Download Baylor Sammons Cvetko Center PC Information and Support Group

Baylor Sammons Cvetko Center PC Information and Support Group Meeting
Truett Hospital, Meeting Room #8 (basement level)
3500 Gaston Ave., Dallas TX, 75246-2017
Tuesday December 2nd, 11:30 am to 1:30 pm
Roundtable Discussion:
Members sharing information, knowledge and experience with
other members on the major subjects of concern to the group.
Long Term Survivor member Justin Sucato will facilitate the discussion
Light Lunch & Refreshments Free Parking - The new Parking Garage #4 is OPEN.
There are entrances on both Junius and Worth Ave.
Map at: http://www.mapquest.com/maps/3500+Gaston+Ave+Dallas+TX+75246-2017/
Please consider reviewing the following Prevention and Screening Guidelines with your sons,
and brothers who are at double the risk of developing PC.
Dr. Patrick Walsh's Top 10 Considerations for Preventing Prostate Cancer.
To understand how to prevent prostate cancer, one must first understand what causes it. There are four major factors that
influence one's risk for developing prostate cancer, factors which unfortunately cannot be changed.
Age: The average age at diagnosis of prostate cancer in the United States is 69 years and after that age the chance of developing prostate cancer
becomes more common than any other cancer in men or women.
Race: African Americans have a 40% greater chance of developing prostate cancer and twice the risk of dying from it.
Conversely, Asian men who live in Asia have the lowest risk; however when they migrate to the west, their risk increases.
Family history: A man with a father or brother who developed prostate cancer has a twofold increased risk for developing it.
This risk is further increased if the cancer was diagnosed at a younger age (less than 55 years of age) or affected three or
more family members.
Where you live: The risk of developing prostate cancer for men who live in rural China is 2% and for men in the United
States 17%. When Chinese men move to the western culture, their risk increases substantially; men who live north of 40
degrees latitude (north of Philadelphia, Columbus, Ohio, and Provo, Utah) have the highest risk for dying from prostate
cancer of any men in the United States – this effect appears to be mediated by inadequate sunlight during three months of
the year which reduces vitamin D levels.
Given the facts above, which are difficult to change, there are many things that men can do, however, to reduce or
delay their risk of developing prostate cancer. Why is prostate cancer so common in the Western culture and much less so in
Asia, and why when Asian men migrate to western countries the risk of prostate cancer increases over time? We believe the
major risk factor is diet – foods that produce oxidative damage to DNA. What can you do about it to prevent or delay the
onset of the disease?
1. Eat fewer calories or exercise more so that you maintain a healthy weight.
2. Try to keep the amount of fat you get from red meat and dairy products to a minimum.
3. Watch your calcium intake. Do not take supplemental doses far above the recommended daily allowance. Some
calcium is OK, but avoid taking more than 1,500 mg of calcium a day.
4. Eat more fish – evidence from two large studies suggest that fish can help protect against prostate cancer because
they have "good fat" particularly omega-3 fatty acids.
5. Try to incorporate cooked tomatoes that are cooked with olive oil which has also been shown to be beneficial, and
cruciferous vegetables into many of your weekly meals.
6. Eat more soy.
7. Top off your meal with green or black tea.
8. What about supplements? Although selenium and vitamin E have been shown to reduce the frequency of prostate
cancer in smokers, the correct dose is tricky. Too much can be harmful. Until we know more about the value of
these supplements, do not take more than you'll find in a multivitamin preparation.
9. Eat an apple a day, or better yet, an apple, an orange, a bowl of vegetable soup, tomatoes, broccoli, and maybe
some corn on the cob. Try nature's packaging of phytochemicals instead of the health food store. Studies have
shown that simply eating an apple a day gives your body far more antioxidant and cancer fighting help than taking
megadoses of vitamins.
10. Finally, eating all the broccoli in the world, though it may make a difference in the long run, does not take away your
risk of having prostate cancer right now. If you are age 40 or over, if you have a family history of prostate cancer, or
African American, you need more than a good diet can guarantee. You need a yearly rectal examination and PSA
test.
More information about how dietary and lifestyle changes can be incorporated into everyday life can be found in the
Nutrition and Prostate Cancer guide at:
http://www.prostatecancerfoundation.org/site/c.itIWK2OSG/b.47431/k.8A27/Nutrition_and_Lifestyle.htm
From the Feb 2004 US TOO! Inc. Hot Sheet: and on the their website:
Know Your PSA
Prostate Cancer is one of the most common men’s cancers. It is estimated that nearly a quarter-million new
cases appear per year throughout North America and the number will further rise in years to come. Prostate
cancer is not simply a disease of old men. It can and DOES affect men at any age.
In its early stages, prostate cancer typically has no symptoms. But new diagnostic methods and changes in men s
attitudes due to increased awareness of the disease mean that more and more prostate cancers are found at an
early stage, when treatment options are more effective.
Take the following six steps to monitor your prostate health:
1. Consider establishing a ‘baseline PSA’ value—even by age 35 when the likelihood of problems is very
low against which your future values can be compared.
2. Schedule an annual prostate examination with your doctor, starting by age 40 for African Americans
and for men with a family history of prostate cancer, but not later than age 45 for all other men.
3. Get BOTH a PSA blood test AND a DRE (Digital Rectal Exam) as a part of your annual exam. Prostate
cancer survivor (Retired) General H. Norman Schwarzkopf had a low PSA test result, but his doctor felt
a lump during the DRE exam. Further testing confirmed the presence of prostate cancer, and his
subsequent treatment was successful.
4. Schedule your annual exam on a memorable day such as your birthday, Father’s Day or during
September, which is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.
5. Keep a record of your exact PSA test result and know
the score,’ not just that it is in the normal range.
6. Track your PSA from year to year, so you will know if it has increased too much since last year. A rise
of 0.75 or more in PSA within a year may require further investigation. The rate of change can be more
significant than the number itself.
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For those of you who are Recurring after a Radical Prostatectomy, a benchmark study titled Salvage Radiotherapy for
Recurrent Prostate Cancer After Radical Prostatectomy was published in JAMA. 2004;291:1325-1332 with much
valuable and some surprising information.
If you are recurring or are concerned about recurrence after surgery you may want to bring this up at our meeting
next Tues.
Summary Chart from the study – Four Year Progression Free Probability (PFP) after Salvage Radiotherapy