DOCTOR'S ORDERS
From 21 orgasms a month to 40p supplement – 5 ways ‘to slash risk of killer prostate cancer’
Plus, why using a condom during sex could protect you from cancer
NO one knows exactly how to prevent prostate cancer.
But emerging evidence points to some unconventional methods to combat a disease that claims a man’s life every 45 minutes in the UK.
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Just last week, New York scientists published a study that suggests a 40p vitamin can significantly slow the disease's progression.
Prostate cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer in men – with more than 52,000 cases diagnosed every year – it is also one of the least understood.
Earlier this month, Olympic champion Sir Chris Hoy revealed his prostate cancer is terminal, having been told he has just two to four years left to live.
He first announced in February he was being treated for the disease.
Read more on prostate cancer
He told the the cancer had spread from his prostate to his bones, including his shoulder, pelvis, ribs and spine.
How the disease affects a man’s life, and what can be done to treat it is far from straightforward.
Last Friday was November 1, which marked the start of the Movember a month-long campaign to raise money and awareness for men's health.
The movement, which began in 2003, focuses on prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health and suicide prevention.
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As with all cancers, exercising regularly, eating a healthy diet, maintaining a good weight and going for regular check-ups are reliable ways to reduce your risk.
However, scientists suggest there may be other, lesser-known ways to slash your likelihood of developing the disease - or stop it in its tracks.
1. Pop a vitamin pill
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Menadione, also known as vitamin K3, could slow down prostate cancer, a new study has found.
The popular vitamin, which can cost as little as 40p per pill, is vital for bone health and blood clotting.
Olympic Legend Sir Chris Hoy Battles Terminal Cancer
And now it could also offer a ray of hope to those already battling prostate cancer.
When mice with prostate cancer were given menadione, it messed with the cancer's survival processes.
Professor Lloyd Trotman at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York state discovered menadione kills prostate cancer cells by depleting a lipid called PI(3)P, which works like an ID tag.
Without it, cells stop recycling incoming materials and eventually explode.
Prof Trotman said: "It’s like a transport hub, like JFK. If everything that goes in is immediately de-identified, nobody knows where the airplanes should go next.
"New stuff keeps coming in, and the hub starts to swell. This ultimately leads to the cell bursting."
Stars affected by prostate cancer
Sir Chris Hoy, 48, recently revealed that he has just two to four years to live after being diagnosed with prostate cancer.
Ex-Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal, 72, has been living with an aggressive form of prostate cancer since 2021 and recently shared an update on his treatment.
Former BBC Breakfast host Bill Turnbull died at the age of 66 in 2022, after being diagnosed with the disease in 2017.
Meanwhile, in November last year Brookside star Dean Sullivan passed away, after being diagnosed with the condition in 2018.
The Jimmy Corkhill actor's agent announced that the 68-year-old actor had died peacefully following a short illness.
The soap opera icon revealed he did not struggle with many symptoms usually associated with prostate cancer.
But he did notice a reduced flow and decided to get checked after listening to his gut.
This caused the cancer’s progression to slow significantly in mice.
Prof Trotman now hopes to see the experiment translated to pilot studies in human prostate cancer patients.
He said: "Our target group would be men who get biopsies and have an early form of the disease diagnosed. We wonder if they start to take the supplement, whether we would be able to slow that disease down.”
Adults need approximately one microgram a day of vitamin K for each kilogram of their body weight to ensure healthy blood clotting and healthy bones.
For example, someone who weighs 65kg would need 65 micrograms a day of vitamin K.
You should be able to get all the vitamin K you need by eating a varied and balanced diet.
Vitamin K is found in many foods, with the main sources being:
- Green leafy vegetables – such as broccoli and spinach
- Vegetable oils
- Cereal grains
Small amounts can also be found in meat and dairy foods.
Vitamin K is also available in supplement form - as a standalone supplement or found in many multivitamins.
If you take supplements, don't take too much as this might be harmful.
Taking 1mg or less of vitamin K supplements a day is unlikely to cause any harm.
Supplements such as Viridian's vitamin K capsules (£11.81 for 30 capsules) can be purchased online.
2. Masturbate, often
Men who ejaculate at least 21 times a month can lower their prostate cancer risk by a third, doctors believe.
A US study, published in the Journal of European Urology in 2016, revealed that aside from boosting your mood and giving some much-needed relief, masturbating or having sex can help 'prevent cancer'.
The US scientists looked at data from 31,925 men who logged their monthly ejaculation.
It suggested that men who ejaculated 21 or more times a month had about a 20 per cent lower prostate cancer risk compared to those who ejaculated four to seven times a month.
Writing in The Sun, Dr Jeff said: "The prostate is a highly active organ, and just like anything else in the body, if you don’t use it, there is a greater chance it could go wrong.
"It is worth noting we don’t know that those people who were sexually active were healthier anyway, maybe they didn’t smoke, were less overweight, and drank less, so were at less risk of cancer anyway."
Dr Jennifer Landa, a specialist in hormone therapy, suggests that indulging in some self-love might be able to strengthen your body's natural defence forces.
She said: "Masturbation can produce the right environment for a strengthened immune system."
Another study published in 2004 - over ten years before the ejaculation paper, showed masturbation caused a temporary spike in immune cells, including killer cells that fight viruses.
An example is lymphocytes - white blood cells that fight foreign invaders, including the coronavirus.
3. Have safe sex
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While on the topic of sex, using a condom may lower your chances of developing prostate cancer.
Sexually transmitted infections like cytomegalovirus and trichomoniasis have been linked to prostate cancer.
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a type of herpes found in cancerous prostate tissue.
Some people get flu-like symptoms the first time they get CMV, including:
- A high temperature
- Aching muscles
- Tiredness
- A skin rash
- Feeling sick
- A sore throat
- Swollen glands
Trichomoniasis, on the other hand, is a treatable virus that may have long-term effects.
Up to half of all people who catch the disease do not develop any symptoms at all.
But it can cause:
- Pain when peeing or during ejaculation
- Needing to pee more frequently than usual
- Thin, white discharge from the penis
- Soreness, swelling and redness around the head of the penis or foreskin
A study published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention found that guys who were ever infected with trichomoniasis had a 40 per cent greater chance of developing prostate cancer.
4. Get gardening
Pottering around the garden can help slash prostate cancer risk by half, a study suggested.
Experts said gentle physical activity has a “far larger” protective effect than previously thought.
In the biggest study of its kind, Bristol University researchers analysed data on 140,000 men.
Scientists found people with genes linked to greater physical activity had a 51 per cent lower risk of prostate cancer.
The results suggest even mild exertion – such as gardening or walking - can slash a person’s chances of the disease.
Experts say this type of genetic study, known as Mendelian randomisation, is a much more reliable method of calculating risk.
Lead researcher Dr Sarah Lewis said she was surprised by impact of everyday activity on prostate cancer risk.
She said: “The take-home message for men is that if you want to reduce your prostate cancer risk, be more active.
“But it doesn’t have to be vigorous activity or playing team sports, you just have to move about.
“It could be things such as gardening, walking or other activities that you can build into your daily routine.
“Simply getting off the couch and moving around is beneficial.
“Most of these men in this study were aged over 50 and we can assume they were not all marathon runners.
“Our findings suggest that the more active you are, the better.”
5. Enjoy a cup of coffee
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Fueling up on coffee might keep you alert throughout the day, but it’s also been shown to help take down your prostate cancer risk
A 2021 BMJ Open meta-analysis suggested that drinking several cups of coffee a day was linked to a lower risk of developing prostate cancer.
The study found that each additional cup of coffee a day reduced relative risk by one per cent.
EARLY SIGNS OF PROSTATE CANCER
Prostate cancer that’s contained inside the prostate doesn’t usually cause any symptoms, which is why it's important to know about your risk.
However, some men might have started experiencing urinary problems that start mildly and develop over many years.
They may be a sign of a benign (non-cancerous) prostate problem, rather than prostate cancer but it's worth getting checked out.
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According to the NHS, the six most common early signs of prostate cancer include:
- Needing to urinate more often, especially at night
- Needing to rush to the toilet
- Difficulty in starting to pee
- Weak flow
- Straining and taking a long time while peeing
- Feeling that your bladder hasn't emptied fully
If prostate cancer spreads to other parts of the body or breaks away from the prostate, it can cause other symptoms.
According to Prostate Cancer UK, these include:
- Back pain, hip pain or pelvis pain
- Problems getting or keeping an erection
- Blood in the urine or semen
- Unexplained weight loss
Laura, from Prostate Cancer UK, added: "Men simply should not be diagnosed with prostate cancer at stage 4.
"But sadly, Sir Chris is one of thousands of men in the UK who have received their prostate cancer diagnosis too late.
“One in eight men will be affected by prostate cancer in their lifetime, but men like Sir Chris, who are 45 and over and with a family history of the disease, as well as black men, are at significantly higher risk of prostate cancer at a younger age.
"The PSA blood test is the first step to early diagnosis, yet GPs are prevented from offering this test and discussing prostate cancer risk with men like Sir Chris because of current NHS guidelines, which treat all men the same.
“We believe no man should die of prostate cancer. That’s why we’re urging the Government to refresh these outdated rules and begin saving thousands of lives today."
The cancer mainly affects men over 50, and your risk increases with age.
You can find your chance of developing the disease using Prostate Cancer UK's risk checker
If you suspect you might have prostate cancer, speak to your GP.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
It comes after NHS figures showed that cancer diagnoses hit an all-time high in 2022, with prostate cancer being the most common type.
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One in eight men will get prostate cancer
The risk of developing prostate cancer depends on many factors, here are some of the facts about the disease and how many men it affects.
- One in eight men will get prostate cancer in their lifetime
- It is the fourth most common cancer worldwide, and the most common in men
- There are 55,000 new cases every year in the UK, and 1.4million globally
- Around 12,000 people lose their lives to prostate cancer annually in the UK and almost 400,000 around the world
- Prostate cancer accounts for 28 per cent of all new cancer cases in men in the UK, and 14 per cent of all new cancer cases in men and women combined
- Prostate cancer survival has tripled in the last 50 years in the UK
- More than three-quarters (78 per cent) of patients survive for 10 or more years
- About 490,000 men are living with and after prostate cancer in the UK
- It is most common in men aged 75 to 79
- Since the early 1990s, cases have increased by 53 per cent in the UK
- Mortality rates are up 16 per cent since the early 1970s in the UK
- Incidence rates are projected to rise by 15 per cent in the UK between 2023 to 2025 and 2038 to 2040
- Mortality rates are expected to fall five per cent in the UK over the same years
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