3,3′-Diindolylmethane or DIM used for treating prostate cancer is an anticarcinogen natural compound formed during the autolytic breakdown of glucobrassicin and derived from the digestion of indole-3-carbinol found in plant from the Brassica genus which includes vegetables such as cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, kale, Brussels sprouts and collard greens.

The prognosis for the outcome of the prostate cancer is rather pessimistic and several research studies have shown that despite the treatment discoveries announced almost every year, the prostate cancer still remains the most common type of cancer which affects the male population from all around the world, with one in six men diagnosed with a prostate cancer.

In America only the lung cancer is to be blamed for the numerous reported deaths followed immediately by the prostate cancer.



Still though, if this cancer is detected in its early stages with the help of the regularly screening tests, there is a ninety eight percent chance of five year survival after the initial diagnose and the results tend to stabilize after reaching a fifteen year survival rate.

Several factors are to be held responsible for allowing the apparition and progression of a prostate cancer such as age, the working environment, the foods one consumes after a certain age, race and genetic inheritance, etc.

Cancer is seen as an abnormal condition having as main causes the factors mentioned before which allow the multiplication and fast development of the cancer cells and malignant tumors and prevent the well functioning of the apoptotic reaction and the mitosis; each cancer is unique and that means that the same type of cancer can have different characteristics reported in different patients.

In different people the cancer can progress at different stages in different periods of time with different consequences and treatment effects; this whole thing makes the prognosis rather difficult and relative.

The spreading process is done through the lymph system and vessels and bloodstream and can take several years for the tumor to reach outside the prostate capsule and reach the surrounding areas such as the liver and the bladder, becoming locally advanced, or infecting far distance regions of the body such as the bone system and affecting vital organs such as the lungs and brain: this is the stage of metastatic cancer.

The stages of the cancer can be determined with the available staging systems such as the Whitmore-Jewett system or the TNM or tumor, nodes and metastatic system.

The grading is also done with the Gleason scale, which is not the only available system but it is certainly the most popular one. This whole activity of grading and staging is done only if cancer is diagnosed with the help of the screening tests or the prostate biopsy.

The results of the screening tests are interpreted by doctors because they don’t offer an accurate result whether cancer exists or not; with the digital rectal exam the physician can only palpate de size of the prostate and sense any abnormality with it and the prostate specific antigen blood tests can only indicate the level of the prostate specific antigen protein, which should be low in normal conditions.



The prostate biopsy, complemented by the nomogram or the prostate mapping, is the best method of detection and can give an accurate diagnose.

The patient can respond well to a correct prescribed treatment and the fortunate fact is that if the cancer is detected early those treatments can prevent or even stop the progression of cancer, mostly because of its slow growth, in general the tumor doubling its size once every four years. Those treatments can be complemented with the use of strong drugs or other medical or mineral supplements.

DIM is often used for treating viral infections and is used as an antibiotic-resistant bacteria but the National Cancer Institute of the United States began testing the diindolylmethane for the anti-prostate cancer properties by conducting several research studies in therapies for numerous types of cancer, including the prostate cancer.

These studies also have shown some complex interactions of DIM with the hormone estrogen, by blocking the effects of this hormone on the cells, which could lead to either negative or positive effects on cancer risks. This compound can also affect the balance of the testosterone levels but the effects of diindolylmethane in prostate cancer are still not fully understood.



The optimal dose for DIM is still not known but although it is a nontoxic substance, manufacturers that sell the diindolylmethane for prostate cancer recommend between 500 to 1000 mg daily.