Prostate Cancer News - 8 News NOW

Prostate cancer is in the news lately.  A panel made a highly controversial recommendation that healthy men with no symptoms should skip the PSA test. I've put some links to the pro's and con's at the end.

The latest news concerns whether Vitamin E can help prevent prostate cancer. 

 

     The results of a large study found that vitamin "e" may actually increase a man's risk of prostate cancer.
     The trial involved 35-thousand men taking both selenium and vitamin e, alone and together, to see if it could prevent the disease.
But the study revealed that there wasn't any benefit at all, and the men taking vitamin E actually had a small increase in risk.
Doctor Eric Klein of the Cleveland Clinic followed some of the men for another year and a half -- even after they stopped taking the supplements. He told the Journal of the American Medical Association, "Neither vitamin e nor selenium seems to prevent any other important health issue like bone or colon cancer or all cancers lumped together. They don't prevent cardiovascular disease or events and they don't make people live longer."  
       One study participant says he's now gone back to simply concentrating on a healthy diet, having an annual prostate exam - and he always discusses vitamin supplementation with his doctor.

       Too much vitamin E can slightly increase risk for prostate cancer:
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-20118821-10391704.html
        Health panel says healthy men without symptoms should not get PSA test for prostate cancer detection:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/07/health/07prostate.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=PROSTATE%20SCREENING&st=cse
        Whom should you believe on prostate cancer PSA tests?
One doctor's view: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/11/the-shortfalls-of-early-cancer-detection/
        The opposing view:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/story/2011-10-10/PSA-test-prostate-cancer/50723714/1