Harvard Health Blog

Knowing the basics of scientific research and statistics can help you understand what medical studies really say

In the late 1990s, word that selenium and vitamin E might lower the risk of prostate cancer was reported by newspapers and magazines, broadcast on television and radio, and announced on Web sites. Eager to prevent the disease — and convinced that vitamins and minerals couldn’t be harmful — men around the world began taking the supplements.

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Researchers

No consensus exists about what type of medical follow-up is in order for this “precancerous” condition or whether to treat it. Marc B. Garnick, M.D., explains the condition and outlines your options.

Study shows that patients have fewer complications when prostate surgery is done at a high-volume hospital by a surgeon who performs the operation regularly.

Study shows that men with BPH typically eat less garlic and fewer servings of onions per week than those without BPH.

Many urologists prescribe alpha blockers to treat chronic prostatitis, but study shows that one such drug is ineffective in easing the condition.

Despite previous controversy, researchers report that finasteride may reduce overall disease risk and decrease rate of aggressive tumors.

Research shows that combining the anti-inflammatory drug celecoxib (Celebrex) and the cholesterol-lowering statin drug atorvastatin (Lipitor) halted the progression of prostate tumors in mice. Investigators are now planning to test the combo in prostate cancer patients.

Study

Researchers report that an experimental urine test can better distinguish between prostate cancer and benign conditions than both PSA and PCA3 testing.

Research has shown that testosterone levels decline as men age. In theory, taking testosterone supplements should counter that natural process. But a Dutch study concluded that they few benefits.

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Physicians and researchers have long believed that consuming high amounts of calcium and dairy products increases the risk of prostate cancer, although study results have been inconsistent. Two recent studies make clear that the jury is still out.

Obese men tend to have lower PSA concentrations than men with healthier weights. As a result, fewer obese men undergo biopsies, potentially leaving prostate cancer undetected.

Studies reveal that lycopene, a nutrient found in tomatoes, does not seem to reduce prostate cancer risk.

Study finds that finasteride may actually lower the overall risk of prostate cancer and aid in the detection of aggressive tumors. An earlier study had implicated finasteride in the development of these deadlier tumors.

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Researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have developed a new blood test for prostate cancer, which in a preliminary study proved better than the PSA test at identifying which men have cancer. The new test measures levels of the protein EPCA-2, which — unlike PSA — is produced almost exclusively by cancerous tissue.

I have used finasteride (Proscar) to treat my BPH, and it has reduced the size of my prostate. However, my body’s production of semen has diminished, too. Will switching to dutasteride (Avodart) solve that problem?

In short, yes. If you take Flomax (tamsulosin), be sure to tell your eye doctor before having cataract surgery.

Three doctors describe some surgical options for treating an enlarged prostate, including the ones they think patients prefer.

PSA testing is not merely a prostate cancer screening tool. After treatment, PSA monitoring is the primary method of measuring treatment success and detecting early signs of cancer recurrence.