It officially feels like the beginning of the holidays. Fall wreaths, cans of pumpkin and cinnamon sticks fill store shelves in preparation for one of the most filling holidays of the year – Thanksgiving. In addition to these festive products, you may begin to notice a large number of mustaches appearing on the faces of your male friends. No, the 70s have not returned with a vengeance (sorry for any of those people who were patiently waiting). For the last few years, November has been rebranded as Movember in honor of Prostate Cancer awareness. We spoke with Doctors on JustAnswer to learn more about prostate cancer and possible prevention tactics. Here is what they had to say:
Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in American men. In 2014 alone, roughly 233,000 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed and roughly 1 in 7 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. While prostate cancer is a serious disease, most men who are diagnosed with the disease do not die from it. According to cancer.org more than 2.5 million men in the US who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer are still alive today.
Scientists have found 4 major factors that influence your risk for developing prostate cancer: age, race, family history and where you live. The average age to be diagnosed with prostate cancer is 69. After 69, the chance of developing prostate cancer is more likely than any other cancer in both men or women. Research has found, African American men are more likely to develop the disease and have a higher risk of dying from it. If you have a father or brother who was diagnosed with prostate cancer, you are twice as likely to be diagnosed as well. Oddly enough, location can have a dramatic affect on your risk of diagnosis. Men in the US have a 17% risk of developing the disease whereas men in rural China have a 2% risk.
While these stats sound scary, it is important to know that researchers have found a number of foods and activities that could reduce the risk of prostate cancer.
Eating:
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Eat fish – Evidence show that fish can protect against prostate cancer due to the good fat like omega-3 fatty acids.
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Up your tomato & cruciferous vegetables – 2 servings of cooked tomatoes a week can help reduce your risk as well. Multiple studies have proven the lycopene in tomatoes is more potent when cooked. In 2008, British scientists found a disease fighting benefit from consuming broccoli 4 times a week due to the isothiocyanates compounds found in the vegetable.
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Lighten up on the baked goods – Men with high blood levels of trans fats have twice the prostate cancer risk of men with the lowest levels. Stay away from commercially baked sweets and food containing hydrogenated oil.
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Drink more coffee – Whether it is caffeinated or not, researchers at Harvard found that men who consumed six or more cups or coffee were less likely to develop advance prostate cancer than those who refrained.
Lifestyle:
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Exercise regularly – Men who have a BMI of 30 or higher may have an increased risk of prostate cancer. Additionally, they have found that exercise can reduce fatal forms of prostate cancer by 41 percent.
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Limit Supplement Intake – Originally people believed that taking selenium could help reduce your risk of getting prostate cancer. Unfortunately a recent study showed that the supplement does nothing to help stave off a prostate cancer diagnosis and even worse increased the risk of diabetes. Unless instructed by your doctor, steer clear of selenium supplements.
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Up your horizontal activity – The Journal of the American Medical Association found a 30% decrease in prostate cancer risk in men who had 21 or more orgasms a month versus men who only had four to seven.
While these lifestyle changes can help, nothing will do as much for early detection as having regular checkups and discussing your family health history with your doctor. Here are JustAnswer we have had a long standing Movember Mustache Contest and this month will be no different. Be sure to check back at the end of the month to see the growth we have made! In the meantime, if you have questions or concerns about prostate cancer, Oncologists on JustAnswer are available 24/7. Speak with an Oncologist now >
