Re: Selenium and Prostate Cancer

[Guest guest]

I give hubby his Brazil nut daily........

on 11/19/2004 7:20 PM, Rodney at perspect1111@... wrote:

>

> Hi folks:

>

> Not sure if this has been posted before or not. But just in case:

>

> " Selenium and prostate cancer risk

>

> BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS. At least five major clinical trials have

> concluded that higher levels of selenium (in blood or toenail

> clippings) are associated with a sharply reduced risk of prostate

> cancer. The Nutritional Prevention of Cancer (NPC) trial found that

> supplementing with 200 micrograms/day of selenium cuts prostate

> cancer risk in half. Researchers at the Harvard Medical School now

> weigh in with another study confirming the beneficial effects of

> selenium. Their study involved 22,000 healthy, male physicians who

> were enrolled in the study in 1982 and had blood samples taken at

> that time. Sufficient samples to analyze for selenium content and PSA

> level were available for 586 men diagnosed with prostate cancer as

> well as for 577 controls matched for age and smoking status.

>

> After 13 years of follow-up the researchers concluded that study

> participants with a plasma selenium level of 0.12-0.19 ppm had a 50%

> lower incidence of advanced prostate cancer than did men with a level

> of 0.06-0.09 ppm. The correlation was only apparent in men with a PSA

> level of more than 4 ng/mL and was particularly strong for those with

> a baseline (1982) PSA level greater than 10 ng/mL. For these men a

> high selenium level corresponded to a 70% decrease in the risk of

> advanced prostate cancer. The researchers also observed a trend for a

> lower incidence of localized prostate cancer with high selenium

> levels, but this trend was not statistically significant. They

> conclude that selenium is perhaps not too effective in preventing the

> initiation of prostate cancer, but that it is highly effective in

> slowing down tumor progression. They believe that selenium acts by

> selectively killing off cells whose DNA has been extensively damaged,

> by inhibiting cellular proliferation, and by its role as a key

> component of glutathione peroxidase, which protects cells from

> peroxide damage.

>

> Li, H, et al. A prospective study of plasma selenium levels and

> prostate cancer risk. Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Vol.

> 96, May 5, 2004, pp. 696-703

> , PR, et al. Science peels the onion of selenium effects on

> prostate carcinogenesis. Journal of the National Cancer Institute,

> Vol. 96, May 5, 2004, pp. 645-47 (editorial)

>

> Editor's comment: The evidence is now indeed overwhelming that

> selenium helps protect against prostate cancer. While this study

> concluded that the protection mainly involves slowing down tumor

> progression, other studies have shown that selenium also helps

> prevent initiation of the cancer. Thus daily supplementation with 200

> micrograms of selenium should be an integral part of all

> supplementation programs for men. "

>

> Rodney.

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi All,

But, CRers generally have low PSA levels and would therefore receive

no benefit for the prevention of prostate cancer by selenium

supplementation, I believe.

Cheers, Al Pater.

--- In , " Rodney " <perspect1111@y...>

wrote:

>

> Hi folks:

>

> Not sure if this has been posted before or not. But just in case:

>

> " Selenium and prostate cancer risk

>

> BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS. At least five major clinical trials have

> concluded that higher levels of selenium (in blood or toenail

> clippings) are associated with a sharply reduced risk of prostate

> cancer. The Nutritional Prevention of Cancer (NPC) trial found that

> supplementing with 200 micrograms/day of selenium cuts prostate

> cancer risk in half. Researchers at the Harvard Medical School now

> weigh in with another study confirming the beneficial effects of

> selenium. Their study involved 22,000 healthy, male physicians who

> were enrolled in the study in 1982 and had blood samples taken at

> that time. Sufficient samples to analyze for selenium content and

PSA

> level were available for 586 men diagnosed with prostate cancer as

> well as for 577 controls matched for age and smoking status.

>

> After 13 years of follow-up the researchers concluded that study

> participants with a plasma selenium level of 0.12-0.19 ppm had a

50%

> lower incidence of advanced prostate cancer than did men with a

level

> of 0.06-0.09 ppm. The correlation was only apparent in men with a

PSA

> level of more than 4 ng/mL and was particularly strong for those

with

> a baseline (1982) PSA level greater than 10 ng/mL. For these men a

> high selenium level corresponded to a 70% decrease in the risk of

> advanced prostate cancer. The researchers also observed a trend for

a

> lower incidence of localized prostate cancer with high selenium

> levels, but this trend was not statistically significant. They

> conclude that selenium is perhaps not too effective in preventing

the

> initiation of prostate cancer, but that it is highly effective in

> slowing down tumor progression. They believe that selenium acts by

> selectively killing off cells whose DNA has been extensively

damaged,

> by inhibiting cellular proliferation, and by its role as a key

> component of glutathione peroxidase, which protects cells from

> peroxide damage.

>

> Li, H, et al. A prospective study of plasma selenium levels and

> prostate cancer risk. Journal of the National Cancer Institute,

Vol.

> 96, May 5, 2004, pp. 696-703

> , PR, et al. Science peels the onion of selenium effects on

> prostate carcinogenesis. Journal of the National Cancer Institute,

> Vol. 96, May 5, 2004, pp. 645-47 (editorial)

>

> Editor's comment: The evidence is now indeed overwhelming that

> selenium helps protect against prostate cancer. While this study

> concluded that the protection mainly involves slowing down tumor

> progression, other studies have shown that selenium also helps

> prevent initiation of the cancer. Thus daily supplementation with

200

> micrograms of selenium should be an integral part of all

> supplementation programs for men. "

>

> Rodney.

[Guest guest]

Hi Al:

" The investigators examined the effects of whole tomato powder,

lycopene, and 20 percent caloric restriction on prostate cancer

deaths. In this model, most rats given a combination of a chemical (a

nitrosourea) plus testosterone develop prostate cancer within one

year. During a followup period of one and one-half years, 80 percent

of the untreated rats died from prostate cancer as compared to 62

percent of those given the tomato powder in their diet, a 23 percent

statistically significant reduction. Those on a calorie-restricted

diet had a similar reduction in prostate cancer deaths. "

http://healthfullife.umdnj.edu/archives/prostate_archive.htm

(Source: New Jersey Medical School)

Rodney.

>

> Here's a project: find evidence that CR confers protection against

> prostate cancer.

[Guest guest]

Hi Al Y:

Among the things prostate cancer has in common with breast cancer is

that in both cases while a sizeable number of people get it, only a

relatively small percentage of those who get it end up dying from it -

as I understand it about one-fifth in the case of prostate cancer

and one-quarter in the case of breast cancer. And if you are not

going to die from it, nor be cripled by it, then perhaps it is not as

big an issue as it might otherwise be.

Clearly though, if one can do something to reduce the chances that

you will be in the 20% for whom prostate cancer is lethal then that

is a very great help, and perhaps selenium will help in that respect.

But there is a multitude of things which, according to at least one

study (for each), can appreciably (dramatically in total) reduce your

chances of getting prostate cancer. Among these are (apparently in

order of importance): avoid milk; drink (green?) tea; eat green

onions; avoid excessive calcium; take NSAIDs; supplement with

selenium; restrict caloric intake; take statins; make sure you aren't

deficient in boron; avoid ALA; consume some fructose (sic!); eat

allium vegetables (especially green onions apparently, see above); do

not be deficient in linoleic acid; eat cooked tomato products; avoid

excessive zinc; supplement with lycopene; eat fruit; avoid high GI

foods; take aspirin; eat fatty fish; Finasteride; avoid fish

(sic!!!); take vitamin D; consume soy isoflavones; get enough

sunshine (vitamin D?); NSAIDs don't work, except aspirin.

As you will note, some of these (each of which is based on at least

one published, peer-reviewed study) contradict others.

But even without taking any of the above precautions only about 10%

of the population gets prostate cancer. So implementing a few of the

above should, one can reasonably hope, reduce the chances of getting

it to very small proportions.

Rodney.

> >

> >>

> >> Here's a project: find evidence that CR confers protection

against

> >> prostate cancer.