PROSTATE CANCER

Welcome back to Dr. Bob's Blog 2014

Prostate Cancer—With the aging population, Prostate cancer will become a growing problem and raises an awareness of the need for chemoprevention.  Two prescription medications lower the risk of the development of prostate cancer.  Natural products are also being tested as a potentially lower priced alternative.  Several have been tested including resveratrol, which have been shown to decrease the progression of high risk patients to the development of full blown prostate cancer.  The results are promising enough that there is new research going on now.  PMID 21629831

Prostate Cancer—There is a strain of rats which get prostate cancer when exposed to a chemical called SV40T.  A group of these rats were given SV40T, half of which were given resveratrol and the other half not.  These are rats who did not already have prostate cancer but put at risk for getting it.   Those taking resveratrol had a lowered rate of prostate cancer showing that it can be prevented in a high risk situation.  People at high risk, such as men with a rising PSA, or high risk pre-cancerous changes on biopsy,  or family history of prostate cancer could benefit now from resveratrol which is safe and available without waiting for definitive proof.   PMID18439064

Until Next Time…Dr. Bob