The research involved an analysis of data collected on 60,524 Chinese adults and looked at the role sweetened carbonated drinks and juices play in the development in this type of cancer in Asians. Earlier work has previously looked at the effect on Americans and Europeans.

The participants came from the Singapore Chinese Health Study that collected data on diet, physical activity and medical history among other things.

Those who drank two or more carbonated sodas (diet sodas and sports drinks were not included in the work) a week tended to be younger men who smoked, drank alcohol, ate calorie laden foods and were less active overall. These participants also ate more red meat, causing the researchers to adjust for dietary factors such as this.

“But the adjustments did not change the link between soda and the risk of pancreas cancer,” explains study author Mark Pereira of the University of Minnesota’s division of epidemiology and community health. “We suspect sugar is the culprit, but we cannot prove it from this study,”

Generally a serving of carbonated soda is 20 ounces and has 65 grams of sugar. As a comparison, a typical serving of a fruit juice, like orange juice, is 8 ounces and has 21 grams of sugar. Quite a difference.

Carbonated drinks are the leading sources of added sugar in the US diet, contributing to both high blood sugar and hyperinsulinemia (a higher than normal amount of insulin in the blood).

The pancreas is a gland deep in the abdomen (between the stomach and spine), surrounded by other vital organs like the liver and intestines. This pear-shaped gland is about 6 inches long and produces insulin (and other hormones) that help to regulate blood sugar.

This organ, like others in the body, can develop cancer though the causes remain unknown. It’s most common in smokers and those who are obese, with risk increasing as you age. This form of cancer is slightly more common in women than in men.

Tragically, 95% of those diagnosed with pancreatic cancer won’t be alive in 5 years.

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This Increases Risk Of Pancreatic Cancer Continued…

When it comes to treatment, the picture is bleak – usually by the time this cancer is found, its quite advanced and has had time to spread to nearby organs.

In about 80% of cases the tumor cannot be removed, leaving chemotherapy and radiation as the most likely recommendations to shrink the size of the growth and prolong survival.

If the findings of this most recent study are confirmed by future work, this could provide a solid, sensible way to prevent a dangerous, deadly form of cancer.

Limiting these sweetened drinks as well as eating lots of fruits, vegetables and whole grains, exercising regularly and quitting smoking are all changes you can make to reduce your risk. In the case of pancreatic cancer, prevention is always the best, safest option.

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The work, appearing online in the British Medical Journal, involved more than 1,200 subjects who had colorectal cancer and 1,200 controls that were free of the disease.

Those with the highest levels (100 nanomoles per liter) of vitamin D in their bloodstream had an almost 40% lower risk of colorectal cancer compared to those who were at the lowest levels (under 25 nanomoles per liter) of vitamin D.

The findings come out of the EPIC study (European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition. This study has more than half a million adult subjects from 23 centers in 10 western European countries, all who were free of cancer at the start of the research.

After several years follow up, 1,248 subjects were diagnosed with colorectal cancer, and these participants were matched to the same number of participants (1,248 cancer free participants).

The researchers had collected very detailed diet and lifestyle information, and noted blood levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D, a reliable marker for the amount of the vitamin in the body from all sources, including diet, supplements and sunlight.

The results of the research “support a role for vitamin D in the accepted causes of this form of cancer.” EPIC investigator Dr. Mazda Jenab of the International Agency for Research on Cancer in France tells Reuters Health. “But this has to be balanced with caution regarding the potential toxic effects of too much vitamin D and the fact that very little is known about the association of vitamin D with either increased or reduced risk of other cancers.”

EPIC coordinator Dr. Elio Riboli of Imperial College, London, added, “There is consistent scientific evidence that low circulating vitamin D concentration is a marker of increased risk for developing colon cancer.” Riboli hopes that future work in this area would examine if vitamin D supplements would cut cancer risk without bringing on serious side effects.

You can get vitamin D naturally in one of three ways…

· From the sun: 15 minutes in the sun a few times a week, without sunscreen to block the natural absorption of vitamin D.

· From your food: 400-600 IU of vitamin D each day from natural sources such as egg yolks, saltwater fish, liver and fortified milk is a good start. Per the Institute of Medicine, the upper limit for vitamin D intake is 2000 IU per day, and more is NOT better.

· From supplements: Shop with care and look for USP (United States Pharmacopeia) standards. Talk with your doctor before beginning any supplement program, and be sure to take only the recommended amount, no more.

There is as yet no consensus on optimal vitamin D levels in adults. Some work has suggested that for colon cancer prevention, blood levels of vitamin D should be kept in the mid range, at about 50 nanomoles per liter or more.

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Vitamin D Protect Against Colon Cancer Continued…

The researchers did compare low and high levels of vitamin D to a mid level (50-75 nanomoles) and found that anything over 75 nanomoles brought a reduction in risk, while levels under 50 nanomoles were associated with higher risk of colorectal cancers.

Inadequate vitamin D levels in both Europe and North America may be the bigger issue.

Experts believe that large proportions of both these populations are likely to fall into the deficient or insufficient category. And since few foods are natural sources of vitamin D, fortified foods must provide most of what we get from our diet.

Experts believe you can get the vitamin D your body needs from a healthy, balanced diet, as well as regular, moderate exposure to natural sunlight.

While we wait for the word on vitamin D supplements, your best bet if you’re concerned about your risk of colorectal cancer is to see that your levels of this important nutrient are as high as they should be by including vitamin D rich foods into your diet.

Eat a balanced diet, stop smoking, get more active, manage your weight – Especially abdominal fat, and limit your intake of red/processed meats and alcohol to do all you can to keep yourself healthy and cancer free.

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Being obese increases your risk of developing a nasty form of kidney cancer according to a new study published in the January 2010 issue of the UK urology journal BJUI.

The researchers out of New York’s Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center examined 1,640 male and female (average age 62) patients who had surgery to remove kidney tumors at the facility between January 2000 and December 2007.

They found that obese patients (BMIs over 30) were 48% more likely to have a clear cell renal cell cancer (RCC) – one of the more deadly varieties of kidney cancer, than those with a body mass index under 30. The odds went up by 4% for each extra BMI point.

As a result of their work, the scientists found that malignant tumors with clear cell RCC appeared in 67% of obese patients who had malignant tumors, compared to 57% of non-obese patients with malignant tumors.

The extra pounds added a full 10% increased risk in the study subjects, even after adjustments for tumor size, age, gender, hypertension, diabetes and smoking had been made.

Obese and non-obese patients had similar rates for other kinds of malignant tumors including papillary, chromophobe and collecting duct.

The American Cancer Society estimates 57,760 new kidney cancers will be diagnosed in the United States in 2009. Renal cell carcinoma accounts for almost 9 out of every 10 kidney cancers; with the subtype from the research, clear cell, appearing in about 8 of 10 of those with RCC.

Most of those who have this cancer are older – the average age at diagnosis is 65, with the incidence highest between the ages of 55 and 84.

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Obesity Boosts Kidney Cancer Continued…

An ultrasound or CT scan can usually spot a tumor, while the cancer cells themselves have a very pale or clear appearance when examined under a microscope.

Abdominal imaging has helped when it comes to increased detection of RCC, but can’t account for all the cases doctors see – rates of kidney cancer have been rising since the 1970s.

According to the researchers, the only other factors that appeared as independent predictors of RCC were being male and the size of the tumor.

This is the reason researchers concluded that BMI is likely to be another independent predictor of this form of cancer – as BMI goes up, so do your odds of developing RCC.

The team hopes that this work will help in determining a patient’s risk of having a clear cell RCC, and the treatments that might be recommended.

“A number of studies have suggested that obesity could be a risk factor for RCC, but the exact reason is unknown. Researchers suggest it might be secondary to hormonal changes, decreased immune function, hypertension or diabetes in obese patients,” says study author Dr. William T. Lowrance of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. While more work needs to be done to understand the pathology of clear cell RCC, this study offers a strong association between obesity and the most dangerous of the kidney cancers.

If you’re worried, and your BMI number is higher than you would like, now’s the time to make the changes to get your weight under control.

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The work identifies a group of phytochemicals known as ellagitannins, abundant in pomegranates, that inhibit the growth of estrogen responsive breast cancers in the lab.

The researchers believe the ellagitannins in pomegranates work by inhibiting a key enzyme (known as aromatase) the body uses to make estrogen, which is suspected of a role in breast cancer growth.

“Phytochemicals suppress estrogen production that prevents the proliferation of breast cancer cells and the growth of estrogen-responsive tumors,” explains researcher Shiuan Chen, PhD, director of the Division of Tumor Cell Biology and co-leader of the Breast Cancer Research Program at City of Hope in Duarte, California.

For this work, the researchers examined the impact of 10 ellagitannin-derived compounds from pomegranates on hormone activity and breast cancer cell growth. The results showed that of the ten compounds, urolithins B most significantly inhibited the growth of the breast cancer cells in the laboratory testing.

The results are promising, though more work will be needed to see if eating or drinking pomegranate-derived products will have any effect in people.

Pomegranates have gotten a lot of attention recently – becoming one of the most talked about “superfoods” out there because of both the heart healthy and anti-cancer benefits.

This latest work is the first to look at breast cancer growth, and we’ll likely hear of other studies as the year 2009 saw no fewer than 20 clinical trials registered with the National Institutes of Health to look at pomegranate consumption on many diseases.

If you’re concerned about your cancer risk, or just want to take advantage of the potential health benefits, consider making pomegranates a regular part of your diet – Even at the risk of pink hands, a juice splattered shirt and the effort needed to enjoy the fruit. If you’ve never tried one, pomegranates have a unique, very pleasant flavor. You can eat the seeds themselves, or add them to salads, meats, or other grain pilaf dishes, even deserts.

If you have the option between the fruit and its juice form, always try to choose the fruit, as it has natural fiber as well as antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.

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Pomegranates Stop Growth Of Breast Cancer Continued…

You can buy the fruit in juice form, though it can be expensive and comes with more than its share of calories.

Often it’s easy to drink a lot more calories than you realize, so watch your portion sizes and keep your intake to 1.5 ounces of the juice.

If the taste is too strong for you, try mixing it with mineral or seltzer water, or with blueberry or cranberry juice for a super rich antioxidant drink.

It’s also a great addition to your favorite smoothie recipe, or mix it with plain yogurt or cottage cheese. There are even pudding recipes out there that are delicious and healthy too.

There are stores where you can buy pomegranate paste that’s made with molasses. This lends itself to glazes, dips and salad dressing recipes.

No matter what form you choose, enjoying delicious, good for you pomegranates might be one of the best, most natural ways to give your body healthy nutrients and perhaps women might also protect themselves from cancer.

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The work out of California based biomedical research organization The Scripps Research Institute finds that an enzyme that normally helps to break down stored fats becomes highly active in some cancer cells, making them more aggressive and more likely to spread.

These findings might help to explain the reported link that many experts believe exists between obesity and cancer.

“Historically, research has focused on the mechanisms leading to cancer formation, and therapies have focused on taking out cancer cells,” explains contributing author Benjamin Cravatt, chair of the Scripps Research Department of Chemical Physiology. “But here we were looking for pathways that lead to cancer aggressiveness.”

As a cancer grows, some cells take on more aggressive characteristics – the ability to invade an area and spread to other parts of the body.

One enzyme in particular, known as monoacylglycerol lipase (or MAGL for short), was detected by the team using a technique pioneered in Cravatt’s lab – activity based protein profiling that allows experts to see all active enzymes in a cell at the same time.

MAGL was found to go into overdrive in cancer cells, breaking down stored fats to produce large amounts of free fatty acids. These are the building blocks of cell membranes and fatty molecules that act as signals between cells.

Free fatty acids then produce other smaller molecules that encourage cancer growth and progression.

The research found that MAGL was highly elevated in aggressive cancers. It was also found to change cancer cells to a more malignant form.

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Stored Fats = Aggressive Cancer Continued…

While the enzyme was known to break down stored fats, the ability to regulate free fatty acid production was a new revelation brought by the research. “As cancer cells become more aggressive, the lipase is increased and its activity is targeted to the release of free fatty acid,” adds Daniel Nomura, a postdoc in Cravatt’s lab.

Said another way, cancer cells co-opted MAGL’s activity in order to support their own progression.

At present, there are more than 100 different cancers and all of them begin in cells, the body’s basic unit of life. In 2008 the U.S. saw over 1,437,180 new cancer cases diagnosed, not including nonmelanoma skin cancer.

And while rates of cancer diagnosis and death are declining, too many people are still finding themselves face-to-face with this dreadful potentially deadly disease.

The researchers are hoping that understanding aggression-promoting MAGL might reveal a new way to treat aggressive cancers or prevent cancer progression.

If the findings were to bring a new cancer therapy, the advantages over the therapies we’re using today could be significant. Since the MAGL enzyme isn’t necessary for cell survival, but only for progression of the cell, it may be safer to target because it isn’t involved in a survival mechanism common to all cells.

You should also know that eating high fat foods introduces free fatty acids into the body on a regular basis and contributes to obesity, which increases your risks for diseases and chronic health problems.

There are things you can do to help yourself reduce the high fat food you eat by shopping smart and cooking with care.

By making slow, steady changes to the foods you choose (at home and in restaurants) you can gradually, painlessly be eating a diet that’s free of most of the unhealthy foods, and the health consequences, that come with them.

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The pair of studies conducted by a team of cancer researchers suggests low cholesterol doesn’t deserve its worrisome reputation, or its association with a higher cancer risk earned thanks to a series of studies in the 1980s.

This latest work found low total cholesterol was associated with almost 60% less risk of the most aggressive type of prostate cancer. Higher levels of good cholesterol, also known as HDL, were shown to offer protection against lung, liver and other cancers.

In fact, the experts wonder if cholesterol levels might drop before cancer is diagnosed. This suggests that the lower cholesterol levels might be the result, rather than the cause, of the cancer.

In the first study, conducted by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), men with HDL numbers over 55 mg/dL (HDL of 40-50 are average for men) had an 11% decrease in cancer risk. This included lung and liver cancers.

The subjects were 29,000 male smokers in Finland, studied over an 18-year period, making the study the largest to find a relationship between HDL and cancer.

At first the results backed up what had been learned during the studies of the 1980s – men with lower total cholesterol had a higher cancer risk. The trend disappeared when the researchers excluded cases of cancer that had been diagnosed during the first nine years of the study. These men might have had cancer, but without being diagnosed yet.

“Very few studies measured [HDL], and any relationship between HDL and overall cancer risk had therefore not been adequately evaluated,” said Dr. Demetrius Albanes of the NCI and the lead author of the study.

Of course more work is needed to confirm the results… especially in women and nonsmokers.

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Cholesterol Levels And Cancer Continued…

In the second study, the same team looked at 5,500 men aged 55 and over. Those with total cholesterol numbers under 200 mg/dL (”desirable” according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute) had about a 60% lower risk of high grade prostate cancer, the most aggressive type.

The decrease in risk was only in the high-grade tumors and not in less serious cases of this type of cancer. “It was a notable reduction, which is not that often seen in prostate cancer research,” explains lead researcher Elizabeth Platz, a cancer epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. This pattern was reported in an earlier study conducted by Platz and her colleagues.

The second study was inspired by a growing body of evidence that suggests statin drugs (like Lipitor) might protect against high-grade prostate cancer. More studies, including randomized, controlled trials, are needed to confirm the link between cholesterol and prostate cancer.

In an editorial that accompanies the two studies, Eric Jacobs, an epidemiologist with the American Cancer Society says, “[It's] a very new, exciting question, but we need to do a great deal more research before we have any clear answers.” The findings of both studies on cholesterol and cancer raise key questions, and are likely to be very interesting areas for future study.

In other words… stay tuned.

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What puts this particular number at risk isn’t things like smoking or eating an unhealthy diet, it isn’t lack of exercise or bad genetics, it’s being obese.

This startling finding comes from data extrapolated from U.S. cancer incidence by the American Institute of Cancer Research (AICR). It’s the first time experts have solid numbers that demonstrate the magnitude of the problem.

While science has yet to explain why added weight has such an impact when it comes to cancer, a leading theory suggests all that extra fat produces hormones that actually foster cancer cell development.

Some studies have shown that more body fat brings increased levels of oxidative stress and inflammatory compounds in the bloodstream.

Recent findings also suggest that excess body fat decreases your immune function.

Beyond cancer, obesity has been linked to dangerous, life altering conditions like heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and stroke.

Today an estimated 26% of American’s are obese, with a BMI of 30.0 or higher, another third of U.S. adults are classified as overweight, with BMI’s in the rang of 25.0 to 29.9.

We all know these rates are rising all the time. What’s more, cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States (behind heart disease) right now, add the link that appears in this research and cancer diagnosis may become a fact of life for many, many more patients.

There is now convincing evidence that cancers linked to being obese are some of the most dangerous kinds out there.

Think cancer of the breast and endometrium (lining of the womb), the esophagus, the gallbladder, the kidney, the bowel and the pancreas.

The good news that comes out of this research is that you can make choices, today and moving forward, that will have an impact on your chances of getting cancer.

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Obesity Causes 100,000 Cancers In The US Each Year Continued…

Even losing a few of those extra pounds can help. As can working to prevent being overweight or obese in the first place.

In fact, if American’s kept control of their weight, the AICR puts some numbers together with common cancer types that might be prevented each year.

- Esophageal – 35% of cases or 5,800 cases/year

- Pancreatic – 28% of cases or 11,900 cases/year

- Gallbladder – 21% of cases or 2,000 cases/year

- Colorectal – 9% of cases or 13,200 cases/year

- Breast – 17% of cases or 33,000 cases/year

- Endometrial – 49% of cases or 20,700 cases/year

- Kidney – 24% of cases or 13,900 cases/year

“This is the first time that we’ve put real, quantifiable case numbers on obesity-related cancers,” said educational director Glen Weldon of the American Institute for Cancer Research. “Obesity not only raises the risk for getting cancer, it also has a negative effect on survival and can make treatment more difficult.”

The take away message from this AICR research is to do what you can to take control of your weight.

Leaner people have better odds of staying healthy, and cancer free, today and for years to come.

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A team out of Cork Cancer Research Center treated esophageal cancer cells with curcumin, and found that it began killing these cells in just 24 hours. Unexpectedly, the cancer cells even began to digest themselves.

Turmeric has been used as part of Indian Ayurvedic medicine for centuries to treat all manner of ailments, though more recent research has identified the curcumin as responsible for much of the biological activity.

Some studies have suggested curcumin can have an impact on both the onset and growth of tumors, and that those who eat a lot of this spice may be less likely to get certain diseases.

It is well documented that cancer rates in India are lower than those in western countries and may be related to the amount of curcumin in the diet. Curcumin is also being studied as a treatment for many diseases, including several types of cancers, Alzheimer’s disease and more.

In 2007 U.S. researchers found curcumin might be involved in stimulating immune cells in Alzheimer’s disease. The latest Irish work suggests that it may also be possible to develop curcumin as a cancer drug for esophageal cancer.

In the British Journal of Cancer article the team of researchers conclude that curcumin is “a promising anticancer agent for prevention and treatment of esophageal cancer.”

Esophageal cancer is one of those that feature tumors that are especially deadly. Often five-year survival rates are abysmal, holding at 12-31%. Each year cancers of the esophagus take the lives of more than half a million people worldwide.

Rates of this form of cancer continue to rise, going up by more than 50% since the 1970’s. The rise is blamed on increasing obesity rates, alcohol intake and cases of reflux disease.

What’s interesting about the Irish research is that the cancer cells died as the result of an unexpected system of messages in the cells themselves.

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Curry Compound Kills Cancer Cells Continued…

In most cases a faulty cell will die by committing a sort of programmed suicide, and this did happen in this study as well. But, the cancer cells exposed to the curcumin also seemed to be attacked using some sort of alternate cell signaling system – as if the molecule was able to trigger other lethal signals within the cell.

Dr. Sharon McKenna, lead researcher on the work explains, “Scientists have known for a long time that natural compounds have the potential to treat faulty cells that have become cancerous and we suspected that curcumin might have therapeutic value.”

Curcumin is used many foods as coloring – foods like mustard, margarine, processed cheese, cakes, curry powder, soft drinks and treats. Still, for some of us, adding this spice to recipes or enjoying spicy Indian, Asian or Middle Eastern dishes is not an option suited to our taste buds or our tummies.

Curcumin supplements are safe and well tolerated, though you will want to discuss your plans to add this nutrient to your diet with your doctor before making any changes.

No surprise that what we eat, even something as small and seemingly insignificant as a spice, might have a very big impact on our long-term health and ability to resist disease.

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The findings tie high intakes of total fat to increased risk of a form of skin cancer known as squamous cell carcinoma among those who have a history of the disease. The research appears in the International Journal of Cancer.

“In addition to protecting the skin from sunlight, people who have a history of skin cancer would benefit from lowering their total fat intake,” says Dr. Torukiri I. Ibiebele of the Queensland Institute of Medical Research in Australia.

Though intakes of dietary fat have been associated with skin cancer in the past, until now there was sparse, inconsistent evidence of any link between the two.

The team studied the diet of 457 men, 600 women aged 25-75 years old, computing their daily intake of saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats in meats, fried foods, breads, veggies and what’s used in cooking.

The subjects all lived in the sub-tropical area of Nambour, Queensland, a place with high exposure to ultraviolet sunlight. Findings stand up even after allowing for factors that could be linked to cancer such as where a subject lived and their level of exposure to the sun.

Basic information about diet, skin color and sun exposure was collected using a questionnaire in 1992.

The follow up to the study lasted 11 years, during which time 267 of the study subjects developed a total of 664 basal cell skin tumors – the worlds most common skin cancer.

Another 127 subjects developed a total of 235 squamous cell skin tumors – the second most common form of skin cancer. These two forms of non-melanoma skin cancer account for the vast majority of skin cancers. These are readily and successfully treated when caught early.

The Australian study found there was no significant association between the amount of fat a subject consumed each day and the overall risk of either basal cell or squamous cell cancers.

However, if a subject had a prior history of skin cancer, higher total fat intake was associated with an almost twofold increased risk of squamous cell cancers.

This supports a body of work that shows that prior skin cancers make high fat diets a no-no.

Eating a low fat diet isn’t as hard as you might think. You need to start by being aware of what you’re putting in your body.

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Reduce The Risk of Common Skin Cancers Through Diet Continued…

Get into the habit of reading food labels, watch for the hidden fats in those processed and baked goodies and don’t neglect the fats and oils used in cooking. Keep your goals realistic, that means don’t cut everything all at once.

Be sure that you stock your fridge and cabinets with healthy options – whole grain pastas, breads and grains, plus lots of fresh veggies and fruits.

You can also work to make substitutions – leaner cuts of meat, adding more chicken or fish (once or twice per week), fresh veggies and fruits to your menu. Always eat breakfast, as this will keep your blood sugar levels stable till lunch, making you less likely to snack.

Water is super helpful, as it aids digestion and keeps you feeling fuller, longer. It’s also important to watch the portion sizes on all your meals, as what you’ve become accustomed to seeing on restaurant plates is usually quite a bit bigger than a true serving.

Remember, deciding to choose a low fat diet menu doesn’t mean depriving yourself. Some fat is good, and you can certainly enjoy a treat once in a while, but cutting the unnecessary fats in your daily intake can certainly be helpful for skin cancer patients, and the rest of us too.

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U.S. researchers at Duke University Medical Center examined 190 male subjects who were having prostate biopsies at the Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

Before the procedure, subjects completed questionnaires on their physical activity. Levels of physical activity were assessed based on answers to questions on frequency, duration and intensity of exercise in a typical week. Activity was designated as mild (easy walking, yoga), moderate (brisk walking, tennis) or strenuous (running, swimming).

A full 58% of the subjects in the study were considered sedentary, exercising less than the American Heart Association recommendations of one hour a week. Another 46% were moderately active, leaving just 33% considered very active.

After making adjustments for age, race, weight, PSA score, family history of disease and other variables, the team found that men who exercised more each week were far less likely to have cancer on biopsy. “As the amount of exercise increased, the risk of cancer decreased,” explains study lead author Dr. Jodi Antonelli, a urology resident at Duke University Medical Center. The results of the work were published online in the Journal of Urology.

The good news is that even a small amount of exercise offered some reduced risk of prostate cancer.

Antonelli cautions, “This is a relatively small study – and it is not a screening study – so it may not be appropriate to apply our results to a general population. In addition, it is impossible to state that exercise alone was responsible for the benefits we observed because participants who exercised might also have engaged in other behaviors linked to better health, like adhering to good diet. That means we can not clearly identify a causal relationship.”

Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers in men, affecting one in six American males, though the disease is rare in a man under 40 years old.

The cause remains unknown, but thanks to PSA testing, the vast majority of these cancers are found before any symptoms appear.

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Exercise Protects Against Prostate Cancer Continued…

While it can be scary to face a life-threatening disease, today’s diagnostic tests make it possible for your doctor to find something early on, when cancers are most beatable.

And though there is no “one size fits all” treatment for prostate cancer, you doctor can explain the options (medications, radiation therapy, surgery or simple monitoring) best for you based on the stage of your disease and your own unique situation.

If you’re worried about prostate trouble, either now or later in life, making exercise part of your daily routine can certainly do no harm, and may well end up proving itself quite helpful.

Before you start that workout plan, talk with your doctor to be sure exercise is okay for you – especially if you’ve been inactive for years. Once you get the go-ahead, start slow and build over time, and make an effort to get in a workout at least three times each and every week.

Remember too that exercise, when done properly, should not leave you sore, stiff or exhausted – if you are then you’re overdoing it and more likely to hurt yourself and sabotage your efforts and getting fit.

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