Watchful Waiting for prostate cancer in men 65 or older gets poor marks
Active treatment with brachytherapy or radical prostatectomy for men 65 or older with prostate cancer appeared to significantly improve survival compared to watchful waiting in a recent study at Case Western Reserve. Journal of Radiation Oncology / MedPage Today Nov 2007

A glass of pomegranate juice a day keeps the doctor away...
In a recent study of men who had undergone surgery or radiation therapy for adenocarcinoma of the prostate, yet still had evidence of residual disease, drinking 8 oz of pomegranate juice daily appeared to be beneficial in slowing the progression of the disease. These men, with rising PSA levels after definitive prostate cancer therapy, had significant slowing of their PSA doubling time when they drank eight ounces of pomegranate juice daily. The men took nearly four times as long for their PSA levels to double as they did before they started drinking the juice.

Commercial pomegranate juice shows potent antioxidant and antiatherosclerotic properties attributed to its high content of polyphenols and other flavonoids. The antioxidant properties are thought to slow the growth of cancerous cells. Clinical Cancer Research, 2006

PSA stands for prostate-specific antigen which is a chemical marker given off by cells of the prostate gland. The PSA test is a simple blood test that measures the level of PSA in the blood. Suspiciously high PSA levels are often an early sign of prostate cancer. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the use of the PSA test along with a digital rectal exam to help detect prostate cancer in men age 50 and older. The FDA has also approved the PSA test to monitor patients with a history of prostate cancer to see if the cancer has recurred.

A PSA over 4 ng/mL usually means that a man should be further evaluated for prostate cancer which involves undergoing needle biopsy of the prostate. The higher a man’s PSA level, the more likely it is that cancer is present, but there are many other possible reasons for an elevated PSA level. The PSA screening test has limitations and is controversial.(1) July 10 , 2006