For almost all of the eight years since I was diagnosed I have consumed a lot of lycopene, mostly from V8 juice, spaghetti sauce, and cocktail sauce. While research has indicated a dose related benefit up to at least ten servings a week, I probably average between fourteen and twenty servings a week. So far, I haven't turned red yet! (Just joking.)

I have also regularly consumed soy, both from food and from supplements. For years I did this to help combat hot flashes since I was on hormonal blockade therapy, as research suggested there might be a benefit, and in 2003 a Phase II trial with supplements, led by Dr. Maha Hussain, provided fairly strong evidence of a benefit against prostate cancer itself. :angel:

This morning, when looking at the National Library of Medicine website for soy and hot flashes, I found that a team Dr. Hussain works with had done a study of lycopene with and without soy. Surprisingly, the combination arm of the study did not fare as well as the lycopene arm, suggesting that there may be some interference. :confused: The study was not large, but this is an area where we need to stay tuned. If you want to find an abstract of the study yourself, the lead author was "Vaishampayan U" (last name, initial of first name), and it was published in 2007.

Jim

Though one cannot rule out the possibility of interaction between lycopene and soy, their mechanisms of action in preventing prostate cancer or its recurrence are different.
Lycopene acts by mopping up destructive free radicals in the prostae gland while soya contains derivatives that oppose the formation of the active form of testosterone that promotes prostate cancer or its recurrence.
A study by Norie Kurahashi of the National Cancer Institute involving 43,505 Japanese who were fed soy-rich diet throws more light on the role of soy in promoting prostate health.
Another study by Giovannucci E published in the Journal of National Cancer Institue involving 47,894 health professionals validates the role of Lycopene in promoting prostate health.
I think you should continue your healthy prctice of taking these food substances as they have tremendous benefits on the overall state of your health. They also prevent cancer in other sites of the body.
Francis Edo Olotu, MB,BS

Though one cannot rule out the possibility of interaction between lycopene and soy, their mechanisms of action in preventing prostate cancer or its recurrence are different.
...
I think you should continue your healthy practice of taking these food substances as they have tremendous benefits on the overall state of your health. They also prevent cancer in other sites of the body.
Francis Edo Olotu, MB,BS

Frank,

Thank you for your encouragement and observations, as well as the lead to the study led by Norie Kurahashi. :) You motivated me to look further using PubMed, and I found additional studies involving Swedish and Scottish men that led in the same direction.

The 2007 study led by Vaishampayan that I cited originally was small enough that the authors used just percentages in their results rather than trying to apply statistical tests; that certainly bolsters hope that the results showing decreased effectiveness for the combination of lycopene and soy were due to chance.

Here's a key excerpt from the abstract of the Vaishampayan study: "... To be eligible for the study, men with prostate cancer had to have rising serum PSA following local therapy or while on hormone therapy. Study population included 71 eligible patients who had 3 successive rising PSA levels or a minimum PSA of 10 ng/ml at 2 successive evaluations prior to starting therapy. Subjects were randomly assigned to receive a tomato extract capsule containing 15 mg of lycopene alone (n = 38) or together with a capsule containing 40 mg of a soy isoflavone mixture (n = 33) twice daily orally for a maximum of 6 mo. One patient on the lycopene arm did not receive therapy due to his inability to ingest the study pill. There was no decline in serum PSA in either group qualifying for a partial or complete response. However, 35 of 37 (95%) evaluable patients in the lycopene group and 22 of 33 (67%) evaluable patients in the lycopene plus soy isoflavone group achieved stable disease described as stabilization in serum PSA level...."

I'm going to start another thread regarding soy and what appears to be a disproven connection to advanced prostate disease, though the possible connection was widely publicized by media. If you can contribute to that thread, I would appreciate it.

Jim