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Hi Goans, I just completed this article for our local newspaper. Having two close relatives die from prostate cancer, which is common among Goan men, I thought this would be good message for my Goan kinsmen. With the common Goan attitude that nobody is going to stick his finger "you know where and check my prostate", the disease tends to "get us in the end". The following is a study whose results we will know in another 5-10 years. Hence the prostate cancer prevention study does not preclude the need for an annual prostate check-up recommended for all men over the age of 50. Ladies make sure your husbands, fathers, grandfathers and uncles "get with the program", just like women do with annual mammograms and PAP smears. Hope you enjoy the article. New Year Resolution: Preventing the most common cancer in men Gilbert Lawrence, M.D., DMRT, FRCR; Radiation Oncologist, Chairman Cancer Committee, Regional Cancer Center., Utica, NY, USA The incidence and mortality of lung cancer are steadily declining due to efforts to clean the environment as well as individual efforts to quit smoking. That is the good news! The not so good news is that in the last decade, prostate cancer has become the most common cancer among men, surpassing lung cancer. Prostate cancer mainly affects men over the age of fifty and risks increase with age. One in five men is destined to develop the cancer. Among developed countries, the US has the highest incidence of the cancer. Fortunately, with the blood test called Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA), the cancer can be detected early. With early detection and proper treatment, the cure rates are 80-90 percent. But due to the lack of annual screenings, many prostate cancers are not detected early. About thirty-five thousand men in the USA die every year from this disease. The National Cancer Institute is focusing its efforts on reducing the risk of prostate cancer. Though the factors which trigger prostate cancer are poorly understood we have a better understanding of the functional activity of cells and especially the role of genetic damage in transforming normal cells to cancer cells. Cancer research in cell growth focuses, among other areas, on "free radicals" which are believed to induce DNA damage and mutations. It is these gene mutations which lead to cancer. One way to neutralize "free radicals" is to use anti-oxidants. This approach has been successful in animals who are less likely to grow cancer cells when fed antioxidants. This is exciting news as antioxidants are widely found in the human diet! Some of the common examples of anti-oxidants are mineral and vitamin supplements. The National Cancer Institute is sponsoring a national trial in which two nutritional supplements -- Selenium and Vitamin E -- are being studied as possible agents to prevent prostate cancer. The study is called SELECT. Unlike drug testing, these agents are nutritional supplements and have no significant side-effects. The trial will enroll about 32,000 men over the age of 55. Since prostate cancer is more common among African-American men, the study will include those 50 years and older in this group. The trial is being conducted by the Southwest Oncology Group based in San Antonio, Texas, and at several NCI-designated "study sites". SELECT has been in progress for the last two years and is projected to close in early 2004 when the required number of men enrolled is reached. Locally, Utica's Regional Cancer Center and its satellite facilities in Herkimer and Rome are among the study-sites participating in the SELECT trial. The Cancer Center, a joint project of Faxton-St. Luke's and St. Elizabeth hospitals is involved with the latest technology in cancer treatment, clinical trials, and other programs related to cancer such as cancer screening and prevention including smoking cessation. The Cancer Center is a leader in prostate cancer management, offering the latest in surgery, external radiation including 3-Dimensional (3-D) and Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT), and radioactive seed implants. Unlike most hospitals across the country, the Cancer Center offers all these treatments "under one roof." Over the last year, prostate cancer prevention was added to the programs offered. For men interested in participating in the prostate cancer prevention trial the Cancer Center conducts presentations on the details of SELECT. Men, who participate in SELECT, get their medication free - courtesy of Uncle Sam. The main involvement is the participant's commitment to take his tablets daily. It is a great way for men to help themselves and assist in finding cancer preventive measures which will help their sons and grandsons.
