Prostate Cancer Canada Network

In The News

Well-Done Meat Consumption May Increase Prostate Cancer Risk
Research into the dietary habits of about a thousand men from the Cleveland area has found that a high consumption of meats, especially of red meat prepared by grilling, is positively associated with an increased risk of developing aggressive prostate cancer. This particular study, which was led by Dr. John Witte of the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), has a number of limitations, but it does add support to other investigations connecting meat consumption with cancer risk.

Toronto researchers speculate regarding a link between prostate cancer and oral contraceptive use
Very preliminary and speculative research, designed to spark further inquires, suggests that there may be a connection between oral contraceptive use and rising rates of prostate cancer. One theory is that the widespread use of birth-control pills in various populations may result in a higher level of estrogen in the environment, which might, in turn, increase prostate cancer risk.

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Transrectal Ultrasound

This procedure allows medical professionals to get a closer look at the prostate. An ultrasound probe is inserted into the rectum and positioned next to the prostate. This probe uses sound waves to create a picture of the prostate, letting physicians view the various zones of this gland and assess its volume or size. Because benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), which is non-cancerous, and prostate cancer usually start in different zones of the prostate, a picture is sometimes helpful in suggesting which problem is affecting a particular individual. Abnormal areas show up as spots where there are fewer ultrasound echoes. Still, this procedure is not an accurate predictor of the presence of prostate cancer because there are many more areas that show up as abnormal on ultrasound pictures than there are cancers. An estimated 10 per cent of these suspicious areas are, in fact, prostate cancer (which means that about 90 per cent of the areas are not). For this reason, the TRUS is not currently recommended as a screening or diagnostic tool. It is usually used to identify which areas of the prostate should be biopsied in order to confirm or rule out the presence of prostate cancer in those areas, although, sometimes, it is used along with a PSA test to determine a patient's PSA density.