Beta glucans have both an innate and adaptive effect to enhance the environment in/and around tumor. Beta glucans stimulate the immune system signaling to attack tumors.
Study finds that maitake mushroom extract, MD-Fraction (a beta-glucan), has significant anti-tumor activity and anti-metastasis activity through NK activity, Antigen presenting cells, and through suppression of ICAM-1.
This was an in vitro study of Maitake mushrooms and prostate cancer. They found that the beta-glucan stimulated apoptosis of the cancer cells. The study also found that vitamin C potentiated this kill effect.
Fecal calprotectin is found to be a much better screening test for IBD than colorectal cancer. Though, fecal Calprotectin levels were found to be elevated in colorectal cancer compared to controls, the sensitivity and specificity was low. In contrast, a fecal Calprotectin > 100 mg/g, in this study, was found to be specific and sensitive for IBD and excluding IBS.
Fecal Calprotectin found to be useful as monitor for Ulcerative colitis relapse. This was found more specific for UC than Crohn's disease. There was a 14 fold higher relapse risk in those with levels > 150.
Men with infertility associated with 2.3 fold higher risk of death. The factors evaluated were semen volume, sperm concentration, sperm motility, total sperm count, total motile sperm count. Those that have 2 or more positive parameters were associated with increased death compared to those with normal semen analysis.
I can only find the abstract of this article. This article fits with the growing body of evidence that low Testosterone is a poor prognostic factor for men with prostate cancer. This very short abstract points to using low levels of "free Testosterone" as a biomarker to treat low-risk prostate cancer.
Study finds that men with opiated induced low T have improvement in pain with Testosterone therapy. Opiates are one of the many causes of low Testosterone (see my book Man Boob Nation). Low T has been associated with increase inflammation in men. Thus a normalization of Testosterone would provide anti-inflammatory effects.