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The Red Flag Prostate Cancer Symptoms You Should Never Ignore As Cases Surge
Prostate cancer is now the most common cancer in England, surpassing breast cancer diagnoses in 2022 and 2023, according to new analysis by Prostate Cancer UK. The data reveals a significant 25 per cent spike in prostate cancer cases between 2019 and 2023.
The charity attributed this increase to greater awareness of the disease, encouraging more men to seek early diagnoses and potentially life-saving treatment.
The analysis of NHS data by Prostate Cancer UK has revealed that 50,751 men in England were diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2022, compared to the 48,531 breast cancer diagnoses recorded that year.
The trend continued in 2023, with prostate cancer cases rising to 55,033, compared to 47,526 breast cancer diagnoses. The data highlights the growing prevalence of prostate cancer, now firmly established as England's most diagnosed cancer, BristolLive reports.
The NHS, as well as experts in the field, have pointed out some red flags symptoms of prostate cancer that you should never ignore. These key signs are:
Although these symptoms don't always signal prostate cancer, it's crucial to take them seriously and schedule a doctor's appointment without delay. Early detection can make all the difference.
"Recognising and addressing urinary symptoms early can lead to timely diagnosis and more effective treatment options for prostate cancer," says Dr Jiri Kubes, a radiation oncologist specialising in proton beam therapy at the Proton Therapy Centre.
"Things like needing to urinate urgently or more frequently, especially at night, should not be ignored. Prostate cancer can be hard to diagnose in the early stages and so knowing what to look out for is imperative.
"Changes in urinary habits – which can also include difficulty in emptying the bladder and trouble starting your flow – are also among the main ways the body displays changes in the prostate."
He added: "Factors such as these don't necessarily mean you have prostate cancer but there are checks that can be carried out to rule out such a diagnosis.One of the most important things with cancer is to identify it as early as possible."
Detecting prostate cancer early significantly increases the chances of successful treatment and provides access to a wider range of treatment options. "Proton beam therapy is available for prostate cancer and has the potential to offer fewer side effects," says Dr Kubes.
"That's because it uses a highly-charged proton beam to target cancer cells much more precisely, which ensures surrounding tissues and organs are more protected. In an area as delicate as the prostate this can mean protecting things like urinary and sexual function."
Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.GPs can arrange a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test to assess levels of the protein, which may indicate prostate cancer. In some cases, physical examinations and biopsies are also conducted to confirm a diagnosis.
Men over 55, those from the Black community, and individuals with a family history of prostate cancer are considered at higher risk.
The NHS additionally lists symptoms like persistent back pain, loss of appetite, and discomfort in the testicles as potential warning signs. Anyone experiencing these symptoms is strongly advised to consult their GP promptly.
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Mushroom Supplement May Slow Prostate Cancer Progression
January 22, 2025
3 min read
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Key takeaways:White button mushrooms promoted antitumor activity among men with prostate cancer, according to results of an ongoing randomized phase 2 trial.
Treatment with white button mushroom tablets reduced immunosuppressive myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), and it also increased cytotoxic T cells and natural killer (NK) cells.
"Before I joined this study, as a trained pathologist, I didn't take [this theory] seriously," lead author Xiaoqiang Wang, MD, PhD, MB(ASCP), staff scientist at Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, told Healio. "[Mushrooms can] reprogram the anti-tumor immunity and, therefore, contribute to the cancer immune therapy."
Background and methodsWang and colleagues — including senior author Shiuan Chen, PhD, chair in biology at Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope — previously conducted a phase 1 trial that showed white button mushroom tablets could decrease PSA.
They also discovered patients had a decrease in MDSCs.
Increased number of polymorphonuclear MDSCs are associated with tumor growth and poor prognosis for men with prostate cancer. MDSCs can inhibit T cells and NK cells' tumor killing activity.
Researchers further evaluated white button mushroom tablets in mouse models and a small cohort of men from ongoing phase 2 trial with prostate cancer undergoing active surveillance.
The investigational study included 10 men who received the treatment, and eight others who did not.
Researchers collected blood samples at baseline and 3 months into treatment, conducting an unbiased single immune cell sequencing analysis. This approach enables the researchers to examine the individual immune cell responses to mushroom treatment.
They derived a single white button mushroom tablet from 6 g of fresh mushrooms. Patients in clinical trial consumed between 16 to 28 tables per day. "Imagine a basket from Costco (24 ounces)," Wang said. "Patient consumed one-quarter (6 ounces) or one-third (8 ounces) of a basket of those mushrooms each day."
"We recommended they take them in the morning, afternoon and at evening after meals. Each time they [should] should swallow 10 pills maximum," Wang said. "That's our recommendation, but some patients would like to take them all at once."
Immune responses to white button mushroom tablets served as the primary endpoint.
ResultsIn mouse models, researchers observed white button mushroom tablets "significantly suppressed" tumor growth and extended survival.
In the phase 2 trial, men who took mushroom tablets exhibited a decrease in circulating polymorphonuclear MDSCs. The control group had no decrease.
The reduction in polymorphonuclear MDSCs caused activation of CD8-positive T cells.
Additionally, they "increased the proportion of PD-1 and CTLA-4 double-positive CD4-positive T cells," as well as the total number of NK cells, researchers wrote.
"Among the major cell types, neutrophils, monocytes, CD4-positive T cells, CD8-positive T cells, and NK cells were treatment-responsive. These findings provide a scientific foundation for developing mushroom-based products as a promising addition to the future of immunotherapy," they added.
Wang described adverse events as "very limited," with digestive discomfort being the only complaint.
"I was really excited about this," Wang said. "This really is a biological response to the mushroom treatment."
'Fun journey'Wang and colleagues have started analyzing samples collected a year after treatment initiation.
They are looking for any histologic or gene expression changes.
"That will give us direct evidence to prove that mushrooms can really do something on this prostate cancer tissue," Wang said. "That's what we're going to do in the coming year. We're going to try to finish all this sample analysis, and then also look at all this clinical response from patients."
White button mushrooms would not replace traditional therapies. Instead, they could be an adjuvant treatment for men with biochemical recurrent prostate cancer or those undergoing active surveillance.
"The cancer they have is low risk and low grade, and it grows very slowly," Wang said. "They may take many years just to reach a next level of the cancer. If we give them harsh treatment, like surgery or radiologic therapy, they will have to live with side effects for many years. Those patients are looking for any alternative to possibly slow down the tumor progression or control the tumor growth. Our clinical trial for mushroom treatment targets those categories of patients."
Researchers also plan to evaluate white button mushrooms for other solid tumors.
An ongoing, phase 1 prevention trial investigating the treatment for women who have a high risk for breast cancer.
"Mushrooms have anti-aromatase activity. Aromatase is the enzyme response to produce estrogen, and we know estrogen promotes [initial progression] of breast cancer," Wang said. "In that way, breast cancer growth or progression could be controlled. That's the scientific concept behind this."
Wang and colleagues are investigating other "food as medicine," as well, including grape seed extract, pomegranate, blueberries and coffee berries.
"It's a fun journey," Wang said. "We always hear that you are what you eat. If you eat healthy food, organic food, your bodies use all these nutrients to build up. Let's try to reprogram our system with healthy food or with this function of food, and [aid] physiologic function or immune function."
For more information:Xiaoqiang Wang, MD, PhD, MB(ASCP), can be reached at xiaoqiwang@coh.Org.
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