Vaccine cures prostate cancer in mice: Mayo Clinic

Mayo Clinic researchers have successfully cured prostate cancer in mice (80% of the time) ... using a HUMAN vaccine that triggers a response in the immune system ... a response that recognizes and attacks prostate cancer tumors ... with no side effects ... leaving the surrounding healthy tissue unharmed.

A vaccine, really?  You get a shot in your arse, instead of emasculating major surgery, radiation or chemo. Granted, this is another study with mice, but it sounds very promising and...it's the Mayo Clinic.

Human trials are still 2-5 years away (why years?????) ... According to Majo researchers, the vaccine also shows promise for treating melanoma, and lung, brain and pancreatic cancer. 

Here's an article and video about it in the Huffington Post ... another longer article in Health Day .... and here's the abstract of the study, published in the journal Nature Medicine this week.

Smoking linked to more aggressive prostate cancer

Smokers, if you're sweating lung cancer or heart disease or stroke, put prostate cancer on your list of diseases now stalking you.  The bad news...

• If smoking when diagnosed with prostate cancer, you're 61% more likely to die from it than a nonsmoker
• Smoking might directly affect the aggressiveness of cancer
• Smokers are 61% more likely to experience a recurrence of prostate cancer after treatment
• Men who smoked a pack a day for 40 years (or the equivalent of two packs over 20 years) were 82% more likely to die of prostate cancer than non-smokers
• Even former smokers who kicked the habit are more likely to succomb to PC than nonsmokers.

This from a new study, published in the Journal of American Medical Association, that

Prevention: Coffee, green tea lower risk of prostate cancer

Men who regularly drink coffee – caffeinated or decaf – are significantly less likely to develop prostate cancer.  And the more java, the better.

According to a Harvard study published online on May 17 in The Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Harvard scientists followed 47,911 men who periodically described their coffee intake. The researchers found that those who consumed six or more cups a day were almost 20 percent less likely to develop prostate cancer over two decades than those who drank none. The study was part of the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study.

Controversy? FDA warns hair loss, BPH meds increase prostate cancer risk. Or not...

The FDA now warns that Proscar, Propecia, Avodart and Jalyn increase the risk of high-grade prostate cancer. But not every expert agrees, including the chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society.

Bloomberg reports: Merck and GlaxoSmithKline Plc (GSK)’s drugs for hair loss and enlarged prostate will carry new U.S. warnings about a low risk of being diagnosed with a more serious form of prostate cancer.

Study: Little evidence radiation is superior to watchful waiting for "early prostate cancer"

If you're in the throes of making a treatment decision on prostate cancer, the choices can seem bewildering.  Radiation (and all the different flavors), surgery (robotic and open), and watchful waiting -- what to do?  You don't want to risk your life, on the other hand, if you don't need an aggressive treatment, why risk the collateral damage, i.e. incontinence and ED? I'm posting the following story by HealthDay, because it's worthwhile reading if you're weighing those risks.  The article Jury Still Out on Radiation for Early Prostate Cancer cites a new Tufts University study funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality that says there's little evidence radiation is more likely to save your life than watchful waiting, if you have early prostate cancer.  I'm assuming "early prostate cancer" means the low-grade (Gleason 6 and under), nonlethal, slow-growing variety, although it's not clear. The Tufts study is yet another reminder that treatment for low-grade prostate cancer still has the medical experts baffled.  Best advice: Do your homework, consider all your options, talk to multiple physicians, and don't rush into a decision.

In another article this week from Reuters Health, Prostate Cancer: Is it safe to skip radiation?, a review of many recent studies reveals there is no clear picture of what works best for the majority of men when comparing different radiation treatments.  Interestingly, last year a research group in the article found that among 466 patients who chose active surveillance rather than immediate treatment, those with tumors at intermediate risk for progression fared as well as men with low-risk prostate cancer over four years.  Granted, most of us are looking for no cancer beyond four years, but it's an interesting comparison and something to keep in mind ... especially if you have a Gleason of 6 or under.

Prostate Cancer Survival Rates Up Dramatically with Exercise

Run, walk, bike, sweat a little — if you’re a guy treated for prostate cancer, you can reduce your risk of the cancer reoccurring by over 60% with three hours a week of vigorous exercise compared to men who got less than one hour per week of vigorous exercise.     These findings came from the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, of 2705 men observed every two years over 18 years. "Vigorous" simply means "a very brisk pace" — in other words, work up a sweat for 30 minutes a day, six days a week.       For anyone who has gone through surgery or radiation and all that anxiety about how things are gonna turn out, a little exercise every day is a small price to pay (and a cheap insurance policy). Why the positive outcomes from all that exercise?  The study's authors suggest physical activity might influence cancer survival by modulating insulin activity and inflammation and/or by altering the immune system's behavior. More research is required, according to an article in The Washington Post.

'Magic Mushroom' Prevents Prostate Cancer - New Study with Mice

This is no joke.  What would you think if researchers stumbled onto a compound that (a) cured existing prostate cancer 100% of the time, (b) prevented the development of prostate cancer, (c) produced no side effects, and (d) could be found in huge quantities in mushrooms that grew in forests all over the world?

Turkey Tail mushrooms grow on  bark

Wow is right. A cure.

Well, mice ain't people, and more study is warranted ... but this one is worth keeping an eye on. So here are some facts:

Incredible new research out of Australia last month has shown that a compound called polysaccharopeptide (PSP), which comes from a type of mushroom called "Turkey Tail," is 100 percent effective at targeting prostate cancer stem cells and suppressing tumor formation in mice. The research, which has been published in the online journal PLoS ONE, represents the first to show that a natural substance is totally and completely effective in every single trial, according to an article in NaturalNews.com (June 1, 2011).

Survivor Story posted on Prostate.net

Photo credit to my son Nick

Last month, Craig Cooper, the founder of Prostate.net contacted me, wondering if I'd like to contribute my story to his Survivor series.

Today, that story got posted -- and it's all great, I'm thrilled to get the message out to Craig's readers, and I thank him for helping putting it all together.

Prostate.net is fantastic site and has a huge presence on Facebook.  It's filled with great information for anyone with prostate disease, those recently diagnosed with cancer and wondering what's next, or guys looking for a smarter approach to prostate health and healthy living. 

My thanks, again, to Prostate.net and Craig for sharing the stories and information that hopefully will help others.