Sep
01
2006

Prostate Cancer Recurrence Linked To Obesity

By | Cancer, Obesity

Prostate cancer affects a significant percentage of male patients in the higher age groups. Early diagnosis and treatment has shown good success rates. Early surgery in the form of a radical prostatectomy has given patients virtually a new lease on life. Radiotherapy as an alternative form of treatment has been an option for those who could not undergo surgery. Once the treatment is completed there is reason for optimism, if the tumor could be removed in total.

Dr. Sara Strom, PhD and research colleagues from the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas analyzed findings of 873 patients over the course of 14 years with localized prostate cancer who had received external beam radiotherapy as their sole treatment. The objective was to determine, whether all patients were doing well, or whether some could be more at risk. It turned out that those with normal body weight fared best. 27% of them experienced a recurrence of the disease. Those who were overweight had recurrence rates that jumped to 55%. Those who were obese were most severely affected with recurrence rates of 99%. The researchers believe that there is a difference of tumor behavior between patients with normal body weight and those who are overweight or obese.

Prostate Cancer Recurrence Linked To Obesity

Prostate Cancer Recurrence Linked To Obesity

Future studies will be needed to evaluate the relationship of obesity with dietary factors, genetic modifiers of steroid androgen metabolism, insulin and insulin like growth factors. This will clarify the underlying mechanism of action in the development of prostate cancer.

More information about prostate cancer: http://nethealthbook.com/cancer-overview/prostate-cancer/

Reference: The Medical Post, August 22, 2006, page 41

Last edited November 1, 2014

May
01
2004

Sugar And Starchy Foods Cause Colorectal Cancer

By | Cancer, Heart Disease, Nutrition

A study from the Harvard University involving 38,000 women and having been started in 1993 has surprised the researchers. They wanted to find out whether there were certain foods that may cause colon and rectal cancer. So they administered a “food-frequency” questionnaire with 131 questions to women 45 years or older who entered into the study. Such factors as low-dose aspirin, vitamin E and beta-carotene were included in the questionnaire as was the exact food composition for the year prior to enrolment into the study.

A sugar load (glycemic load) was calculated. This way the impact of various sugar and starch containing foods could be assessed and compared among different subgroups regarding the later development of cancer in the colon and rectum.
When Dr. Susan Higginbotham and Dr. Simin Liu analyzed the diets of the 174 patients who did develop cancer (26 rectal cancers, 148 colon cancers) they found that the women with the highest sugar and starch load were 3 times more likely to develop cancer than the controls with a low glycemic load. High glycemic load foods are candy, cakes, cookies; any other refined flour products including white bread, pasta, French fries and baked potatoes. Together with other literature in this field the authors of this study concluded that the high glycemic food load leads to increased insulin levels in the blood as well as insulin-like growth factors. This in turn leads to cell division in normal and cancerous cells including the lining of the colon and rectum. In addition it is known that the C-reactive protein promotes an inflammatory response that will lead to heart attacks and to cancer.

Sugar And Starchy Foods Cause Colorectal Cancer

Sugar And Starchy Foods Cause Colorectal Cancer

Dr. Bob Bruce from the University of Toronto has shown in his research on colon cancer that insulin and related factors are important in the promotion of this cancer. He commented regarding the Harvard study reviewed here that more research is required before the exact cause of cancer of the colon and rectum would be understood. This knowledge is required before more effective preventative measures can be found other than a simple reduction of sugar and starch in the foods we eat.

Based on the Feb.4 edition of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (U.S.) and the National Review of Medicine (Canada) March 15, 2004.

More info about Colorectal cancer can be found through this link.

Last edited October 26, 2014