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Posted by Dr. Stephen Scionti on Apr 23, 2014 12:29:55 PM

Dean Ornish, MD is renowned for his contributions to preventive medicine. He recently published the first study showing that "improved nutrition, stress management techniques, walking, and psychosocial support actually changed the expression of over 500 genes in men with early-stage prostate cancer."[i] The research was conducted at the nonprofit Preventive Medicine Research Institute and the University of California, San Francisco. Among the collaborators was Dr. Peter Carroll, co-director of Urologic Cancer at the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center and chair of Urology at UCSF.

The study was published by the National Academy of Sciences, and involved analysis of gene expression in biopsies from 30 low-risk prostate cancer patients. None of the patients had conventional treatment between their initial study biopsy and the follow-up biopsy three months later. During this period they made lifestyle changes in diet, did moderate daily exercise and a daily hour of stress management, and participation in a weekly support group. In addition, they used specific daily supplements.

Of significance is that the follow-up biopsies involved analysis of each patient's normal prostate tissue (not tumor tissue) for gene changes. They found that "many disease-promoting genes (including those associated with cancer, heart disease, and inflammation) were down-regulated or 'turned off,' whereas protective, disease-preventing genes were up-regulated or 'turned on.'"[ii] The study not only reinforces earlier work demonstrating the power of lifestyle change to slow, stop or even reverse prostate cancer progression, but it also provides some insight into specific gene mechanisms to explain how this happens.

This research has profound implications, especially for patients interested in ablation technologies that are capable of focal treatment. It underscores the value of thorough diagnosis, since men who are found to have a single focus of low-risk prostate cancer and wish to seek focal treatment can take charge of their prostate health—in fact, their overall wellness—and boost their post-treatment likelihood of a future free from prostate cancer by embracing lifestyle habits that have a positive impact on their genes. According to Dr. Ornish, "In most cases, our genes are only a predisposition; they are not written in stone."[iii]

Those interested in more detail on the lifestyle changes of the study patients are referred to Dr. Ornish's book The Spectrum, reviewed on WebMD at http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/review-dean-ornish-the-spectrum

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[i] Ornish D. Changing your lifestyle can change your genes Prostate Cancer Communication 27:2 (June 2011) pub. by PAACT, Grand Rapids MI, p. 19
[ii] Ibid, p. 20.
[iii] Ibid, p. 20Lifestyle Changes Can Change Your Prostate Genes

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