Milk intake in teens tied to later prostate cancer

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) -

Older Icelandic men who remember chugging a lot of milk in their teens are three times as likely to be diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer as more-moderate milk drinkers, researchers have found.

"We believe that our data are indeed solid and provide important evidence for the role of adolescence as a 'sensitive period' for prostate cancer development," Johanna Torfadottir, a nutrition scientist and a graduate student at the University of Iceland, told Reuters Health by email.

How much milk men drank had no connection to their risk of early-stage tumors, however. And intake in midlife -- the age group most other studies have focused on -- didn't seem to matter either.

"From these data alone we cannot recommend that teenage boys should chance their dietary habits," she said. "We are only looking at the risk of one disease, prostate cancer, and obviously risks of other conditions, e.g. bone health, need to be considered." "It would be premature to say that drinking milk causes prostate cancer," he told Reuters Health. "You can talk about association, but it is hard to prove causality."

Dr. Matthew Cooperberg, a urologist at the University of California, San Francisco, agreed. He added that people shouldn't be wary of drinking milk.

Read the full Reuters Health report here:

Milk intake in teens tied to later prostate cancer

Statins tied to lower risk of fatal prostate cancer

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) -

In a new study of middle-aged New Jersey men, taking cholesterol-lowering drugs was linked to a lower chance of dying from prostate cancer.

The findings don't prove that the drugs, called statins, ward off aggressive cancer. But they jibe with previous studies suggesting that getting cholesterol levels under control might help reduce the risk of life-threatening disease, researchers said.

The researchers found that men who died of prostate cancer were half as likely to have taken a statin at any time, and for any duration, than men in the "control" group.

Dr. Stephen Marcella, from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey said "I would not tell a person if they don't have a risk of heart disease, (if) they don't have hypertension...to take a statin just to prevent lethal prostate cancer."

The evidence that's effective, he said, just isn't there yet.

And even if statins do turn out to help prevent fatal prostate cancer, researchers said, previous studies have suggested they don't lower a man's risk of getting less aggressive forms of the disease.


Read the Reuters report here:
Statins tied to lower risk of fatal prostate cancer

Study finds impotence risk higher in men taking several drugs

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) -

Men taking multiple medications for different health conditions may have a higher risk of erectile dysfunction -- a link that doesn't seem to be explained by the health problems themselves, a new study finds.

Overall, 16 percent of men on no more than two drugs reported moderate ED -- meaning they "sometimes" had trouble getting or maintaining an erection. That compared with 20 percent of men on three to five medications, a quarter of men on six to nine drugs and 31 percent of those on at least 10 drugs.

Not surprisingly, ED was more common in men who were older, heavier, smoked or had health problems like diabetes or high blood pressure. But even when the researchers accounted for that, being on multiple medications was still tied to an increased ED risk.

Senior researcher Dr. Steven J. Jacobsen said that it's possible the drugs themselves could contribute to or worsen ED -- via drug interactions, for instance. But there's no way to tell for sure from these findings.

What is clear, he stressed, is that men with erectile problems should not simply stop taking their prescriptions.

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Study finds impotence risk higher in men taking several drugs

Some men can delay prostate cancer treatment: panel

CHICAGO (Reuters) -

Men with low-risk prostate cancer may wait to see if their disease progresses before treating it, an independent panel of experts convened by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) said on Wednesday.

Although this is almost 'common knowledge' these days, it's nice to see the NIH adding it's weight to the argument.


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Some men can delay prostate cancer treatment

Prostate cancer hormonal therapy cuts deaths: report

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) -

For men with aggressive prostate cancer, hormone-targeted therapy cuts the overall risk of death, according to a new review of past studies.

It also does not increase the chance that men will die from cardiovascular disease -- which some research had suggested might be the case.

So-called androgen deprivation therapy, or ADT, has been the standard of treatment for men with more aggressive, high-risk prostate cancers. The drugs suppress the body's production of testosterone, which is known to speed cancer growth.

But they've also been linked to side effects including hot flashes, weight gain, diabetes and loss of sex drive -- and, more recently, to cardiovascular risks. One recent study linked hormone-targeted therapy to an increased risk of blood clots.

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Prostate cancer hormonal therapy cuts deaths

Hormonal prostate cancer therapy tied to blood clots

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) -

Hormone-targeted therapy for prostate cancer may raise the risk of potentially dangerous blood clots, a large U.S. study suggests.

Analyzing data on more than 154,000 older men with prostate cancer, researchers found that those who received hormonal therapy had double the rate of blood clots in the veins, arteries or lungs compared to men not on the treatment.

Of the 58,000-plus men taking hormonal therapy, 15 percent developed a blood clot over roughly four years, versus seven percent of men who did not receive get the therapy.

A clot in the blood vessels can prove fatal if it breaks loose and travels to the lungs, heart or brain.

For men weighing their options for prostate cancer treatment, Ehdaie said the risk of blood clots -- and other side effects -- needs to be balanced against the benefits.

Other potential side effects of hormonal therapy include weight gain, bone thinning, hot flashes and erectile dysfunction.

And for many prostate cancer patients, experts say, the benefits of hormonal therapy are not clear.

More Details Here:
Hormonal prostate cancer therapy tied to blood clots

Erectile Dysfunction Risk Grows with Number of Medications (LiveScience.com)

LiveScience.com -

Men who regularly take several medications are at increased risk for sexual problems , a new study says.

In the study, the more drugs men took, the higher their risk of erectile dysfunction (ED). Participants who took 10 or more medications were 1.6 times more likely to have ED compared with those who took fewer than two medications

The researchers aren't sure how the use of multiple medications may increase the risk of ED, but it's possible that interactions between medications may play a role.



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Erectile Dysfunction Risk Grows with Number of Medications

Adding radiotherapy boosts prostate cancer survival

LONDON (Reuters) -

Adding radiotherapy to hormone drugs for prostate cancer patients significantly improves survival compared with hormone treatment alone, and the combination could save many lives if it were made standard practice, scientists said Thursday.

In a study of men with prostate cancer -- the second most common form of cancer among men worldwide -- researchers found that 74 percent of those given radiotherapy plus hormone treatment were still alive after seven years.

This compared with 66 percent who got hormone drugs but did not receive radiotherapy, the researchers said

"The results of this trial are extremely encouraging," said Matthew Sydes, senior scientist at Britain's Medical Research Council's Clinical Trials Unit, which helped conduct the study.

He said the additional side-effects of radiotherapy are "minimal," suggesting doctors could be confident in recommending the combination treatment for their patients.

Read the Full Article:
Adding radiotherapy boosts prostate cancer survival

Drinking More Fluids Could Lower Men's Bladder Cancer Risk (HealthDay)

TUESDAY, Oct. 25 (HealthDay News) --

Men who drink plenty of low-sugar fluids may reduce their risk for bladder cancer, new research suggests.

Although the reason for the association between fluid intake and protection against cancer remains unknown, researchers theorize the fluids may flush out potential cancer-causing agents before they have a chance to cause any damage.

The investigators found that the men with a high daily fluid intake, or those who drank more than 10 cups (2,531 milliliters) per day, had a 24 percent reduced risk for bladder cancer. The study authors concluded that doctors should tell their patients to drink plenty of low-sugar fluids.

This research should be viewed as preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

Read More Here:
Drinking More Fluids Could Lower Men's Bladder Cancer Risk

Medtronic tests stent for erectile dysfunction

(Reuters) -

Medtronic Inc, a manufacturer of pacemakers, heart stents and spine products, has developed a device to tackle another common health problem: erectile dysfunction.

The medical device maker said it completed an initial feasibility study of 30 men, average age of 60, who suffered from erectile dysfunction (ED), each of whom had a stent -- a tiny wire mesh tube similar to those used to prop open heart arteries -- which was placed in the internal pudendal artery, which supplies blood to the penis.. After three months the results were promising, the company said.

Researcher Dr. Jason Rogers said up to 50 percent of men discontinue drug therapy -- which includes Viagra, Levitra and Cialis -- either because it did not work or because they could not tolerate side effects, including lowering of blood pressure.

Rogers noted that there were no adverse events reported by participants in the trial up to three months later, but heacknowledged that risks may become evident much later and stressed that the stenting procedure is still investigational and requires more research.

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Medtronic tests stent for erectile dysfunction

Male breast cancer rare, but can be aggressive

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) -

Men get diagnosed with breast cancer at less than one percent the rate of women, according to a new analysis of cancer rates from six cities and countries.

But when they did get breast cancer, men were caught with more advanced disease, on average, and were more likely to die from it.

Men are most commonly in their 60s or 70s when diagnosed with breast cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute. Radiation exposure and diseases that increase estrogen levels - such as liver cirrhosis or Klinefelter syndrome, a genetic disorder - are among factors that raise a man's risk.

The United States Preventive Services Task Force, a federally-supported panel that sets guidelines for cancer screening, does not recommend regular breast cancer screening in men without symptoms.

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Male breast cancer rare, but can be aggressive

Infections after prostate biopsy on the rise

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) -

Serious infections after prostate biopsies appear to be on the rise in the U.S., possibly fueled by antibiotic-resistant bacteria, a new study of elderly men suggests.

More than a million prostate biopsies are done each year on Medicare patients, often to investigate suspicious results from prostate cancer screening. But the majority of those are false alarms, and some doctors worry that many men could be suffering needlessly due to screening.

Just last week, a government-funded expert panel concluded that prostate cancer screening saves few or no lives, but causes harm through treatment or further invasive testing such as biopsies.

Read more:
Infections after prostate biopsy on the rise

FDA OKs Impotence Drug Cialis to Treat Enlarged Prostate (HealthDay)

THURSDAY, Oct. 6 (HealthDay News) --

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced late Thursday that it had approved using the erectile dysfunction drug Cialis as a treatment for enlarged prostate.

The FDA said its approval was made on the basis of three studies. Two of the studies looked at changes in BPH symptom severity based on the International Prostate Symptom Score. Those trials found that men who took the 5-milligram dose of Cialis one per day experienced an improvement in BPH symptoms vs. men who took a dummy pill.

The FDA warned that Cialis, which is made by Eli Lilly and Co., "should not be used in patients taking nitrates, for example nitroglycerin, because the combination can cause an unsafe decrease in blood pressure." People taking heart medications known as alpha blockers should also avoid Cialis because its use alongside these drugs has not yet been studied and the combination might lower blood pressure.

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FDA OKs Impotence Drug Cialis to Treat Enlarged Prostate

Groups defend need for prostate screening

CHICAGO (Reuters) -

Reports that an influential group of advisers plans to recommend against routine screening of prostate cancer has drawn criticism from health groups worried the move will increase cancer deaths in men - despite much research which has shown the total uselessness of PSA testing.

The New York Times on Thursday reported that the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force is thinking of recommending against use of the prostate-specific antigen or PSA test.

The task force, an independent panel appointed by the federal government, plans to give a common blood test known as the PSA test a rating of "D," suggesting there is moderate or high certainty that the test has no net benefit or that the harms outweigh the benefits.

Current recommendations say there is insufficient evidence to support the use of the test.

Read more here:

Groups defend need for prostate screening

Otherwise Healthy Older Men Undertreated for Prostate Cancer: Study (HealthDay)

THURSDAY, Sept. 29 (HealthDay News) --

Men over 75 with prostate cancer who are otherwise healthy are being undertreated for their condition, according to a new study.

Full Story:

Otherwise Healthy Older Men Undertreated for Prostate Cancer

Urinary Symptoms Not Helped by Saw Palmetto

Saw palmetto doesn't ease urinary symptoms

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) -

A new study concludes that saw palmetto, a plant extract sold as a natural boost to urinary health, actually doesn't improve symptoms of enlarged prostate in middle-aged men.

While saw palmetto's usefulness has been in doubt for a while, Bent added, the new research "very definitively" shows that it doesn't ease the urinary trouble caused by an enlarged prostate.

Dr. Michael Barry of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston said that the findings don't mean that nobody should take the plant extract -- even if its only benefit may come from men believing it will help.
"It appears there were essentially no side effects, and that some men improved," he said. "I wouldn't object to men giving it a try to see how it worked for them."

New Test Predicts Risk for Impotence After Prostate Cancer Therapy (HealthDay)

HealthDay - TUESDAY, Sept. 20 (HealthDay News) --

Researchers say they've developed a method that reasonably predicts which men undergoing prostate cancer treatment will suffer from impotence as a result.

Based on an assessment of pre-treatment sexual function, quality of life, and tell-tale clinical markers, the tool could offer much-needed clarity for newly diagnosed patients.

Most treatments come with side effects, of course. For prostate cancer therapy that often includes erectile dysfunction (ED), incontinence, bowel dysfunction and other problems so any test that might predict the likelihood of post-treatment ED in particular patients would be valuable.

A man's risk of erectile dysfunction varied depending on the type of treatment given. For example, for men with no ED issues before treatment, surgical removal of the prostate was associated with new-onset ED in about 60 percent of cases within 2 years of therapy. Just over 40 percent of men without prior ED experienced the problem following external radiation, the study found, and the figure dropped to below 40 percent for those who underwent brachytherapy [radioactive "seeds" embedded within the prostate].

Other key pre-treatment variables included age, race, BMI, and sexual history. These factors were then scored alongside some particulars of treatment itself (such as the use of nerve-sparing surgical approaches and/or hormone therapy-enhanced radiation).

The researchers say that the test was 77 to 90 percent accurate in predicting a man's risk for developing treatment-related ED, depending on the type of treatment received. It could also assess an individual's likelihood for developing ED along a continuum, ranging from as little as 10 percent risk up to a high of 70 percent.

Read the full article:

New Test Predicts Risk for Impotence After Prostate Cancer Therapy

Impotence could be a harbinger of heart disease in some men

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)

Scientists have known about the link between impotence, or erectile dysfunction, and heart health for years. Although there is no proof so far, a common theory is that arteries supplying the penis with blood during erections may clog up earlier than those in the heart, which are larger -- thus providing an early warning of possible coronary artery disease down the road


To investigate the connection between the two, researchers combined twelve earlier studies of impotence and heart disease, including nearly 37,000 men.
The researchers found that men with erectile problems had a 48-percent increase in their risk of developing heart disease, and also had higher death rates than men who didn't have sexual problems and factors like smoking, obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure didn't explain the link.
n the other study, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, researchers surveying earlier work found that both lifestyle changes and statins appeared to improve men's erectile problems -- although only a little.

Full report:
Failing erections may point to heart problems