Pumpkin-hazelnut tea cake Recipe

Ingredients

•         3 tablespoons canola oil
•         3/4 cup homemade or canned pumpkin puree
•         1/2 cup honey
•         3 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
•         2 eggs, lightly beaten
•         1 cup whole-wheat (whole-meal) flour
•         1/2 cup all-purpose (plain) flour
•         2 tablespoons flaxseed
•         1/2 teaspoon baking powder
•         1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
•         1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
•         1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
•         1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
•         1/4 teaspoon salt
•         2 tablespoons chopped hazelnuts (filberts)

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly coat an 8-by-4-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on low speed, beat together the canola oil, pumpkin puree, honey, brown sugar and eggs until well blended.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flours, flaxseed, baking powder, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt. Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and, using the electric mixer on medium speed, beat until well blended.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the hazelnuts evenly over the top and press down gently to lodge the nuts into the batter. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean, about 50 to 55 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Turn the loaf out of the pan onto the rack and let cool completely. Cut into 12 slices to serve.

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Prostate Cancer Prevention

Because the causes of prostate cancer are not fully understood, it is impossible to prevent prostate cancer with 100 percent certainty. Studies have found several promising possibilities, though, that can help lower the risk of prostate cancer.
 
Diet and Exercise
Men who eat a diet that is low in red meat and high-fat dairy products and rich in fruits and vegetables have been found less likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer. In addition, men who exercise most days of the week have been found less likely to be diagnosed, compared with those who get little to no exercise. There have also been a number of studies on the possibility of vitamins, minerals, and other food components to prevent prostate cancer. The items on the list below have shown at least some promising results in studies, but none are yet considered preventers of prostate cancer:

•     lycopene, an antioxidant found in tomatoes, watermelon, and pink grapefruit
•     vitamin E, which is found in highest quantities in nuts, oils, and green leafy vegetables
•     selenium, a mineral found in highest quantities in nuts, grains, fish, and eggs
•     soy isoflavones, chemicals found in soybean products, such as tofu, soy milk, and edamame

Drugs
A class of drugs called 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors commonly used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH, or enlarged prostate) have also been found to prevent or delay the onset of prostate cancer, especially in men older than 55. Some doctors recommend the use of these drugs by men with high risk of prostate cancer. Two 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors are available:

•     dutasteride (Avodart)
•     finasteride (Propecia, Proscar)

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Prostate Cancer Diagnosis

A diagnosis of prostate cancer generally takes place in three steps. To learn more about the tests involved in each diagnostic step, visit the Prostate Cancer Tests section.
 
Screening
A digital rectal exam (DRE) or a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test can indicate problems with the prostate but cannot confirm prostate cancer for certain. These tests are commonly performed on all men above a certain age. Depending on other risk factors, this age may range from 40 to 60.
 
Biopsy
If initial screening tests indicate a need, a doctor will take a small sample of tissue—biopsy—from the prostate. The sample is then examined under a microscope for signs of cancerous cells. Biopsy is the only way to confirm prostate cancer. The biopsy is obtained via needle into the prostate which is accessed through the rectum.
 
Staging
Once a prostate-cancer diagnosis is confirmed, doctors must determine how extensive the cancer is before deciding how to treat it. Several postdiagnostic tests—including blood tests, computed tomography (CT or CAT) scans, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, and bone scans—are used to establish the cancer’s stage using the following scale:
 
Stage I Prostate Cancer
Cancerous tumors affect only a small area of the prostate and generally cannot be felt during a DRE or detected via ultrasound; the cancer has not spread outside the prostate.
 
Stage II Prostate Cancer
The cancer affects more of the prostate and may be seen on ultrasound or felt during a DRE; the cancer has not spread outside the prostate.
 
Stage III Prostate Cancer
Cancer cells have spread to other tissues near the prostate, such as the seminal vesicles, but are not present in lymph nodes or other parts of the body.
 
Stage IV Prostate Cancer
Cancer cells have metastasized to the lymph nodes or other parts of the body or have spread to a large amount of the surrounding tissue, such as the bladder or rectum

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Prostate Cancer Risk Factors

Although the causes of prostate cancer may not be known, there are several clear risk factors for the disease. Several factors—such as age, heredity, and race—are beyond your control. Others—such as diet and obesity—can be managed through healthy lifestyle choices.
 
Age
Age is the single most important risk factor for prostate cancer. The disease is extremely rare in men younger than 45 but is the most common cancer diagnosed in men older than 70.
 
Family History
A man whose father, brother, or son was diagnosed with prostate cancer is more likely to be diagnosed and should begin screenings at an earlier age.
 
Race
African-American men have a higher risk of prostate cancer than any other ethnic group, and they are also more likely to be diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer and to die from the disease. Asian-American, Hispanic, and Native-American men are less likely to get prostate cancer than non-Hispanic white men; the reasons for this are not known.
 
Diet
A diet high in red meat and high-fat dairy products and low in fruits and vegetables increases the risk for prostate cancer and other cancers, but no conclusive studies have been done on exactly which aspects of this diet increase risk or why.
 
Cell Abnormalities
There are several types of cell abnormalities that are detected with a microscope and are associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer. These changes—known as intraepithelial neoplasia, acinar proliferation, or inflammatory atrophy—are seen in advance of prostate cancer developing in the gland. These conditions can only be diagnosed via biopsy, which would only be done if another test indicated prostate problems.
 
Obesity
Obesity does not increase prostate-cancer risk, but obese men who are diagnosed are more likely to have advanced cancer and to die from the disease.

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What is Prostate Cancer

 
Prostate cancer is the out-of-control growth of abnormal cells in the prostate gland, a walnut-sized organ that wraps around the urethra and sits just underneath the bladder. It is a part of the male reproductive system and makes the chemical components of semen. Women do not have prostate glands and, therefore, cannot get prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in American men. It is also the second leading cause of death in American men. In 2010, nearly 218,000 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed, and more than 32,000 men will die of prostate cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. However, the prognosis for prostate cancer is generally positive, with a 5-year survival rate of nearly 100 percent and a 10-year survival rate of 91 percent. As with any cancer, early diagnosis is vital to survival. As methods of detection and treatment become have become more sophisticated, many prostate cancers are now found in the early stages.

Types of Prostate Cancer
 Almost all prostate-cancer cases are adenocarcinoma, a type of cancer that originates in glands. Most other types of cancer that are found in the prostate originate in other parts of the body. They are implanted in the prostate when cells from the primary cancer travel in the blood to “seed” the prostate.

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