Does coffee reduce prostate cancer risk?

Does coffee reduce prostate cancer risk?: "

“Men who consume a lot of coffee cut their risks of lethal prostate cancer,” reported The Independent. It said a study has found that men who drank six or more cups a day reduced their risk of getting the cancer by 20% and their risk of developing fatal prostate cancer by 60%.

The study followed nearly 50,000 men in the US for over 20 years to test whether coffee intake was associated with the risk of prostate cancer. Compared to men who did not drink coffee, men who drank six or more cups of coffee a day had a slightly lower overall risk of developing the cancer and a substantially lower risk of developing lethal cancer. The findings applied to both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee.

Earlier PSA Test Best Predicts Risk of Dying From Prostate Cancer: Study (HealthDay)

Earlier PSA Test Best Predicts Risk of Dying From Prostate Cancer:
Study
(HealthDay):

HealthDay - WEDNESDAY, May 18 (HealthDay News) --

The results of a first prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test for males between the ages of 44 and 50 can predict the risk of dying of prostate cancer within the next 25 to 30 years, according to a new study.

The findings suggest that more than half of men could forego regular PSA testing after that time and have just three PSA tests in their lifetime, with the first one between the ages of 44 and 50, the second between ages 51 and 55, and -- if their PSA levels are still low -- the third and last at age 60, said the researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York.

However, men with higher PSA levels between the ages of 44 and 50 are at high risk for aggressive prostate cancer and should continue to undergo PSA tests and screening as necessary, the researchers added.

Could Coffee Lower Men's Risk for Prostate Cancer? (HealthDay)

Could Coffee Lower Men's Risk for Prostate Cancer?
(HealthDay):

"HealthDay - TUESDAY, May 17, 2011 (HealthDay News) --

Men who drink at least six or more cups of coffee a day may be cutting their risk for advanced prostate cancer by 60 percent, new research suggests."

A definite cause-and-effect link is still far from proven, experts say, and just how coffee might help thwart prostate malignancy isn't clear.

The Harvard team found that drinking six or more cups of coffee each day was associated with an almost 20 percent lower risk of developing prostate cancer, compared to those who did not drink coffee.

Even men who drank less coffee -- one to three cups a day -- had a 30 percent lower risk of developing lethal prostate cancer, and reductions in risk were observed whether the men drank caffeinated or decaffeinated coffee, Wilson's group added.

Commenting on the Harvard team's findings, Eric Jacobs, strategic director of pharmacoepidemiology at the American Cancer Society, called it a large, well-designed study. But he stressed that, so far, it remains the only study to show such a link.

"It is premature to conclude that drinking coffee might help prevent fatal prostate cancer," he said. "We do, however, know that both smoking and obesity are associated with higher risk of fatal prostate cancer, as well as death from many other diseases. So it is fine to enjoy a nice cup of coffee, but avoiding smoking and maintaining a healthy weight are among the surest ways to stay healthy."

Surgery Viable for Advanced Prostate Cancer, Study Finds (HealthDay)

Surgery Viable for Advanced Prostate Cancer, Study Finds
(HealthDay):

"HealthDay - TUESDAY, May 17 (HealthDay News) --

Surgery to remove the prostate gland (radical prostatectomy) led to a 20-year survival rate for 80 percent of patients with advanced prostate cancer, a new study finds."

"We are doing a much better job of identifying and expanding candidates for surgery, which results in better, longer outcomes for so many of our patients," Dr. R. Jeffrey Karnes, of the department of urology, said in the news release.

Amgen's Xgeva delays prostate cancer bone pain (Reuters)

Amgen's Xgeva delays prostate cancer bone pain
(Reuters):

"Reuters - A clinical trial of Amgen Inc's bone drug, Xgeva, found that it can significantly delay the time it takes for prostate cancer to cause bone pain -- a finding the company believes will help boost the drug's market potential."

The drug is currently approved as a treatment for reducing fractures and other bone problems in certain cancer patients. It is also sold under the brand name Prolia as a treatment for osteoporosis.

PSA Test Could Be Improved to Spot Prostate Cancer (HealthDay)

PSA Test Could Be Improved to Spot Prostate Cancer
(HealthDay):

"HealthDay - MONDAY, May 16 (HealthDay News) --

Amid the controversy swirling around the value of PSA testing as a screen for prostate cancer, new evidence emerges that there may be ways to fine-tune the screening so it benefits more men, while avoiding unnecessary biopsies and treatment."

According to news conference moderator Dr. Christopher Amling, chief of urology at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, the AUA modified its prostate cancer screening guidelines in 2009 to recommend that men should start screening at age 40, or age 45 at the latest.

New Drug Extends Life a Bit in Advanced Prostate Cancer (HealthDay)

New Drug Extends Life a Bit in Advanced Prostate Cancer
(HealthDay):

"HealthDay - MONDAY, May 16 (HealthDay News) --

For men with advanced hormone-resistant prostate cancer who have also failed chemotherapy, the new drug Zytiga (abiraterone acetate) along with the steroid prednisone appears to increase survival modestly, a new study reports."

Men taking the drug combination had an average survival of 14.8 months, compared with 10.9 months for men taking a placebo.

"This study tells us that there is a form of hormonal therapy, abiraterone, that works in people who had standard hormonal therapy and chemotherapy," said prostate cancer expert Dr. Anthony D'Amico, chief of genitourinary radiation oncology at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

"It will provide people with late-stage disease with an opportunity for an extended survival that they didn't have before. I can't say it's a home run because it's only a few months improvement," he added.

Smoking Might Raise Odds for Prostate Cancer's Return (HealthDay)

Smoking Might Raise Odds for Prostate Cancer's Return
(HealthDay):

"HealthDay - MONDAY, May 16 (HealthDay News) --

In men who've had their prostate surgically removed due to prostate cancer, smoking seems linked to a rise in blood levels of prostate specific antigen (PSA) -- a measure
of the risk of cancer recurrence."

"These data indicate that smoking history could provide valuable insight and should be included in risk-assessment models for prostate cancer," study presenter Dr. Joseph C. Presti said in an AUA news release.

"The study also presents a strong message to men: quitting smoking now could impact your ability to survive prostate cancer later," he added.

Poor Sleep Tied to Incontinence, Impotence (HealthDay)

Poor Sleep Tied to Incontinence, Impotence
(HealthDay): "HealthDay - SATURDAY, May 14 (HealthDay News) -- Sleep problems are
associated with erectile dysfunction and urologic conditions such as
incontinence, according to the results of two new studies."

"We know that proper amounts of sleep and quality of sleep can impact a wide range of health conditions, including erectile function and lower urinary tract symptoms," AUA spokesman Dr. Kevin T. McVary said in an association news release. "These data may help us better assess how helping patients modify their sleep patterns may help improve their health and overall quality of life."

Because these studies were presented at a medical meeting, the data and conclusions should be viewed as preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.