Can prostate cancer be prevented?

  The incidence of prostate cancer in the United States has surpassed lung cancer as the first tumor that endangers men’s health, and in recent years the incidence of prostate cancer among elderly Chinese men has shown a more obvious rising trend. Prostate cancer is asymptomatic in the early stage, but in the late stage, when the tumor invades or obstructs the urethra or bladder neck, lower urinary tract obstruction such as urinary obstruction and bone metastasis symptoms may appear. For the treatment of prostate cancer, it should be detected early and the most effective radical prostatectomy or radical radiation therapy should be chosen. For early detection and treatment of prostate cancer, middle-aged and older men over 50 years old should undergo an annual physical examination, including anal prostate, serum prostate specific antigen (PSA), and ultrasound examination, and if necessary, prostate puncture biopsy.  In recent years, the global epidemiological incidence of prostate cancer has caused great concern in the medical community and raised the question of whether prostate cancer can be prevented. Although there is no definitive answer as to whether prostate cancer can be prevented, researchers have done some research in related areas.  Prostate cancer is a multi-causal disease that is not well understood, but an androgen produced in the male testes, also known as dihydrotestosterone, is closely linked to the development of prostate cancer, and researchers have observed no prostate enlargement or prostate cancer in men with mutations in a substance called “5-a reductase” due to a lack of dihydrotestosterone. The researchers observed that in men with a mutation in a substance called “5-a reductase”, no prostate enlargement or prostate cancer was found due to lack of dihydrotestosterone. Therefore, the use of 5-a reductase inhibitors, such as finasteride, has been proposed to inhibit the production of dihydrotestosterone in the testes and to act as a chemopreventive agent against prostate cancer. Finasteride has been shown to reduce the prevalence of prostate cancer by a relative 25%, and this is being studied in further depth. The FDA has not yet approved the use of 5-a reductase inhibitors for the prevention of prostate cancer.  Another issue of interest is whether dietary supplements or dietary interventions can prevent the development of prostate cancer. A series of studies have found that low intakes of the micronutrients selenium, vitamin E, and isoflavones are risk factors for the development of prostate cancer, and that a diet high in animal fat is significantly associated with prostate cancer development. Therefore, appropriate supplementation of trace elements selenium, vitamin E, and isoflavone preparations, as well as reasonable adjustment of dietary structure, play a potential role in preventing the occurrence of prostate cancer.  In addition, lycopene in tomatoes has a strong antioxidant effect, which has a certain role in preventing the occurrence of prostate cancer. Lycopene is fat-soluble, so it is ideal to cook and eat tomatoes. It has been found that in Asia, the consumption of green tea is relatively high, while the incidence of prostate cancer is low, so it is presumed that green tea may have a preventive effect on the occurrence of prostate cancer, so it is recommended that middle-aged and elderly men can develop the habit of drinking green tea every day.  It is important for middle-aged and elderly men to maintain good lifestyle habits, including quitting smoking, reasonable diet, moderate exercise, and a happy mood. Good lifestyle habits play a role in the prevention of tumor occurrence.