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Broccoli may cut prostate cancer risk
Scientists are finding yet more evidence that greens are good for you
Men who develop a taste for broccoli may help to protect themselves aginst an aggressive form of prostate cancer. A research team led by Dr Victoria Kirsch of Cancer Care Ontario in Toronto asked 1,3338 prostate cancer patients to fill in a questionnaire showing how often they ate 137 different types of food.
The results, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, showed that eating fruit and vegetables didn’t make a difference to the overall risk of prostate cancer in general. But the study did find that eating more than one serving every week of cruciferous vegetables, including broccoli and cauliflower, may reduce the risk of aggressive prostate cancer. This was particularly noticeable with advanced prostate cancer, which has spread beyond the prostate gland.
The researchers did also point out that people who ate plenty of fruit and vegetables were also more likely to smoke less, take more exercise and generally have a healthy lifestyle. All are factors that help to reduce your risk of developing cancer.
About prostate cancer
This is now the second most common cancer in men, (after non-melanoma skin cancer). Nearly 31,900 men were diagnosed in the UK in 2003, nearly two thirds of whom were aged 70 and over. Age is the main risk factor, although a family history is also significant. If you have a relative diagnosed with prostate cancer, your risk is twice that of a man with no family history. If a close relative has been diagnosed with breast cancer, this may also increase your risk.
Treatment can take a variety of forms, depending on the stage the cancer has reached, from ‘watchful waiting’, where you see your doctor regularly, to surgery and radiotherapy.
As with all cancers, early diagnosis and treatment is important. Early stage prostate cancer may not cause any symptoms. However, symptoms to watch out for include passing urine more frequently, and having to get up to go in the night, and difficulty starting and stopping.
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Information on this site is for interest only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. You should consult your own doctor about any specific health concerns.
