PROFILE
Nutrition and prostate cancer
P
Prostate cancer will become an increasing burden on society rostate cancer is now the most
common malignancy in Western men, accounting for 30% of
newly diagnosed cancers, and it is the
second leading cause of male cancer-
related death. The burden of human suffering and the cost to society are
expected to increase significantly in the coming decades due to increased life-expectancy. The Canadian Cancer
Society reports that an estimated
23,600 men will be diagnosed with
prostate cancer in 2014 and that 4000 men will die from the disease. This
represents 10% of all cancer deaths in men. The US Cancer society estimates
for 2015 are about 220,800 new
prostate cancer cases and 27,540
deaths. Statistics for the European Union are similar overall but are very
with reduced risk of developing cancer and this is particularly true for
prostate cancer. Unfortunately, a
valuable opportunities for effective chemopreventive dietary intervention.
It is never too late to start eating
interesting in that they show a very
generation of people has been raised
healthy.
rates. In Mediterranean countries
protein diet, low in fibre and plantderived nutrients.
Broccoli, diindolylmethane and death of the prostate cancer cell
Prostate cancer develops slowly, with
Armand-Frappier is very interested in
wide regional difference in mortality
prostate cancer mortality can account
for as little as 4% of all cancer-related
deaths in men whereas in Scandina-
on a high fat, carbohydrate and
My laboratory at the INRS-Institut
tumors that are already present in
understanding how natural com-
to play. Poor diet has been consistently
detectable size over a number of
These are studies of a fundamental
in prostate cancer.
out as hormone-dependent tumors
vian countries it can be as high as
20%. This is where nutrition comes in
implicated as an important risk factor
Eat your vegetables, they are good for you!
Every parent has said it and many a
child has protested. Yet parents do
know best; epidemiological studies
across European and North American
populations consistently associate
high life-time vegetable consumption
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Broccoli is an effective antiprostate cancer food
men below forty that grow to
pounds can kill prostate cancer cells.
decades. These cancers usually start
nature and have focussed on com-
that respond to therapies that block
Brassica family, such as broccoli, cau-
androgen synthesis or androgen
action, but progress to an androgenindependent state that is difficult to
treat with conventional chemotherapeutic agents. These non-responsive
tumors will eventually metastasize,
resulting in death of the patient. This slow path to malignancy provides
pounds found in vegetables of the
liflower and Brussels’ sprouts. They contain indole-3-carbinol, which in the stomach undergoes conversion to
diindolylmethane (DIM). DIM is relatively non-toxic as it will kill prostate
cancer cells at concentrations that do
not affect normal prostate cells. In col-
laboration with professor Stephen
PROFILE
necessary is improved and more
diversified funding for research on the
potential anticancer effects of natural
compounds, as research on natural
compounds is neglected in comparison with drug and clinical research. It
is often argued that natural com-
pounds are not as interesting because they are usually less potent and do
not have a specific cellular target.
Untrue, because we know that highly
selective anticancer agents can result
in tumor resistance, whereas natural
compounds (usually present in complex mixtures in food) have multiple
The pomegranate has been a symbol of wealth and prostate health since ancient times
Safe at Texas A&M University, we have been testing a number of synthetic
the prostate tumor cell are initially
targets and therefore can act via a
diversity of anticancer mechanisms to
inhibit tumor growth, while making it
harder for the tumor cells to adapt
activated to trigger ring-DIM-medi-
and develop resistance. Of course, we
which have shown increased anti-
ments have led us to the mitochondria,
ral compounds in the form of healthy
DIM. It is relatively well known how
which appear to rapidly lose their
derivatives of DIM (named ring-DIMs),
cancer activity compared to native
DIM exerts its anticancer effects and
we expected that the synthetic ring-
ated cell death. Our various experi-
the energy producers of the cell,
function. On a deeper level, it appears responsible for transferring signals
Bon appétit!
may be a direct target. We have pub-
Dr Sanderson's research is funded by the Canadian Institutes of
the journal Genes & Cancer.
Research Council of Canada (NSERC).
ing deeper into the machinery of the
that result in a cellular response) that
increased potency of the ring-DIMs is
likely because they act on additional molecular pathways in the prostate
lished the results of these studies in
cantly the ring-DIMs were effective
Government policy and research funding
as -independent prostate cancer cells.
stimulate the consumption of health-
cancer cell to trigger its death. Signifi-
against androgen-dependent as well
Tumor cells (and healthy cells for that matter) can die in several distinct
ways, which include programmed cell
ous cells in the bud before they can
develop into full-blown tumors.
vates a certain kinase (an enzyme
prostate cancer cell we found that the
foods mostly in a context of chemo-
prevention. A healthy diet nips cancer-
that our most potent ring-DIM acti-
DIMs would act similarly, just more
potently. This was not the case. Prob-
should see the consumption of natu-
Health Research (CIHR) and the Natural Sciences and Engineering
Governments can apply policies that
ier foods (fresh produce, lean meats,
cereals) and discourage that of highly
processed and nutritionally question-
Thomas Sanderson, PhD
able foods (fast food, foods with high
Professor
improve the availability of fresh
Tel: 450 687 5010 ext 8819
to trigger all three of these pathways.
that is very real in a country such as
www.iaf.inrs.ca/thomas-sanderson
We are currently trying to understand
cost upwards of $8,- in Canadian
death (apoptosis), uncontrolled cell
death (necrosis) or by dissolving
themselves into small components
(autophagy). We found the ring-DIMs The question is: what is the trigger?
which molecular target or targets in
sugar, fat and salt content). It can also produce in remote areas, a problem
Canada, where a head of broccoli can dollars in isolated communities.. Also
INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier
[email protected]
www.iaf.inrs.ca/english/thomassanderson
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