06-08-2011, 05:48 PM
prostate cancer and progesterone article
May 16 2007 at 10:36 PM
stefanie (Login stefanie_ss)
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DR. ZAVA COMMENTS ON ANDROGENS AND PROSTATE CANCER RISKDr. David Zava:
Yep, the testosterone/DHT story and prostate cancer is an interesting one. If you carefully study the literature it reveals the opposite of what you would expect—individuals with low androgens are at increased risk for prostate cancer. A new school of thought is now proposing that prostate cancer is actually caused by estrogens, not androgens. However, once the tumor is initiated by estrogens, growth is promoted by androgens, particularly DHT. Preventing conversion of T to DHT with 5 alpha reductase inhibitors would therefore be of benefit to those of us at high risk of prostate cancer. Guess what blocks 5 alpha reductase—saw palmetto and progesterone. Progesterone may be very beneficial for men with prostate cancer for this reason—but studies need to be done. The publication by Morgentaler A. (Occult prostate cance in men with low serum testosterone levels. JAMA 1996; 276: 1904) is quite revealing. Men with low T had a very high incidence of prostate cancer not clinically manifest by digital rectal exams or PSA tests. Current thinking by those I would consider the most innovative is that estradiol initiates the tumor and estradiol plus DHT (not T) drives the growth of the tumor if other conditions are right (low zinc and selenium, compromised immune system, bad fats, etc.).
A group of articles showing that progesterone inhibits the conversion of T to DHT, and also blocks DHT binding to androgen receptors can be found in wonderful book published in 1980 -- a must read but hard to find. (Percutaneous Absorption of Steroids, P. Mauvais -Jarvis, et al. eds., Academic Press, 1980, pages 81-89, 123-137).
Author Reply
stefanie
(Login stefanie_ss) more on that May 16 2007, 10:40 PM
Since there are progesterone receptors in the prostate, and since progesterone appears to inhibit the production and binding of DHT, it’s strange that the potentially important protective function of progesterone in prostate tissue has been so neglected.
As I keep saying about the bone tissue: surely those progesterone receptors aren’t there just for decoration?
Men do produce progesterone, and it stands to reason to suppose that due to aging and stress some men produce an inadequate amount. I know that the idea of progesterone deficiency in men sounds startling, but there just might be something to it.
Of course the big degenerative cascade seems to start with testosterone deficiency. A man’s physiological age seems more closely correlated with free T than with any other biomarker, with the possible exception of lean body mass.
Obese men show abnormally high serum estradiol, and obesity (high waist-hip ratio) appears to be a risk factor for prostate cancer; there may well be a connection.
On the other hand, estrogens shrink the prostate; hence the new interest in low-dose DES as the cheapest prostate cancer therapy, more effective than castration. This might catch on with the HMO’s, which currently promote castration as the cheapest prostate cancer therapy.
TRANS-FATS appear to be heavily involved in cancer risk, including breast cancer, colon cancer, and prostate cancer. Everyone: don’t even think of eating margarine. If it’s still in your house, toss it. Corn oil and other commercial vegetable oils belong in the trash right with margarine. OK, what about commercially baked cookies and other "goodies"? Sorry, they are loaded with carcinogenic trans-fats.
A reminder: all men should be taking zinc and selenium, as well as i supplements if tomatoes are not their favorite food.
My dream is that one day there’ll be public service billboards asking:
"Men! Have you eaten a tomato today? Or at least a slice of pizza?" A note to women: if you’d like to have your partner try progesterone, be assured that it won’t hurt him. It’s best for a man to apply or take progesterone (men usually take 100-200 mg) at bedtime to take advantage of its sleep-promoting properties. (If your mate has acne, the results of P cream are quick and satisfying; but if you are trying to arrest baldness, you must be persistent. Remember that progesterone will not cause hair regrowth.)
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stefanie
(Login stefanie_ss) about hair loss May 16 2007, 10:49 PM
DR. PROCTOR ON TREATING FACIAL HAIR, AND THE MYTH OF SEXY BALD MENDr. Peter Proctor is regarded as the foremost authority on treating alopecia. He holds many patents in the field, and has formulated a hair-regrowth shampoo that is supposed to be more effective than Rogaine. The chief active ingredient is NANO: 3-carboxylic acid pyridine-N-oxide. NANO is known as "natural i." Two stronger products are available for those with more severe hair loss.
Dr. Proctor has given me permission to quote our recent correspondence. Ivy: Do you think that topical spironolactone (or any other topical anti-androgen) might be effective in treating facial hair—at least in decreasing or slowing down the growth?
Dr. Peter Proctor: Yes. It has been used this way. It works some. But the best thing is to use it systemically, which is done a lot in women. In fact, this is probably the single major use for the drug. Ivy: How can one get topical spironolactone?
Dr. Proctor: It has to be formulated and it is very unstable. I’ve been able to stabilize it mostly, but the techniques are proprietary at the moment. Anyway, women can use the systemic drug.
Ivy: It seems from anecdotal reports that estrogen and progesterone creams (both OTC and prescription strength) have been rather disappointing in their results on facial hair—could it be a matter of needing to provide more through high-frequency application (a few times a day)? Or is it a hopeless battle, i.e. once facial hair sets in due to increased androgen/estrogen ratio, nothing can stop the growth?
Dr.Proctor: Actually, in women female hormones are best used systemically, as long as there in no possibility of pregnancy. Also, I recommend using laser hair removal techniques over electrolysis. They work pretty well, but may take repeated treatment and lots of power.
Ivy: There is terrific interest in phytoestrogens, especially genistein from soy. To your knowledge, is there any nitric-oxide-releasing and/or anti-androgen action here? Since there’d be no feminizing effects from weak estrogens of this sort, they might be of interest.
Dr. Proctor: Estrogens are thought to protect against heart attack by enhancing NO (nitric oxide) production. Unfortunately, I don’t know what the ones you describe do.
If ignorance were bliss, etc.(G).
Ivy: Since there seems to be a strong connection between clean arteries, sexual potency (found to correlate with higher HDLs), and less baldness (due to more NO release by healthy arteries), the old myth about bald men being more sexy is, I suppose, the exact opposite of truth, i.e. in the same age group we’d expect the less bald men to have less atherosclerosis and better potency. Am I reasoning correctly?
Dr. Proctor: You bet...
Ivy: It’s interesting to consider one of the factors that hair growth and potency have in common: nitric oxide (NO) release. The new potency-increasing drug, Viagra, is a NO releaser. Alternative health "male power" products generally contain arginine, which enhances NO production.
Re: facial hair and systemic spironolactone. There is now more interest in
Propecia. Preliminary trials indicate that it might weaken facial hair growth without having any side effects.
In regard to phytoestrogens: it’s been noted that baldness among Japanese men used to be relatively rare. Now both baldness and prostate enlargement appear to be on the rise. Could there be a connection with the departure from the traditional diet containing a substantial amount of soy products? Soy estrogens appear to protect the prostate, and it would not surprise me if they had some anti-androgen effect in the scalp as well. (By the way, it is now possible to take genistein in supplement form; two tabs of LEF’s MegaSoy are supposed to provide 100 mg of genistein, an amount shown by studies to be able to lower cholesterol and increase bone density. It would be fascinating to explore what other effects this dose can have in men and women.)
Ginkgo biloba is also supposed to contain flavonoids (weak estrogenic compounds) that dilate the small peripheral arteries. Alternative health publications claim that ginkgo increases potency. So far I haven’t encountered reports of improved hair growth with ginkgo, but there is that theoretical possibility.
On the other hand, ginkgo contains quercetin, which acts as an aromatase-inhibitor, and might thus lower the conversion of T to E2 -- a good thing in some circumstances, not so good in others. Believe me, when you start getting into the details, you quickly find yourself on the brink of insanity—hormonal effects are incredibly complicated and dose-depedent. Dr. Peter Proctor can be reached at Please respect his time and do not go into long details of your hair loss. The treatment is essentially the same for all, except that more potent products are used for more severe cases.
You can get more information about Dr. Proctor’s formulas by calling the Life Extension Foundation, 800-544-4440
May 16 2007 at 10:36 PM
stefanie (Login stefanie_ss)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DR. ZAVA COMMENTS ON ANDROGENS AND PROSTATE CANCER RISKDr. David Zava:
Yep, the testosterone/DHT story and prostate cancer is an interesting one. If you carefully study the literature it reveals the opposite of what you would expect—individuals with low androgens are at increased risk for prostate cancer. A new school of thought is now proposing that prostate cancer is actually caused by estrogens, not androgens. However, once the tumor is initiated by estrogens, growth is promoted by androgens, particularly DHT. Preventing conversion of T to DHT with 5 alpha reductase inhibitors would therefore be of benefit to those of us at high risk of prostate cancer. Guess what blocks 5 alpha reductase—saw palmetto and progesterone. Progesterone may be very beneficial for men with prostate cancer for this reason—but studies need to be done. The publication by Morgentaler A. (Occult prostate cance in men with low serum testosterone levels. JAMA 1996; 276: 1904) is quite revealing. Men with low T had a very high incidence of prostate cancer not clinically manifest by digital rectal exams or PSA tests. Current thinking by those I would consider the most innovative is that estradiol initiates the tumor and estradiol plus DHT (not T) drives the growth of the tumor if other conditions are right (low zinc and selenium, compromised immune system, bad fats, etc.).
A group of articles showing that progesterone inhibits the conversion of T to DHT, and also blocks DHT binding to androgen receptors can be found in wonderful book published in 1980 -- a must read but hard to find. (Percutaneous Absorption of Steroids, P. Mauvais -Jarvis, et al. eds., Academic Press, 1980, pages 81-89, 123-137).
Author Reply
stefanie
(Login stefanie_ss) more on that May 16 2007, 10:40 PM
Since there are progesterone receptors in the prostate, and since progesterone appears to inhibit the production and binding of DHT, it’s strange that the potentially important protective function of progesterone in prostate tissue has been so neglected.
As I keep saying about the bone tissue: surely those progesterone receptors aren’t there just for decoration?
Men do produce progesterone, and it stands to reason to suppose that due to aging and stress some men produce an inadequate amount. I know that the idea of progesterone deficiency in men sounds startling, but there just might be something to it.
Of course the big degenerative cascade seems to start with testosterone deficiency. A man’s physiological age seems more closely correlated with free T than with any other biomarker, with the possible exception of lean body mass.
Obese men show abnormally high serum estradiol, and obesity (high waist-hip ratio) appears to be a risk factor for prostate cancer; there may well be a connection.
On the other hand, estrogens shrink the prostate; hence the new interest in low-dose DES as the cheapest prostate cancer therapy, more effective than castration. This might catch on with the HMO’s, which currently promote castration as the cheapest prostate cancer therapy.
TRANS-FATS appear to be heavily involved in cancer risk, including breast cancer, colon cancer, and prostate cancer. Everyone: don’t even think of eating margarine. If it’s still in your house, toss it. Corn oil and other commercial vegetable oils belong in the trash right with margarine. OK, what about commercially baked cookies and other "goodies"? Sorry, they are loaded with carcinogenic trans-fats.
A reminder: all men should be taking zinc and selenium, as well as i supplements if tomatoes are not their favorite food.
My dream is that one day there’ll be public service billboards asking:
"Men! Have you eaten a tomato today? Or at least a slice of pizza?" A note to women: if you’d like to have your partner try progesterone, be assured that it won’t hurt him. It’s best for a man to apply or take progesterone (men usually take 100-200 mg) at bedtime to take advantage of its sleep-promoting properties. (If your mate has acne, the results of P cream are quick and satisfying; but if you are trying to arrest baldness, you must be persistent. Remember that progesterone will not cause hair regrowth.)
Edit Message Delete Message
stefanie
(Login stefanie_ss) about hair loss May 16 2007, 10:49 PM
DR. PROCTOR ON TREATING FACIAL HAIR, AND THE MYTH OF SEXY BALD MENDr. Peter Proctor is regarded as the foremost authority on treating alopecia. He holds many patents in the field, and has formulated a hair-regrowth shampoo that is supposed to be more effective than Rogaine. The chief active ingredient is NANO: 3-carboxylic acid pyridine-N-oxide. NANO is known as "natural i." Two stronger products are available for those with more severe hair loss.
Dr. Proctor has given me permission to quote our recent correspondence. Ivy: Do you think that topical spironolactone (or any other topical anti-androgen) might be effective in treating facial hair—at least in decreasing or slowing down the growth?
Dr. Peter Proctor: Yes. It has been used this way. It works some. But the best thing is to use it systemically, which is done a lot in women. In fact, this is probably the single major use for the drug. Ivy: How can one get topical spironolactone?
Dr. Proctor: It has to be formulated and it is very unstable. I’ve been able to stabilize it mostly, but the techniques are proprietary at the moment. Anyway, women can use the systemic drug.
Ivy: It seems from anecdotal reports that estrogen and progesterone creams (both OTC and prescription strength) have been rather disappointing in their results on facial hair—could it be a matter of needing to provide more through high-frequency application (a few times a day)? Or is it a hopeless battle, i.e. once facial hair sets in due to increased androgen/estrogen ratio, nothing can stop the growth?
Dr.Proctor: Actually, in women female hormones are best used systemically, as long as there in no possibility of pregnancy. Also, I recommend using laser hair removal techniques over electrolysis. They work pretty well, but may take repeated treatment and lots of power.
Ivy: There is terrific interest in phytoestrogens, especially genistein from soy. To your knowledge, is there any nitric-oxide-releasing and/or anti-androgen action here? Since there’d be no feminizing effects from weak estrogens of this sort, they might be of interest.
Dr. Proctor: Estrogens are thought to protect against heart attack by enhancing NO (nitric oxide) production. Unfortunately, I don’t know what the ones you describe do.
If ignorance were bliss, etc.(G).
Ivy: Since there seems to be a strong connection between clean arteries, sexual potency (found to correlate with higher HDLs), and less baldness (due to more NO release by healthy arteries), the old myth about bald men being more sexy is, I suppose, the exact opposite of truth, i.e. in the same age group we’d expect the less bald men to have less atherosclerosis and better potency. Am I reasoning correctly?
Dr. Proctor: You bet...
Ivy: It’s interesting to consider one of the factors that hair growth and potency have in common: nitric oxide (NO) release. The new potency-increasing drug, Viagra, is a NO releaser. Alternative health "male power" products generally contain arginine, which enhances NO production.
Re: facial hair and systemic spironolactone. There is now more interest in
Propecia. Preliminary trials indicate that it might weaken facial hair growth without having any side effects.
In regard to phytoestrogens: it’s been noted that baldness among Japanese men used to be relatively rare. Now both baldness and prostate enlargement appear to be on the rise. Could there be a connection with the departure from the traditional diet containing a substantial amount of soy products? Soy estrogens appear to protect the prostate, and it would not surprise me if they had some anti-androgen effect in the scalp as well. (By the way, it is now possible to take genistein in supplement form; two tabs of LEF’s MegaSoy are supposed to provide 100 mg of genistein, an amount shown by studies to be able to lower cholesterol and increase bone density. It would be fascinating to explore what other effects this dose can have in men and women.)
Ginkgo biloba is also supposed to contain flavonoids (weak estrogenic compounds) that dilate the small peripheral arteries. Alternative health publications claim that ginkgo increases potency. So far I haven’t encountered reports of improved hair growth with ginkgo, but there is that theoretical possibility.
On the other hand, ginkgo contains quercetin, which acts as an aromatase-inhibitor, and might thus lower the conversion of T to E2 -- a good thing in some circumstances, not so good in others. Believe me, when you start getting into the details, you quickly find yourself on the brink of insanity—hormonal effects are incredibly complicated and dose-depedent. Dr. Peter Proctor can be reached at
You can get more information about Dr. Proctor’s formulas by calling the Life Extension Foundation, 800-544-4440