Nutritional supplements that may be helpful
The following nutritional supplements have been studied in connection with prostate
cancer.
Beta-carotene
In a double-blind trial, supplementation with synthetic beta-carotene led to a 23% increase in
the risk of prostate cancer in smokers, though this increase did not reach statistical
significance.37 However, in a double-blind study of mostly nonsmoking men,
supplementation with synthetic beta-carotene led to a statistically significant 32% reduction
in risk of prostate cancer in those who initially had the lowest blood levels of
beta-carotene.38 In the same report, supplementation with synthetic beta-carotene
in men who had the highest blood levels of beta-carotene at the beginning of the trial led to
a 33% increase in the risk of prostate cancer, though this finding may have been due to
chance.39
No trials have investigated the effect of natural beta-carotene supplements on the risk of
prostate cancer.
Selenium
Selenium has been reported to have diverse anticancer actions.40 41
Selenium inhibits cancer in animals.42 Low soil levels of selenium (probably
associated with low dietary intake), have been associated with increased cancer incidence in
humans.43 Blood levels of selenium have been reported to be low in patients with
prostate cancer.44 In preliminary reports, people with the lowest blood levels of
selenium had between 3.8 and 5.8 times the risk of dying from cancer compared with those who
had the highest selenium levels.45 46
The strongest evidence supporting the anti-cancer effects of selenium supplementation comes
from a double-blind trial of 1,312 Americans with a history of skin cancer who were treated
with 200 mcg of yeast-based selenium per day or placebo for 4.5 years and then followed for an
additional two years.47 Although no decrease in skin cancers occurred, a
dramatic 50% reduction in overall cancer deaths and a 37% reduction in total cancer incidence
were observed. A statistically significant 63% decrease in prostate cancer incidence was
reported.48
Lycopene
In a preliminary trial, 26 men with prostate cancer were randomly assigned to receive
lycopene (15 mg twice a day) or no lycopene for three weeks before undergoing prostate
surgery. Prostate tissue was then obtained during surgery and examined. Compared with the
unsupplemented men, those receiving lycopene were found to have significantly less aggressive
growth of cancer cells.49 In addition, a case report has been published of a
62-year-old man with advanced prostate cancer who experienced a regression of his tumor after
starting 10 mg of lycopene per day and 300 mg of saw
palmetto three times per day. As saw palmetto has not been previously associated with
improvements in prostate cancer, the authors of the report attributed the response to the
lycopene.50 Long-term controlled studies are needed to confirm these promising
initial reports.
Calcium
Warning: Calcium supplements should be avoided by prostate cancer patients.
Increasing calcium intake from food, water, and supplements has been associated with an
increased risk of prostate cancer in some preliminary studies51
52 but not in others.53 54 A few researchers now believe that
increasing calcium intake may increase the risk of prostate cancer by reducing the amount of
vitamin D activated in the kidneys.55 (Vitamin D may protect against prostate
cancer. See the Vitamin D discussion below.) If the relationship between higher calcium intake
and increased risk of prostate cancer were to be confirmed by future research, then the
question would arise whether the negative effect of calcium from food and supplements could be
overcome by taking vitamin D supplements.
Vitamin E
Relatively high blood levels of vitamin E have been associated with relatively low levels of
hormones linked to prostate cancer.56 While a relationship between higher blood
levels of vitamin E and a reduced risk of prostate cancer has been reported only
inconsistently,57 58 supplemental use of vitamin E59 has been
associated with a reduced risk of prostate cancer in smokers. In a double-blind trial studying
smokers, vitamin E supplementation (50 IU of vitamin E per day for an average of six years)
led to a 32% decrease in prostate cancer incidence and a 41% decrease in prostate cancer
deaths.60 Both findings were statistically significant.61 The effects of
vitamin E have yet to be studied in men already diagnosed with prostate cancer.
Vitamin D
Where sun exposure is low, the rate of prostate cancer has been reported to be
high.62 In the body, vitamin D is changed into a hormone with great activity. This
activated vitamin D causes “cellular differentiation”—essentially the
opposite of cancer.
In a preliminary trial, 7 of 16 men who had prostate cancer that had spread to bone and who
had been unresponsive to conventional treatment were found to have evidence of vitamin D
deficiency.63 All 16 were given 2,000 IU of vitamin D per day for 12 weeks, and
levels of pain were recorded for 14 of these men. Vitamin D supplementation led to reduced
pain in 4 of the 14 men, and 6 showed evidence of increased strength.64 Those with
vitamin D deficiency were more likely to respond, compared with those who were not
deficient.65 While anyone with vitamin D deficiency should be treated with vitamin
D, taking 2,000 IU per day requires a doctor’s supervision.
In another preliminary trial, 14 men with prostate cancer unresponsive to conventional
treatment were given activated vitamin D66 —the form of vitamin D believed to
have anti-tumor action against prostate cancer.67 A reduction in prostate specific
antigen (PSA) scores, a marker for prostate cancer progression, occurred in only two men, and
in no case did the PSA score decline by as much as 50%. In a small preliminary trial,
activated vitamin D slowed the rate at which PSA increased.68 Activated vitamin D
is a prescription hormone with significant side effects requiring careful monitoring by a
physician.
The ability of vitamin D or its activated form to prevent cancer or effectively treat
people who have cancer remains unproven.
Melatonin
Years ago, a preliminary study suggested that melatonin may help stabilize the condition of
some people with advanced cancers.69 Since then, Italian researchers have been
investigating the effects of melatonin in cancer patients, often with partial
success.70 71 72 73 74 75
76 77 78 79 80 81
Patients with advanced prostate cancer who had previously not responded to drug therapy
(triptorelin) were given melatonin plus triptorelin in a preliminary trial.82 PSA
scores, a marker of disease progression, fell (i.e., improved) more than 50% in 8 of 14
patients.
Patients with advanced cancer have been reported to have improved survival and fewer side
effects from taking chemotherapy when given melatonin plus chemotherapy vs. chemotherapy
alone.83
Coenzyme Q10
In an unpublished report, after one year, 10 of 15 prostate cancer patients experienced a 78%
decrease in the level of PSA—a marker of cancer activity.84 The amount of
coenzyme Q10 given to these men was 600 mg per day; after four months, PSA scores began to
decline.85 Such undocumented case reports require confirmation from published
research trials.
Shark cartilage
Growth of cancerous tumors requires a large blood supply. Substances that interfere with the
development of new vessels that supply blood to tumors are thought by many researchers to have
potential anticancer effects. Such substances are called “antiangiogenic.” Shark
cartilage has been reported to have antiangiogenic activity.86
In a preliminary report, high amounts of shark cartilage were administered by enemas or
suppositories to eight late-stage cancer patients.87 After 7 to 11 weeks, 6 of the
8 were reported to show significant reductions in tumor size, though the long-term outcomes of
these patients were not reported.88
In a telephone survey of cancer patients, 11 of 18 patients claimed a reduction in tumor
size had resulted from the use of shark cartilage, 17 of 21 reported an improvement in their
quality of life, and 7 of 7 prostate cancer patients reported a reduction in PSA
scores—a marker of cancer progression.89 However, a report limited to
patients capable of responding by phone necessarily omits patients who have died while taking
shark cartilage and includes no objective medical information. The meaning of these findings,
supported by a company selling shark cartilage, remains unclear.
In a preliminary trial, 60 late-stage cancer patients were given 1 gram of shark cartilage
for every 2.2 pounds of body weight per day in three divided doses and followed for 12 weeks
or longer.90 No evidence of a therapeutic effect was found.91
Because the evidence remains weak and mixed, shark cartilage remains unproven as a
treatment for men with prostate cancer.
Zinc
Prostate cancer patients have been reported to have subnormal levels of zinc within the
prostate, which might facilitate the growth of cancer, according to some
researchers.92 Zinc has interfered with the growth of prostate cancer cells in test
tube research.93 However, no trials have directly explored whether zinc supplements
help prevent prostate cancer or can effectively treat men who already have the disease.
Are there any side effects or interactions?
Refer to the individual supplement for information about any side effects or interactions.
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