Knowing some basic facts about prostate cancer can keep your risk of developing it as low as possible, and help you catch it early enough to survive it if it does develop.

And you may want to consider helping advance progress against the disease by participating in the large new clinical trial (see below) testing the value of vitamin E and selenium in preventing prostate cancer.

Are You at Risk of Prostate Cancer?

Does having a father or brother who developed prostate cancer raise your risk? Learn what the risk factors are, and how they influence your chances of developing the disease.

Can Diet and Exercise Lower Your Risk of Prostate Cancer?

Some studies show the lycopene (found in high concentrations in tomatoes, grapefruit and watermelon) may help prevent the disease. And other studies suggest some types of fish may help, and that flaxseed oil, flavonoids from citrus fruits, vitamins, and soy products might help in prevention also.

With news media reporting these new findings frequently, pills that contain some elements of these foods are heavily marketed in stores today.

But a prostate cancer expert with the American Cancer Society (ACS) says men have to play it smart to get the most benefit from new research, while avoiding practices that could actually increase risk.

“Right now, most of the literature on diet and prostate cancer is still lacking the level of scientific certainty necessary to make solid recommendations to increase or decrease intake of specific vitamins, minerals, or antioxidants,” says Durado Brooks, MD, MPH, director of prostate and colorectal cancer programs at the ACS.

“And experience with beta carotene in cancer prevention trials showed that some supplements can actually promote cancer, so it can be risky to get ahead of the science,” Brooks notes.

“The best way to play it smart using diet to lower cancer risk is to use the ACS Guidelines on Nutrition and Cancer to guide you to a diet high in vegetables, fruits, and grains and low in meat and dairy products,” notes Brooks.

And get physical, Brooks suggests. Physical activity daily helps lower risk of some other cancers and may decrease prostate cancer risk as well.

“Exercise and a healthy diet have been shown to reduce the risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and other health problems, without running the risk of harm from using unproven methods,” notes Brooks.

The SELECT trial for Prostate Cancer Prevention

Brooks notes that one cancer prevention trial a few years ago provided suggestions that vitamin E might lower prostate cancer risk; another suggested the mineral selenium might do the same.

Researchers were excited, but because the studies were designed to test those substances against other cancers, they couldn’t be sure the findings weren’t a fluke.

As a result, researchers are now seeking 32,400 healthy men currently not taking supplements of either substance to participate in the Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT) to learn whether either substance alone or both together can lower prostate cancer risk.

“This is a very important area of research, and men not currently taking supplements of either substance should consider participating in it,” notes Brooks.

Screening: Don’t Let Prostate Cancer Sneak Up

“Prostate cancer is a highly curable disease if caught early,” notes Brooks. “A simple blood test called the PSA test combined with a digital rectal exam, once a year, can provide the advance warning men need to survive the disease,” he notes.

Annual screening should be offered to high-risk men (African-Americans and those with a family history of the disease) beginning at 45, and at 50 for other men, notes Brooks.

Low Risk Means Less Worry

“The risk of prostate cancer increases with age, and nothing can bring that risk to zero,” notes Brooks.

“But eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, and getting appropriate screening can help a man keep his risk of having a life-threatening problem with the disease as low as possible,” notes Brooks.

“It’s the safe, effective, thinking man’s approach to prostate health,” he concludes.