Milk consumption leads to prostate cancer

Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients, Dec, 2004 by Marjorie Roswell

* The IGF-1 level in human blood is a strong predictor of prostate cancer risk. [Search pubmed.org for 9438850 or 11592771 or 9637140 or 15284261.]

* IGF-1 induces rapid cell division and multiplication. [Search Pubmed.org for 10995803. Includes link to free full-text.]

* IGF-1 also suppresses normally programmed cell death, and specifically inhibits cell death induced by anti-cancer drugs. [Search Pubmed.org for 7552814 or 10995803.]

* IGF-1 is not destroyed by pasteurization. In fact, pasteurization increases the level of the hormone. rBGH can also be absorbed across the gut into the bloodstream. [Search Pubmed.org for 2203142. These findings are mentioned in the full text, not in the abstract. Note that the study purported to show that rBGH use was safe, but data was reported only in aggregate. A Freedom of Information request filed by citizen Robert Cohen for access to the original data was declined. The FDA claimed that disclosure of the data would result in "competitive harm" to Monsanto. Here's an interesting description of this effort, at http://eagle.westnet.gr/~aesclep/bettybgh.htm.]

Summary

* Some cancer-promoting components of milk include Persistent Organic Pollutants, hormones (we considered estrogen, and IGF in particular), low-level radiation, and even milk protein itself.

* IGF-I levels in milk are elevated both by rBGH injections to the cow, and by pasteurization

* Cow IGF-I and human IGF-I are identical

* IGF-I can cross into the bloodstream from the gut

* There's a strong positive association between serum levels of IGF-I and prostate cancer risk

* Men who consume high levels of milk die more often from prostate cancer than men who consume low levels of milk

What to Do

A news story begins "The only test for prostate cancer has been declared useless--by its own inventor. So how can men protect themselves from a disease that claims 10,000 lives a year?" [The Independent, 9/22/04] The story concludes with the promise of a better diagnostic test. I offer, instead that the best protection is:

* For people who want to prevent cancer, or prevent recurrence: a dairy-free or very-low-dairy diet rich in colorful fruits and vegetables.

* For health professionals: extensive consideration of milk and cancer connection. It's a tragedy each time a doctor tells a patient that there's no connection between his cancer and his diet, I know about too many such cases. I welcome ideas on how to educate doctors about this research!

Here are more resources worth reading in their entirety. A few are technical, but most are very accessible. I offer Townsend Letter readers full-text for many of the articles referenced in the URLs below. If you're able to get the articles through your library or via online subscriptions, that's the best way, but I can try to supplement what you're unable to find on your own.

Diet and Prostate Cancer

http://www.pcrm.org/health/PDFs/pv_prostate.pdf

What's wrong with Dairy Products?

http://www.pcrm.org/health/PDFs/faq_dairy.pdf

Prostate Cancer and Milk