Prostate Cancer Research on Controlling the Cancer
Researchers are investigating the possibility that drugs might keep latent prostate cancers from developing into active cancers. In a National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial (PCPT), 18,000 healthy men age 55 and older are taking either
finasteride (currently used to shrink the prostate in benign prostatic hyperplasia) or a placebo every day for 7 to 10 years.
Smaller
prostate cancer research trials are testing DFMO, a drug that inactivates an enzyme that cells need in order to multiply, and 4-HPR, a vitamin A analog that may block hormone-responsive tumors.
Prostate Cancer Research on Reducing the Risk
Since prostate cancer is less common in populations with low-fat, high-fiber, high-soy diets, scientists are also looking into the possibility of using diet as a prostate cancer prevention method.
There is still no evidence to show that switching to a healthy diet after years of eating high-fat foods will make a difference, but small prostate cancer research studies are testing the effects of a low-fat, high-soy diet among men who have an increased risk of prostate cancer and men who have already been treated for the disease. There is some evidence of a lower incidence of prostate cancer in men who eat lots of tomato-based foods, especially tomato sauce cooked with a little olive oil.
Prostate Cancer Research on Treatment Methods
New types of treatment are being tested in clinical trials. These include:
- Cryosurgery
- Chemotherapy
- Biologic therapy
- High-intensity forced ultrasound.
Cryosurgery
Cryosurgery is a treatment that uses an instrument to freeze and destroy prostate cancer cells. This type of treatment is also called cryotherapy.
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