Also: Report proposes new "vital signs" to measure the nation's health; Biomarkers for better prostate cancer screening

May 28, 2015 May 28, 2015 Can diet help fight prostate cancer? Few things can make a man feel less in control of his life than being told he has cancer. But making healthier choices — including what food you eat — can help you regain some control, and make you feel better in the process. Can adopting a healthier diet help fight prostate cancer? That's a question men newly diagnosed with prostate cancer often ask their doctors. Get your copy of Annual Report on Prostate Diseases Most men eventually develop some type of prostate problem, and when they do, there are usually no easy solutions. More than a primer on prostate conditions, the 2015 Annual Report on Prostate Diseases includes roundtable discussions with experts at the forefront of prostate research, interviews with men about their treatment decisions, and the latest thinking on complementary therapies. This report will provide you with the information you need to understand the current controversies, avoid common pitfalls, and work with your doctor to make informed choices about your prostate health. Several studies have shown that in countries where men eat a typical "Western" diet containing a large amount of meat, the incidence of prostate cancer, especially aggressive prostate cancer, is higher than in countries where plant-based foods are a primary part of the diet. Unfortunately, these studies weren't designed to prove cause and effect. So for now, definitive answers about prostate cancer and diet aren't yet in — although researchers are actively studying this topic. Investigators have launched a federally funded national study to see whether a diet that's higher in plant-based foods and lower in animal-based foods than the typical Western diet will help control tumor growth in men with early-stage prostate cancer. Participants in the Men's Eating and Living (MEAL) study will try to eat nine servings of fruits and vegetables daily — significantly more than the three to four servings consumed each day by the typical American man — as well as two servings of whole grains and one serving of beans or other legumes. This clinical trial will include men 50-80 years old who have small, low-grade tumors and who have opted to have their condition followed closely (active surveillance) rather than undergoing immediate treatment. Researchers will randomly assign participants to telephone counseling about how to achieve the dietary MEAL goals or to a control group that receives standard dietary advice for Americans. During the two-year study, the investigators will collect blood samples to assess levels of antioxidants and nutrients, and then monitor the men with PSA tests and prostate biopsies to determine whether the cancer is progressing. A pilot study showed the approach is workable, and that with enough telephone prompting, men can increase their intake of vegetables and other healthy foods. To learn more about the larger phase III MEAL study, or to enroll, visit www.clinicaltrials.gov and search for Trial NCT 01238172. If you'd like to try to implement the MEAL eating plan on your own, you can find the basics below. For more on new options for treating prostate cancer and to learn about advances in the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer and other prostate conditions, buy the 2015 Annual Report on Prostate Diseases, a Special Health Report from Harvard Medical School. Share this story: News and Views from the Harvard Health Blog Report proposes new “vital signs” to measure the nation’s health Doctors use vital signs as a relatively straightforward way to detect an illness or monitor a person’s health. A report from the newly christened National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine) proposes using these 15 “vital signs” to track how health care in the United States measures up. Biomarkers for better prostate cancer screening Biomarkers are "chemicals" that can indicate both normal and abnormal processes in the body. One of the most famous is prostate-specific antigen (PSA). The PSA test, which detects abnormally high blood levels of PSA, has been used for decades to screen for prostate cancer and potentially catch it early. There are two problems with the PSA test. First, PSA levels can tell you that something is going on with the prostate — but that "something" isn't necessarily cancer. High levels may mean other benign prostate conditions. Second, when high PSA levels do turn out to be the result of prostate cancer, the PSA level alone won't tell you which cancers are aggressive and need treatment, and which are slow-growing and can be managed more conservatively. Fortunately, rapid advances in analytical methods are identifying potentially new and better biomarkers to test for prostate cancer. If successful, they could transform how prostate cancer is detected, diagnosed, and treated. Here's a quick list of some of the most promising options: Urine-based biomarkers. The prostate sheds material that can be detected and measured in the urine. New urine tests can detect changes in genes and biomarkers that are specific to prostate cancer. The results of these new tests can help pinpoint whether a biopsy is necessary. Genetic tests of prostate tissue. Newer and more sophisticated tests that look for markers of specific genes can help doctors distinguish between slow-growing and more aggressive forms of prostate cancer. These tests can even detect hidden cancers in men whose biopsies were negative. Circulating tumor cells. Cancer spreads when tumor cells break away, get swept up into the bloodstream, and start to grow in other parts of the body. A new "liquid biopsy" uses a simple blood test to capture and measure circulating tumor cells and their corresponding telltale markers. While this test isn't readily available yet, it could someday reduce the need for follow-up biopsies and help determine when prostate cancer treatment is working. For more on advances in the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer, including more details on the latest advances in biomarkers, buy the 2015 Annual Report on Prostate Diseases from Harvard Medical School. Share this story: Featured in this issue 2015 Annual Report on Prostate Diseases Featured content: • Monitoring prostate health • Prostate cancer • An international perspective • Prostate enlargement (benign prostatic hyperplasia) • Inflammation of the prostate (prostatitis) •  ... and more! Click here to read more » Harvard Medical School offers special reports on over 50 health topics. Visit our website at http://www.health.harvard.edu to find reports of interest to you and your family. PHONE ORDERS - please call our toll-free number: 1-877-649-9457. You are currently subscribed to HEALTHbeat as dr.samah.saied.ahmed@gmail.com. EDIT YOUR SUBSCRIPTION PROFILE UNSUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE TO HEALTHbeat VIEW HEALTHbeat ARCHIVES Visit our website at: www.health.harvard.edu Email us at: healthbeat@health.harvard.edu FOLLOW US ON:  Facebook Twitter Copyright © 2015 by Harvard University. 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