Prostate cancer: A killer among us

Prostate cancer is on the increase. Every year, more than 21,000 men are diagnosed with it and approximately 10,000 will die. And last week it was announced that prostate cancer is now set to overtake lung cancer as the most common cancer in men in the next three years. The statistics are chastening for any man, but the news is not all bad.

The vast majority of cases affect the elderly (95 per cent of cases occur in men over the age of 60), and it is often said of the illness that more men die with it than of it.

Unlike lung cancer, prostate cancer is largely treatable. In addition to this, there is growing evidence to suggest that there is plenty that men can do to help to reduce their chances of getting prostate cancer in the first place.

"There is strong evidence of a link between diet and development of cancers, particularly breast and prostate cancer," says Professor Jonathan Waxman, the chairman of the Prostate Cancer Charity and professor of oncology at Imperial College, London. "When people talk about this matter the word 'crank' comes up, but some of the best evidence comes from some huge studies."

It has been found that people in countries such as China and Japan are far less likely than Westerners to develop prostate cancer. Notably, when people migrate to the US, their rates of prostate cancer rise greatly and, since their genetic make-up is the same, there appears to be something about living in America that increases these men's chances of developing cancer. Diet is the number one suspect.

There is a strong link between low risk of prostate cancer and a vegetarian diet, and the most protective diet includes yellow beans, such as soya, says Professor Waxman. Vegetarians are approximately half as likely to develop prostate cancer as meat-eaters. And while some foods appear to reduce the risk of prostate cancer, others seem to have the opposite effect. A study from Holland showed a significant link between diets high in cured meats and dairy products and a high risk of developing prostate cancer.

Soya beans are widely known for their possible anti-cancer potential, and the latest discoveries are encouraging. It has been found that the beans, which contain compounds called isoflavanoids, can actually inhibit prostate cancer cell growth in the laboratory.

Soya protein can be found in many foods such as tofu, soya milk and yoghurt. The Eastern diet is based around soya proteins as an alternative to meat. In one study, Japanese men in Hawaii who consumed tofu approximately once per day, were 65 per cent less likely to develop prostate cancer in comparison with men eating tofu less than once a week.

Numerous studies have shown associations of higher dietary fruit and vegetable intake with lower risks of a whole range of cancers. But it's the tomato that has been of particular interest recently in connection to its role in the prevention of prostate cancer.