Prostate cancer

[Mr Rayon]

Is it true that masturbating decreases your chances of getting prostate cancer? If so, how?

Are there any theories on what causes prostate cancer?

[CharonY]

The causes are essentially unknown. Many identified risk factors are of the generic flavor, also associated with other cancer types. Now, there are epi-studies that indeed found correleation between sexual activity, masturbation and cancer rates, but as often, they have to be taken with a big chunk of salt. One study found that younger males with higher sexual activity or masturbation rates are associated with a higher risk but that trend inverted for males over 50.Other studies found no association.

[Moontanman]

Is it true that masturbating decreases your chances of getting prostate cancer? If so, how?

Are there any theories on what causes prostate cancer?

 

 

You mean I should have done it more often??? I have prostrate cancer, I haven't been able to find any thing that indicates how I got it...

[Genecks]

CharonY, any ideas on the current hypotheses?

 

My guess is that alkaline and acidic conditions of the prostate gland somehow causes mutation in the cells of the prostate gland. I figure that the germ cells are ok, as I don't believe they are going to radically develop and divide out of control. However, if it's the organ itself, then my suspicion is that a mutation is occurring to the prostate gland, and that is caused by its environment. Cancerous mutations have but a few m.o.s.

 

I question whether or not some form of gene therapy could be enacted upon an animal to change the function of the prostate gland in order to make it function longer (or even longer but less often while being more stable).

 

I don't read too much into the mechanisms of cancer, so I don't know too much about what's causing the ordeal.

With how I understand biology, though, if there's a problem, then cut it out or add to it.

Edited July 19, 2010 by Genecks

[CharonY]

You read too much into the studies. They are of epidemiological nature. Thus they provide no mechanisms. In fact, the link is far from being established and as I mentioned different studies have different outcomes. I would not encourage wild and baseless speculations based on that.

[Genecks]

You read too much into the studies. They are of epidemiological nature. Thus they provide no mechanisms. In fact, the link is far from being established and as I mentioned different studies have different outcomes. I would not encourage wild and baseless speculations based on that.

 

Ok, well I was reading the wikipedia articles about the prostate and prostate cancer. It got me thinking that it's a container for biological substances, which can be seen as biochemical and then chemical substances. That got me thinking about how other organs act as fluid containers, such as the heart and liver. Perhaps some kind of biological relationships and mechanical relationship and dissimilarities can be made between the various organs and how they deal with fluid containment.

 

I'm currently reading about a gene related to prostate cancer: CYP3A4

 

I'm guessing that organs need to find a way to constantly remove remaining waste and shed themselves. I guess women do a good job of doing that each month (I've often considered renewal functions of the female reproductive system to be responsible for their longer lifespan), but I don't think we're going to find too many similarities in the male body.

 

And if you could somehow mock the shedding for males? Heh? I'm not sure how that would feel nor look. It does bring to mind some pharmaceutical possibilities, though, if drugs could be used to incite a shedding process.

 

In terms of masturbation, there may be some kind of serious link between not masturbating and fluid containment. I would imagine that fluid would build up over time, vasocongestion would occur, expansion or irritation from increased storage sends a signal to the brain to masturbate, and the reason the brain and body has evolved with such a network system is in order to remove the fluid from the prostate, thus enabling a person to have higher fitness. You could argue that the brain evolved such a system to get people to have sex with one another more often; but I would seriously consider the idea that maybe it evolved to prevent physical decay of the biological container: prostate gland.

 

I'm not a big fan of fitness enhancement as the primary reason various biological systems have evolved. I like to think in terms of self-sustainment. That's something that would be argued in a different thread, though, unless attacking my views in the previous paragraph.

Edited July 19, 2010 by Genecks