Prostate Cancer Web Site Study – Trust Me Just Check It Out…

As odd as it may seem, and I must admit it seems odd to me – but a young lady is working on her Ph.D. thesis which involves Prostate Cancer Web Sites and their relevance or help to those who need information.

I was introduced to her site through Dr. Richard Wassersug, himself a Prostate Cancer survivor. Dr. Wassersug and I are to meet on Friday as I feel his work with advanced prostate cancer may be beneficial to report on and include in my forthcoming book. Before our meeting, Dr. Wassersug e-mailed me and suggested that I participate in her study.

Today I elected to do so between interviews. I am interviewing men and their partners as part of my research for the book. The questionnaire was thorough and exposed me to several sites that I had not seen before. As most who read this blog know, ranking on google, is a function of a multitude of things, not the least of which is search engine optimization, keywords, etc. Therefore, some of the sites are a bit obscure but relevant nonetheless.

SUGGESTION: Help this young lady out in her research. Take the survey – I promise it doesn’t hurt (much less painful than a biopsy). I know poor joke. But then you have to laugh every once in a while.

As you evaluate the sites you may just find something new and helpful as we (I am a prostate cancer survivor) navigate these waters together.

REQUEST: I can’t help but request that if you or your partner has had an experience with prostate cancer…contact me. I would love to interview you. ESPECIALLY PARTNERS…There is a section of my book dedicated to you…so I need to hear from you. The interviews I conduct are confidential so not to worry about issues of identity. I can be reached at chuck@chuckgallagher.com or 828.244.1400.

HERE’S THE LINK TO THE SURVEY: http://porpus.org/ Enjoy the survey and if you find something that is helpful…please come back here to comment so that others can benefit.

Prostate Cancer Study Halted! Vitamin E and Selenium Don’t Prevent Prostate Cancer…

On October 28th the National Cancer Institute has halted its $114 million study of whether vitamin E and selenium can prevent prostate cancer.  A safety panel for the 35,000 man study halted the program when an early look at the data showed no benefit for the treatment.

According to an article in WebMD -

There were slightly more prostate cancers in men taking vitamin E alone, and slightly more diabetes in men taking only selenium. But neither finding was statistically significant, meaning they were likely due to chance.

“The data to date suggest, but do not prove, that vitamin E may slightly increase the chance of getting prostate cancer, and that selenium may increase the chance of getting diabetes mellitus,” warns a letter sent to study participants by the Southwest Oncology Group, which ran the NCI-funded study.

The letter sent to men in the study is reproduced here.

Dear SELECT Participant:

We are writing to give you important information about SELECT.

The Study leadership now has enough data to be able to tell you to stop taking the Study supplements, although SELECT will continue. We have found that it is unlikely that selenium or vitamin E will prevent prostate cancer even if you continue to take Study Supplements.

SELECT is not over. There is valuable information to be gained from your continued participation in SELECT.  We would like for you to continue to visit your study site and provide health and medical information to study staff. As one of the largest medical studies of men, the study will help us answer many critical questions about men’s health and will assist scientists in the future.

The data to date suggest, but do not prove, that vitamin E may slightly increase the chance of getting prostate cancer, and that selenium may increase the chance of getting diabetes mellitus. We want to emphasize that these findings are not proven. We will learn more about the effects of the Study Supplements as we continue to monitor your health. Your safety is our priority.

Here is what we would like you to do: Please stop taking your Study Supplements but keep your Study Supplement bottles. Bring your Study Supplement bottles and any remaining Study Supplements to your next study site visit. You may continue taking the Study Multivitamin.

You will get more information at your next study site visit. You may also visit the SELECT website, http://www.crab.org/select, for more information.

We now know that selenium and vitamin E do not prevent prostate cancer. This important public health finding is a result of your contribution to SELECT. The SELECT National Participant Advisory Board and the leadership of SELECT appreciate your ongoing commitment. We all share the same goal – to reduce the burden of cancer.

Initially it was thought that both Vitamin E and Selenium would be helpful in the prevention of prostate cancer.  Previous studies had indicated that since vitamin E and selenium, both antioxidants, might help control the cell damage caused by free radicals that can lead to cancer.  A published study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) in 1996  suggested prostate cancer incidences were reduced by two-thirds in men taking selenium on a daily basis.

Another study on vitamin E found a one-third reduction in prostate cancer incidence.  Selenium is a nutritionally essential element that occurs in the soil and is absorbed by our bodies through plant and animal products.  Organ means and brazil nuts are especially high in selenium. The soil of the southeastern U.S. is poor in selenium.  Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin present in foods in small quantities such as vegetable oils, nuts, vegetables, milk fat and egg yolk.

Needless to say, had the study proven the link, it would have been an easy solution to take something that is easily found over the counter.

There are those who feel that the halted study is a manipulation of data to support the medical machine.  I can’t express and opinion on that one way or the other.  What I can say is that I am here today – a PROSTATE CANCER SURVIVOR – living due to the benefits of Western medicine.  But for those who want an opposing opinion…click here.