- With Mayo Clinic urologist
Erik Castle, M.D.
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Erik Castle, M.D.
Erik Castle, M.D.
Dr. Erik Castle is a board-certified urologist who joined the Mayo Clinic staff in Arizona in 2007.
Dr. Castle is an associate professor of urology at College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, and a senior associate consultant in the Department of Urology, where he also is assistant residency coordinator.
He was an assistant professor in the Department of Urology at Tulane University in New Orleans from 2004 to 2006 after serving as a clinical instructor/fellow at Mayo Clinic in Arizona for one year.
Dr. Castle's research interests include prostate cancer, bladder cancer and kidney cancer. He is the director of the Desert Mountain Prostate Cancer Research Fund and is the principal investigator of Castle labs housed at the Samuel C. Johnson Medical Research building at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. His basic science research is focused on novel secondary hormonal therapies of prostate cancer as well as genomics of prostate and bladder cancer.
His surgical expertise includes laparoscopic urology, robot-assisted radical prostatectomy with nerve sparing, robot-assisted radical cystectomy with neobladder, robot-assisted retroperitoneal lymph node dissection, robot-assisted partial nephrectomy and other robotic urologic oncology procedures. He has performed many of these procedures as demonstrations internationally. He is a member of the American Association of Clinical Urologists, the American Urological Association, the Endourological Society, and the Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons. He is president of the international Society of Urologic Robotic Surgeons. He is also the director of the international laparoscopic nephrectomy courses throughout Mexico on behalf of the American Urologic Association.
Risk factors (2)
- Vasectomy: Does it increase my risk of prostate cancer?
- Flaxseed: Does it affect risk of prostate cancer?
Tests and diagnosis (2)
- Prostate cancer: Does PSA level affect prognosis?
- Watchful waiting and prostate cancer: What does it mean?
Complications (1)
- Prostate cancer: Can it spread to the pancreas?
Treatments and drugs (3)
- Prostate cancer brachytherapy: Can I pass radiation to others?
- Prostate cancer treatment: Is prostatectomy possible if brachytherapy fails?
- Ginger for chemotherapy-induced nausea: Does it work?
Alternative medicine (1)
- Pomegranate juice: A cure for prostate cancer?
Prevention (2)
- Frequent sex: Does it protect against prostate cancer?
- Prostate cancer vaccine: Is it available?
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Question
Pomegranate juice: A cure for prostate cancer?
Is it true that pomegranate juice may slow the growth of prostate cancer? How much should I drink?
Answer
from Erik Castle, M.D.
Early research suggests that drinking pomegranate juice may slow the progression of prostate cancer.
For example, in one study, the length of time it took for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) to double after surgery or radiation for prostate cancer was significantly longer in men who drank 8 ounces (237 milliliters) of pomegranate juice daily for up to two years. A longer doubling time indicates that the cancer is progressing less rapidly.
Although these results are promising, remember that they're only preliminary. It's too early to say if pomegranate juice can definitely slow the growth of prostate cancer — nor is it clear if pomegranate juice alters the course of the cancer overall by helping men live longer or better.
If you choose to drink pomegranate juice, consult your doctor first. Although pomegranate juice is generally safe, it may affect the metabolism of certain prescription medications.
Next questionFrequent sex: Does it protect against prostate cancer?
- Pomegranate. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. http://www.naturaldatabase.com. Accessed Aug. 27, 2008.
- Pantuck AJ, et al. Phase II study of pomegranate juice for men with rising prostate-specific antigen following surgery or radiation for prostate cancer. Clinical Cancer Research. 2006;12(13):4018-4026.
- Hong MY, et al. Pomegranate polyphenols down-regulate expression of androgen-synthesizing genes in human prostate cancer cells overexpressing the androgen receptor. The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry. In press. Accessed Aug. 27, 2008.
