William Faloon

I keep losing friends and acquaintances at the peak of their careers to preventable diseases.

One reason is failure to control elevated blood pressure.

For most people, just one anti-hypertensive medication taken at bedtime will slash their risk of heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure.

A question some people ask is: " How long do I have to take that one pill every night?"

My response: " As long as you need it to optimize your blood pressure."

Inane rebuttals include: " I don’t want to take a pill every night."

I derive no pleasure when these people are stricken with a catastrophic illness and say, " I should have listened to you years ago."

Instead, I blame myself for failing to convey the lifesaving message.

A similar situation occurs in relation to prostate cancer.

The number of American men dying of metastatic prostate cancer has increased significantly according to a March 2022 JAMA report.¹

This increase appears to have begun after 2008 and 2012, when the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommended against routine PSA screening.

The increase in prostate cancer deaths occurs, in part, due to the lack of preventive measures, the obesity epidemic, and the fact that:

Most men over age 40 don’t utilize PSA blood tests to screen for prostate cancer.

One reason for avoiding tests is fear of side-effectprone treatments. Yet more modern methods are eradicating prostate malignancies without the harsh effects inflicted by surgical removal or intensive radiation therapies.

We describe one of these treatments in this month’s issue.

After reading this editorial, I hope readers will not overlook the basics when it comes to preventing needless tragedies.

The American Cancer Society estimates that 34,500 men will die of prostate cancer this year in the United States.²

These deaths are occurring despite the ability to detect prostate cancer in an early stage when cure rates are exceedingly high.³

Dietary changes and better medications show promise in the management and treatment of prostate cancer.^4-6 But early diagnosis is key and reinforces the importance of PSA screening in men aged 40 and older.

Last year, a famous individual who had battled prostate cancer for seven years died at the young age of 58. His status as CEO of Hasbro® generated headline news with outpourings of grief that such a talented individual was no longer with us.

Why Hasbro® Is More Than a Toy Company

I suspect everyone reading this article has engaged with a Hasbro® product, either playing one of their board games like Monopoly®, or purchasing toys for children.

Even with these kinds of brands, there is only so much growth potential.

In 2008, a dynamic individual named Brian Goldner changed that. He executed a strategy that turned toys like G.I. Joe and Transformers into blockbuster movies for children.

Brian Goldner transformed Hasbro® into a multi-media company that won coveted licenses to make toys based on Star Wars and Marvel franchises.

His tireless work ethic enabled Hasbro® to achieve unprecedented growth, but I fear at a personal cost to Brian’s health that many of us also confront.

Take a Break from Work

Brian Goldner’s family did not openly discuss details of his seven-year ordeal with prostate cancer, but from what I surmise, he put in long hours to achieve remarkable business successes for Hasbro®.

In 2014, Brian was diagnosed with prostate cancer around age 51.

Age 40 is when men should have their initial PSA screening.

The challenge many of us confront (including me) is finding time to take a break from work to have important health checkups.

It’s not always easy, especially with procedures like colonoscopies.

I jokingly state when preparing for my colonoscopies that there is " always something better to do" than face a two-day colonoscopy ordeal.

Approximately 50,000 colorectal cancer patients are expected to die in 2022.

Large numbers of needless disabilities and deaths occur because essential diagnostics are being delayed or avoided by large segments of the American public.^7-9

Please don’t let this happen to you.

In This Month’s Issue…

Life Extension® has published dozens of articles on how to reduce one’s risk of contracting prostate cancer and how to better treat it.

The article on page 28 of this month’s issue describes dietary patterns shown to confer cancer protective benefits.

Page 56 provides an update about a cancer treatment we reported on in 2016 that has now entered a formal clinical trial.

Page 72 links to articles for prostate cancer patients. They describe how to properly stage a prostate malignancy and what therapies are best suited based on individual need.

For women, the article on page 20 describes a novel way to improve vaginal health.

Any form of cancer treatment involves disruptive stress, expense, and side effects.

Readers are encouraged to take proactive steps today to reduce their risk of malignancies and other preventable illnesses.

For longer life,

William Faloon

Life Extension®

"Friends" Sitcom Actor Dies of Prostate Cancer at age 59

As I was writing this editorial, another noteworthy individual perished after a four-year battle with prostate cancer.

James Michael Tyler played "Gunther" in the " Friends" television series.

He was diagnosed with prostate cancer during a routine health assessment in 2018 and underwent aggressive therapy.

By June 2021 James announced that he had developed bone metastasis. In October 2021 he died at age 59.

Since his 2018 diagnosis, James Michael Tyler campaigned for early testing and documented his treatments.

I applaud celebrities who convey their personal health issues to the public. It motivates people to take preventive actions.

The amount of needless suffering, and number of deaths from metastatic prostate cancer, however, have increased significantly.

References

1. Desai MM, Cacciamani GE, Gill K, et al. Trends in Incidence of Metastatic Prostate Cancer in the US. JAMA Netw Open. 2022 Mar 1;5(3):e222246.
2. Available at: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/prostate-cancer/about/key-statistics.html. Accessed May 31, 2022.
3. Available at: https://www.pcf.org/about-prostate-cancer/what-is-prostate-cancer/prostate-cancer-survival-rates/. Accessed May 31, 2022.
4. Ornish D, Weidner G, Fair WR, et al. Intensive lifestyle changes may affect the progression of prostate cancer. J Urol. 2005 Sep;174(3):1065-9; discussion 9-70.
5. Gregg JR, Zhang X, Chapin BF, et al. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet and grade group progression in localized prostate cancer: An active surveillance cohort. Cancer. 2021 Mar 1;127(5):720-8.
6. Fizazi K, Drake CG, Beer TM, et al. Final Analysis of the Ipilimumab Versus Placebo Following Radiotherapy Phase III Trial in Postdocetaxel Metastatic Castration-resistant Prostate Cancer Identifies an Excess of Long-term Survivors. Eur Urol. 2020 Dec;78(6):822-30.
7. Doubeni CA, Corley DA, Quinn VP, et al. Effectiveness of screening colonoscopy in reducing the risk of death from right and left colon cancer: a large community-based study. Gut. 2018 Feb;67(2):291-8.
8. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/colorectal/basic_info/screening/tests.htm. Accessed June 1, 2022.
9. Sharma KP, Grosse SD, Maciosek MV, et al. Preventing Breast, Cervical, and Colorectal Cancer Deaths: Assessing the Impact of Increased Screening. Prev Chronic Dis. 2020 Oct 8;17:E123.