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Prostate Cancer Life Expectancy

What Impacts Life Expectancy in Prostate Cancer?

From , former About.com Guide

Updated July 31, 2008

About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by our Medical Review Board

My friend's aunt is convinced that his father's prostate cancer was brought about because of too much ice cream. Could dairy consumption, green tea, tomatoes and other factors influence prostate cancer life expectancy? We are learning more and more everyday about what prevents, treats and determines prostate cancer progression and life expectancy.

1. Prostate Cancer Treatment Types and Life Expectancy

Older ManPhoto: Headhunters / Getty Images
From prostectomy to "watchful waiting," there are numerous approaches to prostate cancer. Here are the numbers for life expectancy based on type of prostate cancer and type of treatment.

2. Dehydrated Tomatoes Slow Prostate Cancer Growth

tomatoPhoto: Justin Lightley / Getty Images
When tomatoes are dehydrated, they created a carbohydrate called FruHis. Give mice prostate cancer and then give them a lot of FruHis and tomato powder, and the tumor grows slower and their life expectancy increases. Could dried tomatoes be the next prostate cancer treatment?

3. Milk, Dairy and Prostate Cancer

CowPhoto: Sabine Scheckel / Getty Images
There have long been rumors about milk consumption and prostate cancer risk. Do these rumors hold any truth? Like so many issues in medical research, the answer is "It depends." Drinking more low fat milk increases the risk of certain types of prostate cancer. Why? No one really knows.

4. Green Tea Prevents Prostate Cancer?

Green TeaPhoto: Akira Kaede / Getty Images
Prostate cancer levels are lower in many Asian countries and green tea may be the reason. If you drink green tea (lots of green tea), your risk for advanced prostate cancer reduces by as much as 50%.

5. Saw Palmetto and Prostate Health - Don't Be Confused

Saw PalmettoPhoto: Nancy R. Cohen / Getty Images
You might have heard somewhere that taking a supplement called saw palmetto prevents prostate cancer. That's not true. What saw palmetto does is help treat an enlarged prostate. An enlarged prostate is a common age-related problem in men, but has nothing to do with preventing prostate cancer. Save your money and don't take saw palmetto to prevent prostate cancer.

6. Selenium and Prostate Cancer Risk

SeleniumPhoto © A.D.A.M.
Selenium is another supplement often linked to prostate cancer prevention. This time, some truth is behind it. If a man has normal levels of PSA (prostate specific antigen) and low levels of selenium, boasting selenium levels reduces the risk of prostate cancer. But for other men, the picture is less clear.

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