A new study finds that men who have longer index fingers than ring fingers are less likely to be at risk of prostate cancer compared to those who have the opposite finger pattern. The length of the first and third fingers is determined before birth, and it is thought to relate to the levels of sex hormones (testosterone) the baby is exposed to in the womb.
Experts believe that being exposed to less testosterone before birth helps protect against the risk of prostate cancer later in life. The thinking is that the genes that control finger length and development of sex organs are related.
Researchers collected data on the length of fingers in just over 1,500 subjects with prostate cancer as well as around 3,050 healthy controls.
Men were shown photos of hands that had different finger length and asked to identify the one that was most like their own. The most common finger length pattern (in half the men in the study) was a shorter index than ring finger. But, those whose index fingers were longer than their ring finger were 33% less likely to have prostate cancer. Continue reading ‘Risk of Prostate Cancer Determined By Finger Length’ »
Posted by Christopher Kuntz on January 19, 2011 at 2:43 pm under Prostate-Cancer.
Tags: finger pattern, healthy controls, Prostate-Cancer, sex hormones, sex organs, testosterone
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Prostate cancer is the male equivalent of breast cancer, which plagues millions of women. Fortunately, a little precaution can reduce the dangers of prostate cancer, and might even help save your life. It is crucial for men to pay attention to their health, especially as they age. Prostate cancer is the third major cause of cancer-related deaths in men. Many men do not realize the severity of this hazardous disease and fail to receive regular prostate checkups.
Prostate cancer starts with the growth of a malignant tumor inside the prostate gland and spreads by extending into the bladder, seminal vesicles, and peritoneal cavity. It eventually metastasizes to the bones, lymph nodes, lungs, liver, and kidneys. The cause of prostate cancer is unknown, although recent studies find a small relation between increased testosterone levels and high dietary fat intake. Prostate cancer is rarely occurs in men under 40 years of age. The highest level of occurrence is greatest in African-American men over 60 years old. Increased occurrence is also associated environmental exposure to cadmium, a metallic element. The lowest incidence of prostate cancer occurs in vegetarians. Continue reading ‘The Man Killer: Prostate Cancer’ »
Posted by Christopher Kuntz on March 11, 2010 at 6:37 pm under Prostate-Cancer.
Tags: bones, Breast-Cancer, cancer-related, checkups, crucial, Diet, Disease, fat, hazardous, Health, kidneys, liver, Lungs, male, Men, microscopic tissue, Natural, plagues, prostate gland, Prostate-Cancer, regular, symptoms, testosterone, vegetarians, weight
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