University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI)

Epidemiology, Prevention, and Quality of Life

In addition to diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy of prostate cancer, prostate cancer prevention, epidemiology, and quality of life are important issues addressed by PCP investigators. Understanding the epidemiology of prostate cancer will facilitate cancer prevention and many aspects of prostate cancer research and management. Lifestyle differences can significantly influence the incidence of prostate cancer. For example, an Asian diet is thought to be responsible for their low incidence of prostate cancer. Identification and characterization of dietary components that are inhibitory to prostate cancer cells will have potential applications in prostate cancer prevention and/or treatment.

Selected Publications

• The association of chromosome 8q24 variants with increased prostate cancer risk in Tobago men and the higher frequency of the risk alleles in controls in populations of African ancestry further strengthen the possible role of this genomic region in the disproportionate higher burden of prostate cancer in men of African ancestry (Okobia MN, et. al., Prostate. 71:1054-63, 2011).
• Gugulipid (GL), an extract of Indian Ayurvedic medicinal plant Commiphora mukul, has been used to treat a variety of ailments. GL inhibits human prostate cancer cell growth, and it is correlated with apoptosis induction, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and c-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinase (JNK) activation but not in normal prostate epithelial cells (Xiao D, et. al. Mol Pharmacol. 79:499-507, 2011).
• Dietary PEITC, a bioactive constituent of many edible cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, suppressed prostate cancer progression in mouse by induction of autophagic cell death. Potential biomarkers to assess the response to PEITC treatment in plasma were identified. (Powolny AA, et. al. J Natl Cancer Inst. 103:571-84, 2011).

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