Nutraceuticals And Prostate Cancer Prevention: A Current Review

UroToday - Nutraceutical is a new term in prostate cancer research that relates to nutritional or wholistic treatments. Nutraceuticals generally refer to isolated compounds, usually from plant matter, that are unmodified with demonstrated benefit against chronic disease or cancer. A high percentage of patients at risk for prostate cancer or already diagnosed with the disease are interested in alternative therapies such as nutraceuticals. With the highly prevalent nature of PCa and its latent clinical effects, there is intense interest in prevention strategies.


Furthermore, now that many urology practices carry a significant number of patients on active surveillance, mechanisms to retard the disease are a priority. 5 alpha reductase inhibitor therapy is one approach in such patients, but use of these drugs comes at the price of significant side effects and cost. Nutraceutical compounds are generally inexpensive and rarely have any adverse effects unless used at exceedingly high doses.


The most notable nutraceutical compounds examined in prostate cancer prevention are vitamin D, vitamin E, selenium, lycopene, soy, and green tea. Aside from vitamin E, the data on these compounds is largely retrospective and in many cases contradictory. As a consequence, most of these compounds have been ruled out as effective agents against PCa despite a lack of good evidence for their ineffectiveness. Some are still under investigation and new nutraceuticals such as pomegranate are in the cue with over 30 randomized control trials registered in the area of nutraceuticals.


Of these compounds, soy has the most compelling evidence for benefit, albeit moderate in strength, in both primary prevention and patients on active surveillance. Some promising results are also available for green tea and pomegranate. However, we feel that many of the other compounds should not be ruled out based on contradictory low quality case-control studies. The future of these compounds is uncertain, but interest remains high.


We hope future studies will be higher quality in the form of randomized control trials to avoid the confusion of countless contradictory case-control studies. Our review of nutraceuticals in prostate cancer prevention comprehensively surveys the literature on these compounds with discussions on and newer promising compounds.


Greg Trottier, Peter J. Bostrom, Nathan Lawrenstchuk and Neil E. Fleshner as part of Beyond the Abstract on UroToday. This initiative offers a method of publishing for the professional urology community. Authors are given an opportunity to expand on the circumstances, limitations, etc., of their research by referencing the published abstract.


UroToday - the only urology website with original content global urology key opinion leaders actively engaged in clinical practice. To access the latest urology news releases from UroToday, go to:
www.urotoday


Copyright © 2010 - UroToday

We Recommend:


•   Stavudine Purchase
•   Didanosine Purchase
•   Order Atripla Without Prescription
•   Order Didanosine Without Prescription