included in discussions between patients and their doctors. Also, "at the first follow-up visit after initiating the medication, physicians will need to ask patients about depression-related symptoms," said Dr. Manish Vira. He's vice-chair of urologic research at The Arthur Smith Institute for Urology, part of Northwell Health in Lake Success, N.Y. However, Vira agreed with the study authors that the medications "do provide significant benefits to patients with regards to prostate-related urinary symptoms and should continue to be an option for treatment."

 Dr. Richard Catanzaro is chief of psychiatry at Northern Westchester Hospital in Mt. Kisco, N.Y. He pointed out that both enlarged prostate and male pattern baldness are not life-threatening conditions. So the new study raises questions about the merits of treating these conditions with 5ARIs if psychiatric symptoms are taken into consideration, he said. "The study also raises several other interesting issues: Is it the physician's role to decide what constitutes quality of life? Does the slight risk that a medication may cause an increase in depression and self-harm outweigh the benefits of treating a non-life-threatening condition that someone feels severely impacts their life?"

Catanzaro said. "In some cases, for example, someone with [an enlarged prostate] may awaken several times during the night to use the bathroom. Is that worse than being depressed? Quality of life is an issue that must be the basis of a conversation between the patient and the physician," he said. According to Catanzaro, open communication about drugs and their potential side effects is key. "Physicians should have a comprehensive conversation with their patients about the known risks of these medications and whether they believe these are outweighed by potential benefits," he said.

Prostate cancer risk soars by a quarter if men drink just one or two beers

Having just one or two beers can increase your prostate cancer risk by nearly a quarter, according to new research. Scientists are working on understanding the link between alcohol and cancer say it is a known risk factor for breast cancer and at least seven types of digestive system cancers.

It is also suggested that any type of alcohol may increase the risk of cancers of the skin, pancreas and prostate. Even at low-volume drinking, classed as up to two drinks per day, men had a 23 per cent greater risk of prostate cancer compared to people who have never drunk.

The new collaborative study was done by researchers at the Centre for Addictions Research of BC at the University of Victoria and Australia's National Drug Research Institute at Curtin University, and provides new evidence of a significant relationship between alcohol consumption and the risk of prostate cancer. The article appeared in BMC Cancer, a peer-reviewed online journal. Part of the problem with most previous studies comes from what scientists call "abstainer bias," where former drinkers were lumped together with people who have never touched a drop.

This practice can disguise the association between alcohol intake and health problems like prostate cancer by making drinkers "look good" in comparison with a group containing unhealthy former drinkers. The research team identified all 340 previously published studies on alcohol and prostate cancer and found 27 that attempted to measure the risk at different levels of consumption. Controlling for abstainer bias in their analysis of all those studies, they found a statistically significant relationship between amount of alcohol consumed and risk of prostate cancer among current drinkers, meaning the more you drink, the greater your risk of prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men in Canada, Australia and Britain, and is the fifth most common cause of cancer death in men worldwide. CARBC director and co-author Dr Tim Stockwell said: ""This new study contributes to the strengthening evidence that alcohol consumption is a risk factor for prostate cancer. "Alcohol consumption will need to be factored in to future estimates of the global burden of disease." Report co-author Dr Tanya Chikritzhs added: "These findings highlight the need for better methods in research on alcohol and health. "Past and future studies that demonstrate protection from disease due to low-level drinking should be treated with caution."

10 foods that can help prevent prostate cancer

Prostate cancer is the most common non-skin cancer among men and there will be more than 180,000 new cases of prostate cancer diagnosed this year alone, the American Cancer Society estimates. It’s well known that diets high in saturated fats like those found in meat and dairy are associated with a higher risk for prostate cancer. And although one particular diet has not been shown to prevent prostate cancer, men who follow a vegan diet had a 35 percent lower risk than those who followed a non-vegetarian, lacto-ovo-vegetarian, pesco-vegetarian, or semi-vegetarian diet, according to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

“We have enough data to support that eating properly can significantly reduce the risk of prostate cancer,” said Dr. Geo Espinosa, a naturopathic and functional medicine doctor in New York City and author of, “Thrive, Don’t Only Survive.”

Here are 10 healthy foods that can help decrease your prostate cancer risk.

1. Broccoli Experts agree eating a diet rich in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, collard greens and kale is one of the best ways to ward off prostate cancer. Cruciferous vegetables are not only low in carbohydrates, which have been linked to cancer, but they’re rich in antioxidants and phytochemicals that may prevent cell changes that can lead to it.

2. Salmon “People who follow the Mediterranean diet have a lower risk of developing prostate cancer,” said Lisa Cimperman a registered dietitian nutritionist, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and a clinical dietitian at University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio. One of the key players in the Mediterranean diet is fish. Salmon, in particular, is a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, polyunsaturated fats that have been shown to ward off prostate cancer. Other winners include sardines, mackerel and halibut.

3. Brazil nuts “One of the most important minerals for prostate cancer protection is selenium,” Espinosa said. Selenium levels decrease with age but studies show that men who have high levels of selenium are the least likely to develop prostate cancer. Brazil nuts are a rich source of selenium: just six to eight contain more than 700 percent of the daily value.

4. Tomatoes Tomatoes contain lycopene, a carotenoid—or plant pigment—which may prevent prostate cancer. In fact, men who eat 10 portions of tomatoes a week can reduce their risk for prostate cancer by 18 percent, a study in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention found. Although eating raw or cooked tomatoes may be beneficial, studies show that lycopene is better absorbed when it’s paired with fat. Add a small amount of olive oil to your favorite marinara sauce or drizzle some over a tomato salad. 

5. Walnuts A diet that includes whole walnuts or walnut oil slowed prostate cancer growth in mice and reduced levels of the hormone IGF-1, which has been linked to prostate cancer, a study in the Journal of Medicinal Food found. Walnuts are likely winners because they’re low in carbohydrates and high in healthy omega-3 fatty acids.

6. Berries Although fruit is filled with anti-cancer antioxidants, too much sugar— even natural sugars from fruit— have been associated with cancer. In fact, a study in the journal Annals of Oncology found that men who had a high glycemic load diet had a 26 percent increased risk of developing prostate cancer than lose who had a diet with a lower glycemic load. Cancer has also been associated with oxidative stress but if you can prevent it, the cells will be less likely to turn into cancer, Espinosa said. Some of the best foods to combat oxidative stress include blueberries, raspberries and strawberries, which are high in anti-oxidants and have a low glycemic index.

7. Coffee A meta-analysis published in the journal Cancer Causes and Control found that drinking four to five cups of coffee a day might be associated with a reduction in prostate cancer. Not only does coffee contain antioxidants, but coffee can help you metabolize sugars more efficiently, which is associated with a lower risk of developing cancer, Espinosa said. If you’re not a coffee drinker, green tea is a close second.

8. Carrots Men who eat three servings of carrots a week are 18 percent less likely to develop prostate cancer, found a study in the European Journal of Nutrition. Carrots, as well as pumpkin and winter squash, are a rich source of beta-carotene, a carotenoid that is converted to vitamin A and has antioxidant properties.

9. Pomegranate juice Pomegranate is rich in antioxidants and research suggests that pomegranate juice may ward off cancer. In fact, components in pomegranate juice can prevent the movement of cancer cells and weaken their attraction to a chemical signal that promotes the metastasis of prostate cancer to the bone, according to a study out of the University of California, Riverside found.

10. Soy Although it’s not clear that eating soy-rich foods alone can prevent cancer, laboratory studies show that treating prostate cancer cells with the isoflavones found in soy protein may interfere with the pathways in prostate cancer cells that are related to inflammation and the growth and spread of cancer, Cimperman said.

What’s more, studies have found that Japanese men have a lower risk for prostate cancer, likely because their diets are high in soy.

Most Aggressive Form of Prostate Cancer on the Rise

For decades, experts have said the diagnostic used to screen patients for prostate cancer is too unreliable to use routinely because it produces high rates of false positives and often results in additional unnecessary and invasive tests, as well as overtreatment. However, a new study suggests efforts to limit the use of the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test may be partially responsible for a rise in incidences of the most aggressive form of the disease.

The study, published Tuesday in Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases, suggests doctors may want to reconsider their approach to screening and monitoring the disease, since rates of metastatic prostate cancer have increased 72 percent in the past decade. The researchers also found rates of the this form the disease surged 92 percent in men 55 to 69 years old compared with men in other groups.

“These recent trends highlight the continued need for nationwide refinement in prostate cancer screening and treatment to prevent the morbidity and mortality associated with metastatic prostate cancer,” the researchers write in the study.


For the study, the researchers looked at data from the National Cancer Database (a registry jointly sponsored by the American College of Surgeons and the American Cancer Society). The data accounted for more than 700,000 men who had received a diagnosis of prostate cancer between 2004 and 2013. The researchers say addressing this trend should be a health care priority, since treating late-stage prostate cancer is far costlier than PSA testing and additional screenings measures, such as biopsy, that are used to confirm a prostate cancer diagnosis. Some experts suggest this form of prostate cancer is also becoming more aggressive, which is contributing to the rising number of cases. Others say it could be a combination of both factors.

PSA testing provides a measure of proteins produced by cells of the prostate gland. An elevated level of these proteins is typically found in men with prostate cancer. However, the test can be misleading because the protein level often rises as men age. In 2008 and 2012, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force—an expert panel composed of independent physicians and supported by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services—updated its PSA testing guidelines to promote a more judicious use of the test. Doctors have been quick to pick up on these recommendations.


The task force drew up these guidelines after reviewing current research that suggests only about one in every 1,000 men who opt for PSA testing averts death because of this screening. They also found that only one in about every 3,000 men tested dies from prostate cancer complications and many more are harmed due to subsequent tests performed as a result of PSA testing.

Biopsy—used to confirm and stage a prostate cancer diagnosis—poses short- and long-term risk for urinary and sexual dysfunction and can cause infection. Most men diagnosed with cases of prostate cancer don’t require immediate treatment. Instead, physicians are likely to recommend “watchful waiting,” meaning the cancer is monitored and only treated if it progresses significantly.

Early-stage prostate cancer has a survival rate of about 100 percent, but a late-stage metastatic form of the disease has only a five-year survival rate of about 28 percent, according to the American Cancer Society. After skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among men in the U.S.

What Hair Loss Really Means For Your Health

As a younger man, you noticed your hair thinning on top. Then a little bald spot popped up. Congratulations, you have male pattern baldness! About half of men do, although in some, it happens decades earlier than in others. (Many women have a similar condition—more about that later.) You know your thinning hair affects your appearance, maybe your self-esteem. But can it be a predictor of your health?

The Testosterone Link

Male pattern balding (MPB)’s medical name is androgenic alopecia. Androgens are “male” hormones, although women have them in smaller amounts, just as men have small amounts of estrogen. The most well-known androgen is testosterone. But a small portion of testosterone is converted into an even stronger androgen called dihydrotestosterone—DHT.
MPB is a genetic condition—it runs in families—marked by increased production of DHT. “Men with male pattern baldness produce higher levels of the enzyme that converts testosterone to DHT,” says Southern Illinois School of Medicine urology professor Kevin T. McVary, M.D., FACS. “DHT is the hormone that causes you to grow hair on your back—and lose it on your head. It also causes your prostate to grow.”

Benign Enlarged Prostate

Men who have male pattern baldness are more likely to experience symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), aka enlarged prostate, says Dr. McVary. “In one Italian study, men with male pattern baldness were more likely to experience symptoms such as getting up at night, and urination urgency and frequency.” That’s why MPB is “potentially a way to identify men at risk for symptoms of BPH.”

If your pate is shiny, should you get checked? Not neccessarily. “Just because you’re bald doesn’t mean you need to see your doctor,” says Dr. McVary. “But if you have symptoms, bring it to your doctor’s attention.”
Of course, that’s good advice for every man, even those with lion’s manes.

Prostate Cancer

There is a link between getting bald early and getting prostate cancer. Several, but not all, studies show it. “Our study showed increased odds of prostate cancer with baldness by age 30,” says Charnita M. Zeigler-Johnson, Ph.D., an epidemiologist at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Men getting bald in the front by age 30 were more likely to get “clinically significant” prostate cancer before age 60, she found. Another study found the frontal link, but others have found a link with hair thinning in the middle of your head or vertex (the bald spot). While the cause isn’t specifically known, DHT is a suspect.

Time to call the doc? Not yet. It’s still just a statistical link, not a risk factor. More studies need to confirm the connection.

“We hope that upon such confirmation, we may be able to use early baldness as a clinical indicator of risk for prostate cancer,” says Zeigler-Johnson. If you’re worried, you may want to reinforce lifestyle changes that can lower your risk, such as eating a plant-based diet with no more than a pound of red meat a week (and little or no processed meats). “If you want to improve your prostate health, either for preventing cancer or BPH, follow the same guidelines for a healthy heart,” says Dr. McVary: “Exercise, eat a low animal-fat diet, and try to keep thin.”
Heart Disease

A recent Japanese meta-analysis of six studies, involving 40,000 men, showed a statistical link between MPB and heart disease. Men with severe baldness were about a third more likely to develop heart disease than men with a full head of hair. In this case, the link was to vertex baldness — the bald spot — not a receding hairline. “These studies found an association,” says cardiologist Nieca Golberg, M.D., a clinical associate professor at the NYU School of Medicine. “but it’s far from an established risk factor, such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol.”
If you’re concerned about possible increased cardiovascular disease risk, by all means take charge now. “There are important steps we can take to reduce risk,” says Dr. Goldberg. “Regular exercise, quitting smoking, getting cholesterol checked (and taking meds if you need them), lowering blood pressure—these all lower the risk of heart disease.”

What About Women?

While male pattern baldness is a guy thing, women after menopause often experience a related condition called “female pattern hair loss” (FPHL). It’s characterized not by receding hairline or a bald spot but by a gradual thinning over the crown of the head. It affects as many as 38 percent of women by age 70. Unlike the situation with men, FPHL isn’t tightly linked with excess androgens. Many women with the condition have no excess androgens, although it’s possible that their hair follicles may exhibit some hormonal imbalance. If your doctor does find high circulating androgen levels, though, he or she may want to check into other related conditions such as adult acne or obesity. Although not as well studied as in men, there are some associations between female pattern hair loss and heart disease, especially if it starts early, before age 55. If your hair is thinning, your doctor may want to check you for metabolic and cardiovascular risk. If you have thinning hair, it’s also important to check your iron status, since iron deficiency can cause hair loss. As with men, there are medications such as Minoxidil (Rogaine) that may help restore hair growth or reduce hair loss such as Minoxidil (Rogaine). Click here to read more about products that can help women with thinning here.

Other Kinds of Hair Loss

Male pattern, and female pattern, hair loss are the two most common causes of hair loss. But they are far from the only ones. Many factors—diseases such as diabetes, medications, chemotherapy, high fever, poor diet, hair dyes and more—can cause hair to thin or fall out. If you experience unusual hair changes, see your doc. As for treatment, there are a couple of medications approved by the FDA to treat male pattern baldness: Minoxidil (Rogaine), a solution you apply to your scalp, and finasteride (Propecia, Proscar), a pill that blocks certain androgens. Otherwise, the treatment for both men and women is hair transplantation.

What every man should know about prostate cancer

WALNUTS SLOW PROSTATE CANCER IN MICE

posted by Dorsey Griffith-UC Davis

Both whole walnuts and walnut oil appear to slow down prostate cancer and to reduce levels of a hormone linked to both prostate and breast cancer in studies with mice.

“For years, the United States government has been on a crusade against fat, and I think it’s been to our detriment,” says lead scientist and research nutritionist Paul Davis. “Walnuts are a perfect example. While they are high in fat, their fat does not drive prostate cancer growth. In fact, walnuts do just the opposite when fed to mice.”

Davis and colleagues have been investigating the impact of walnuts on health for some time. A previous study showed that walnuts reduced prostate tumor size in mice; however, there were questions about which parts of the nuts generated these benefits. Was it the meat, the oil, or the omega-3 fatty acids?

If it was the omega-3 fats, the benefit might not be unique to walnuts. Since the fatty acid profile for the soybean oil used as a control was similar, but not identical, to walnuts, more work had to be done.

In the current study, researchers used a mixture of fats with virtually the same fatty acid content as walnuts as their control diet. The mice were fed whole walnuts, walnut oil, or the walnut-like fat for 18 weeks.

The results replicated those from the previous study. While the walnuts and walnut oil reduced cholesterol and slowed prostate cancer growth, in contrast, the walnut-like fat did not have these effects, confirming that other nut components caused the improvements—not the omega-3s.

“We showed that it’s not the omega-3s by themselves, though, it could be a combination of the omega-3s with whatever else is in the walnut oil,” Davis says. “It’s becoming increasingly clear in nutrition that it’s never going to be just one thing; it’s always a combination.”

While the study does not pinpoint which combination of compounds in walnuts slows cancer growth, it did rule out fiber, zinc, magnesium, and selenium.

In addition, the research demonstrated that walnuts modulate several mechanisms associated with cancer growth, including the hormone IGF-1.

“The energy effects from decreasing IGF-1 seem to muck up the works so the cancer can’t grow as fast as it normally would,” Davis says. “Also, reducing cholesterol means cancer cells may not get enough of it to allow these cells to grow quickly.”

In addition, the research showed increases in both adiponectin and the tumor suppressor PSP94, as well as reduced levels of COX-2, all markers for reduced prostate cancer risk.

Although results in mice don’t always translate to humans, Davis says his results suggest the benefits of incorporating walnuts into a healthy diet. Other research, such as the PREDIMED human study, which assessed the Mediterranean diet, also found that eating walnuts reduced cancer mortality.

Still, Davis recommends caution in diet modification.

“In our study the mice were eating the equivalent of 2.6 ounces of walnuts,” he says. “You need to realize that 2.6 ounces of walnuts is about 482 calories. That’s not insignificant, but it’s better than eating a serving of supersized fries, which has 610 calories.

“In addition to the cancer benefit, we think you also get cardiovascular benefits that other walnut research has demonstrated.

Early Baldness May Signal Cancer Risk

Researchers in Australia are suggesting that men who lose their hair early in life are likely to suffer prostate cancer. Research among 10,000 adults uncovered that men with high levels of testosterone, the hormone that can facilitate hair loss, may be more vulnerable to cancerous tumors later in life. Experts at the Cancer Council of Victoria in Australia monitored 9,448 men who were taking part in a long-term health study.

The men, aged between 40 and 69 when the project began were asked to score how much hair they had lost at the age of 20 and at the age of 40. The results showed men who were mostly bald at 40 were significantly more likely to develop early-onset cancer, which for some could be in their fifties or sixties.

Both prostate cancer and hair loss are strongly age-related conditions that are considered to be hormone dependent. They found that baldness at the age of 40 might be a marker of increased risk of early-onset prostate cancer.

If you or a loved one have suffered from early male hair loss, make sure that you get a yearly health examination from your physician. Also speak with your physician about the Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) test and whether or not you would benefit from the screening.

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