Prostate cancer affects mainly older men. Six out of ten cases are diagnosed in men over 65, but less than 1% in men under 50.
Though uncommon, prostate cancer can be seen in men even in their 30's and 40's. Men with a family history of prostate cancer are more likely to develop prostate cancer than the general population.
On a case-by-case basis, doctors cannot say with certainty what causes prostate cancer, but experts generally agree that diet contributes to the risk. Men who consume large amounts of fat -- particularly from red meat and other sources of animal fat cooked at high heat -- may be more likely to develop advanced prostate cancer. The disease is much more common in countries where meat and dairy products are dietary staples than in countries where the basic diet consists of rice, soybean products, and vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, cole slaw, or sauerkraut.
The underlying factor linking diet and prostate cancer is probably hormonal. Fats stimulate increased production of testosterone and other hormones, and testosterone acts to speed the growth of prostate cancer. High testosterone levels may stimulate dormant prostate cancer cells into activity. Some findings suggest that high testosterone levels also influence the initial onset of prostate cancer.
Welders, battery manufacturers, rubber workers, and workers frequently exposed to the metal cadmium seem to be abnormally vulnerable to prostate cancer.
The following are also associated with an increased risk of advanced prostate cancer: Height, high body mass index, low physical activity, smoking, low tomato sauce consumption, high calcium intake, high linoleic acid intake, African-American race, and a positive family history.
No proven link exists between prostate cancer and an active sex life, vasectomy, masturbation, use of alcohol or tobacco, circumcision, infertility, infection of the prostate, or a common noncancerous condition called benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Most, if not all, men will experience an enlarged prostate as they age.
Most prostate cancer requires testosterone to survive in the body. In 1941, researchers. Huggins and Hodges showed that castration (at the time, this meant actual removal of the testicles) reduced the impact of the disease for men with metastatic prostate cancer.
The Best Herbs for Estrogen Dominance and Regaining Your Hormone Balance
In the past 80 years or so, a cornucopia of research on testosterone’s interaction with the androgen receptor and subsequent growth stimulation of prostate cancer led to the development of multiple medical treatments for prostate cancer.
For people with high risk disease, androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) typically decreases serum testosterone levels to castrate levels. This is done through oral medications, injectable medications, or surgery to remove the testicles (though this procedure is rarely done today).
It’s important to note that while ADT is quite effective at treating prostate cancer initially, it’s not a curative treatment if used alone. Rather, it’s often used alongside radiation therapy and sometimes in conjunction with surgery when it’s believed that the cancer is curable.
If you’re treated with long-term ADT, it’s common to eventually develop castrate resistance. This is when the cancer finds a way around the reliance on testosterone and is no longer deterred by testosterone deprivation.
What are the estrogen hormones, and what do they do?
There are three estrogen hormones: estradiol, estrone, and estriol.
Role of estradiol
Estradiol is considered the “strongest” of the three.
It has a well-established role in egg maturation and ovulation as well as thickening the uterine lining to allow egg implantation in women.
Role of estrone
Estrone, weaker than estradiol estrogen, is produced in both the ovaries and in fat tissue. It’s the estrogen hormone responsible for most of the effects related to sexual development in young women.
Role of estriol
Estriol is the weakest of the three estrogens and is practically undetectable outside of pregnancy, which is when it serves its main purpose.
It’s often used to treat menopausal symptoms as part of hormone replacement therapy. It may help with hot flashes, vaginal dryness, and even insomnia.
What exactly do estradiol hormones do in men?
Though estradiol originates in the ovaries for women, in men it can be produced through a process called aromatization. This process basically converts testosterone to estradiol.
In men, estradiol likely plays many roles, including maintaining strong bones, metabolizing glucose, and stabilizing vasomotor symptoms like hot flashes or night sweats. It may also help with brain function.
In male patients treated with estradiol, breast growth (gynecomastia) is a common side effect resulting from the stimulation of estrogen receptors on breast tissue. Some studies have suggested that higher estradiol levels may lead to low libidoTrusted Source, as well.
What is the role of estradiol hormones in prostate cancer?
Estrogens work to suppress tumor growth in prostate cancer. In the medical community, interest in using estradiol in addition to standard ADT for prostate cancer treatment is increasing.
A large randomized trial from the United Kingdom in 2021 recently showed that advanced prostate cancer patients treated with estradiol transdermal patches achieved similar levels of castration as with ADT alone.
The findings also revealed no increase in cardiovascular events such as heart attack or stroke, which have been associated with standard ADT treatment.
Importantly, estrogens have been shown to have a significant effect on prostate cancer that has stopped responding to standard ADT. Estrogens may also help prevent some of the known side effects of ADT like hot flashes.
What factors contribute to high levels of estradiol hormones in men?
Men on testosterone replacement therapy can sometimes experience elevated estradiol levels when excess testosterone is aromatized, or converted, to estradiol. Overweight or obese men can also have higher levels of estradiol due to aromatization in the fat tissues. As noted earlier, the role of race is controversial and hasn’t been definitively shown to influence estradiol in either direction.
An increasing body of work, including a 2021 study focusing on racial disparity in prostate cancer suggests that diabetes, obesity, and even high blood pressure can increase prostate cancer incidence.
Are white and Asian men with high levels of estrogen at greater risk for prostate cancer?
Several older studies of predominantly white men have shown no significant association between prostate cancer and estradiol levels.
A 1996 study showed an inverse relationship, meaning that low estradiol levels were associated with higher prostate cancer risk.
While Asian men, in general, are known to have a lower incidence of prostate cancer, rates are increasing in many Asian countries.
Some data to suggest that high soy intake (which contains phytoestrogens) can be beneficial in prostate cancer. Soy intake tends to be high in many
The Takeaway
As noted earlier, we don’t have evidence that high levels of estradiol contribute to prostate cancer. In fact, several studies have suggested that estradiol may be a treatment for patients with prostate cancer, especially in advanced stages.
That said, estradiol treatment has not yet made its way into prime-time treatment for prostate cancer and is still considered investigational, as its specific role and timing of treatment remains to be worked out in detail.
Quanlim Life
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Johann Pretorius - Professional HEALTH Practitioner South Africa.
