Did You Know? Kidney Cancer

Studies have shown that partial nephrectomy, only removing the part of the kidney in which a small tumor (typically 4 centimeters or less) resides, produces equivalent outcomes to complete removal of the kidney, or radical nephrectomy, and may prevent the development of a serious side effect, chronic kidney disease.

How reliable are the screening tests for prostate cancer?
Neither of the screening tests for prostate cancer is perfect. Most men with an elevated PSA level do not have prostate cancer (false positives), and some men with prostate cancer have a low PSA level (false negatives).

Can prostate cancer be found before a man has symptoms?

Yes. Prostate cancer screening is looking for the disease before a person has any symptoms. Two screening tests commonly used to detect prostate cancer in the absence of symptoms are the digital rectal exam (DRE), in which a doctor feels the prostate through the rectum to find hard or lumpy areas, and a blood test that detects a substance made by the prostate called prostate-specific antigen (PSA).

Supplements Do Not Prevent Prostate Cancer



For many years, there has been a large amount of anecdotal evidence suggesting that vitamins and other dietary supplements are able to preclude the development of prostate cancer. For example, past retrospective studies authored by O. Heinonen and L. Clark had provided some evidence thatvitamin Eand selenium could provide a benefit in reducing prostate cancer occurrence. The Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT) was launched to truly evaluate the efficacy of these supplements. The trial found that supplementation with vitamin E, selenium, or the combination of the two did not provide men any advantage with regard to prostate cancer diagnosis. Doctors now advise against using these agents as a prostate cancer preventative.

Maintenance of a healthy diet and weight is still a good way to lower the risk of developing prostate cancer since obesity has been linked to an increased risk of developing the disease. There are also many other supplements that may prove to be beneficial in preventing prostate cancer. Currently, trials are recruiting participants to evaluate the roles of fish oil, low-fat diet, soy protein, and lycopene in prostate cancer prevention. Healthy men that may be at a higher risk of developing this disease, or have an interest in contributing to research aimed at reducing the occurrence of this wide-spread cancer may consider enrolling in these studies.