Vol. 1, No. 5 & 6

July and August 2002

Remember you are and important part of our support group. USTOO! Texoma needs you!
See you at our next meeting.  

Dr. Jerry Bylander, Managing Director, USToo! Texoma

None.

New Business

Henri Puckett, the Program Chair, announced the May program to be sponsored by TMC.

Program:  Hormonal therapy; a treatment for prostate cancer

Speaker: R.B. McGowan

Program: R.B., who has done extensive research on hormonal therapy , described the learn options he has explored for treatment.

The meeting adjourned about 9 PM.

Henry Puckett, Program Chair/by the Editor

What about Vitamin E?
Male Cancer on Increase
PSA Less Reliable in Hispanic than White Populations
Music for Stess Relief
Chronic Prostatitus
CLA May Help to Inhibit Proliferation of Prostate Cancer
What To Do When the Rain Begins to Fall
News You Can Use

Notes from the July 2002 Hot Sheet 

What about Vitamin E?

A team at Rochester U. have found (apparently for prostate cancer cells in a Petrie dish) that  vitamin E interferes with both the prostate specific antigen (PSA) and its receptor, both of which play a role in the disease.  Although vitamin E has promise as another treatment, which works by clogging the receptors, researchers hope eventually to inactivate the receptor itself.  The hope is that the mechanism for the effect can be found. One caution is that there are several different forms of the vitamin; the most effective appears to be E succinate.  Other dietary studies (of which there are many) have studied the vitamin.  One such, in Finland, where 29000 men took vitamin E found that they had 1/3 fewer cases than the control group.

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Male Cancer on Increase

"Prostate cancer is set to become the most common cancer in men within the next three years, experts have said.  The figures show that cases of the disease have been rising steadily since 1971.  The Institute of Cancer Research said new figures show that cases of the disease have been rising steadily since 1971 and if trends continue it will overtake lung cancer before 2006."

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PSA Less Reliable in Hispanic Populations
Doctors at Columbia University are said to have called for a different higher or lower cutoff point for PSAD (PSA Density) in Hispanic men.  (The Hot Sheet note doesn't tell which).  They believe that there is a cutoff point (again not given) above which the PSAD levels have a 40% chance of  association with malignant forms of the disease.

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Music For Stress Relief
From Network, Spring 2002, MD Anderson, Houston

The earlier issues of our newsletter discussed how writing our stories could help us deal with cancer.  Another method, is to listen to your favorite relaxing music.  In the article, "Melodic Modalities, the author describes music's benefits.  "All the while you are singing, rapping or humming, tapping or snapping, you may actually be experiencing a sort of music therapy-relieving pent-up stress and anxiety and bringing a healthy calmness into your day.  This is a possibility that researchers who use music therapy with cancer patients are studying with increasing interest.  Not that the idea of music having therapeutic value is a new one.  The Bible tells of how young David relieved the torments of King Saul by playing his harp. Greek mythology recounts how Apollo who gave Orpheus music to char m the wild beasts, was god of both music and medicine.  And in the sixth century B.C., the Greek Philosopher Pythagorus not only wrote about music's therapeutic power, but also prepared specific harmonies for various diseases.  Today the use of music therapy is widespread....At an international conference in 1999, 2,500 music therapists from 44 countries assembled to share their clinical experience."  Today MD Anderson is experimenting with surround sound with a system called, "Octaphonic Sound" for use by patients receiving chemo.  Their data shows that there is a small decrease in treatment discomfort.  As this research proceeds, you may choose to do your own tests.  Michael Richardson, in MDA Pediatrics comments that, "Music can be as immediate as hitting a brick wall...It's that powerful if it's the kind of music the patient likes.  It can bring tears to a grown man's eye's well as children's.  It's what makes people cry or smile with joy when they hear a certain hymn at church.  It can create an incredible connection to oneself-and others."

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Chronic Prostatitus
From the Hot Sheet for June 2002 p3

Urol. 2002, Vol 167, pp 2037-2041, C. Bozeman , et al

Chronic Prostatitus Important Cause Of Elevated PSA 
"Chronic prostatitus can cause elevated PSA, but treatment can diminish the
chance of negative biopsies, research found. Investigators reviewed the
records of 95 men (aged 44-81 years) who had serum PSA >4 ng/ml and who
subsequently received a diagnosis of chronic prostatitis. Eligible patients
received a 4-week course of antibiotics and a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory
agent. Follow-up PSA was determined within 2 months of treatment in all 
participants." It may be concluded that if the PSA is not rising, a needle 
biopsy will not be required; instead it is optional. 

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CLA May Help to Inhibit Proliferation of Prostate Cancer

The Prostate Cancer Hot Sheet for June 2002 reports results for CLA.

In a study published in Cancer Letters, an international scientific journal, researchers at Harvard Medical School have identified molecular components in the dietary/supplement conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) as potentially influential in the reduction of colorectal and prostatic cancer cells. A naturally occurring fatty acid found primarily in milk, beef and dairy products, CLA is part of the omega 6 fatty acid family.. Its mechanism 'of action, however, mimics that of omega-3 fatty acids such as fish oil, which have been proven to have significant health benefits. Mounting scientific evidence now suggests that some omega-6 dietary fatty acids, such as CLA, can inhibit tumor growth and proliferation of human cancer cells . (CANCER LETTERS- 03/20 02 volume 177, pages 163- 172).

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What to Do When the Rain Begins to Fall

From the USAA Issues and Answers, March 2002

It's advice you've heard often: "Save for a rainy day." But what happens
when that rainy day arrives before you've done the saving?  Many
families are Unprepared when financial disaster strikes. Here are some
suggestions that may see you through the wet' season:

•  Review your finances. Sit down and take a realistic look at your
   situation, including assets, liabilities-and the potential for
   borrowing.

•  Use your cash first. Cash assets should be your first source of
   emergency funds because there are no tax ramifications or
   penalties involved.

•  Liquidate low-earning assets. Investments that aren't working
   hard for you should be the first to go.

•  Check into home-equity lines of credit. They can be relatively
   inexpensive and interest is often tax-deductible.

•  Turn to stocks and mutual funds. There may be tax issues
   involved, such as capital gains, but you may want to sell stocks
   and mutual funds in asset classes in which you've over-invested.

•  Use caution when dipping into your employer sponsored savings
   plan. You'll have to pay taxes on withdrawals, so don't give in to
   the temptation to cash Out. Besides, with any luck, 
  	the rain will dry up and you won't need to.

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News You Can Use

You can find news you can use at the USToo International web site: www.ustoo.org.  Check it out for the latest references.

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Jerry Bylander - Newsletter Editor