Genetic Connection to Prostate Cancer - North Carolina NPR News

Genetic Connection to Prostate Cancer

September 27, 2011 |

Genetics is shedding new light surrounding the development of prostate cancer. According to medical studies, men who absorb more than 2,000 miligrams of calcium are more prone to developing prostate cancer. Now new research shows African American men are more susceptible because of how their bodies interact with calcium.

Study co-author and Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center Dr. Gary Schwartz says African Americans use calcium more efficiently even if they consume small amounts. Possibly explaining why African American men are twice as likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer than their Caucasin counterparts. Dr Schwartz is an associate professor of cancer biology, urology and public health sciences. And while there are several studies showing health advantages to women who increase their calcium intake, Dr. Schwartz explains this mineral has an opposite effect on men. When exposed to calcium, prostate cancer cells grow more rapidly and increases their ability to grow and metastasize in bone.

This study ran between 2007 and 2009. Dr. Schwartz along with colleagues from the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California and at the Cancer Prevention Institute of California ran this case control study in the San Francisco and Los Angeles areas. A total of 783 African American men participated. They ranged in age between 50 and 80 years old. 533 of them had prostate cancer prior to joining this study. And Dr. Schwartz warns men, reducing how much dairy products they eat will not guarantee a reduction of their calcium intake. People consume calcium in vegetables such as leafy greens and in processed foods that are fortified with the mineral including cereals and orange juice. So Dr. Schwartz encourages men to mindful of everything they eat throughout the day and to keep their calcium intake around 1,000 mg. Dr. Schwartz also says this study gives weight to the value of talking to patients in terms of how their genetic makeup interacts with elements to which they are exposed.