Regular readers will know that I don’t place much stock in the use of blood, prostate specific antigen, PSA, results as a reliable predictor of prostate cancer without, that is, assessing the more reliable time staging between readings, together with other clinical analysis.
Considerable research and analysis is being done however on the PSA factor and I thought the following article from www.urotoday.com worth bring to your attention.
My own initial PSA reading of 7.4 in April 2006, and with a score of 9 (5+4), on the Gleason scale, gives some cause for concern if I am to seriously consider the message in the press release below. However, with the natural health regimen I follow I feel confident I can personally overcome the research findings. I am mindful here that of the 4568 men involved in the study it is most unlikely any would have been participating in holistic therapies. As such, they would not have been considered for the study.
Baseline PSA predicts risk of death from prostate cancer
Monday, 12 July 2010
DURHAM, NC USA (Press Release) – July 9, 2010 – Men who have a baseline PSA value of 10 or higher the first time they are tested are up to 11 times more likely to die from prostate cancer than men with lower initial values, according to Duke University Medical Center researchers.
Scientists say the finding, appearing early online in the journal Cancer, supports routine, early prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening among healthy men with normal life expectancy — a practice several studies have recently questioned.
I have just spent a fascinating hour watching a UCSF Mini Medical School lecture by Charles Ryan MD. Medical Oncologist, at the UCSF Department of Medicine, titled “Prostate Cancer – Bench to Bed – What Every Man (And Women) Should Know”.
My regular readers will know that I choose not to follow allopathic medicine for the treatment of my own prostate cancer, preferring instead to manage it with natural therapies, herbs and vitamins.
However, I do believe it essential for a man to study both treatment types fully and carefully before coming to a decision as to which route to follow. With that in mind I thought I’d show you the video of the lecture and particularly as it is certainly the best and most informative presentation I have seen to date.
A few points of interest: The US has 200,000 new cases of prostate cancer yearly; 50,000 cases where a relapse has occurred needing further treatment, and, 30,000 deaths from hormone refractory prostate cancer. Another point I took special notice of was the acknowledgment that some conventional treatments can actually stimulate cancer growth.
Today I bring you an article, from: www.mynaturalhealthteam.com/ about the potential benefits of CoQ10 for prostate cancer treatments. I’m not sure that I have seen CoQ10 promoted as such beforehand and it comes as a pleasant surprise. Mind you this article talks in terms of a fairly high dose rate of 500 mg daily, whereas, I believe the recommended dose is around 60 mg daily. That’s what I take, a combined 30 mg of Coenzyme Q10 (Ubidecarnome) together with 12.5 R.S Alpha Lipoic Acid, taken twice daily.
I guess one needs to know the grade, quality and composition of a particular product before you can accurately determine the most appropriate dose. In my experience though, and from my own research, I think it a given that all the official recommended doses are far too low to be effective.
Which is exactly how the drug companies want it to be, of course.
Anyhow, this latest research certainly appears promising and much more needs to be done along the same research lines. Meanwhile, I will happily double my own intake.
You might care to note too that Dr. Judy recommends putting the CoQ10 capsules in your hot tea, together with coconut oil, or butter, for improved absorption into the blood stream.
TURP No 3.
A recent post mentioned me going into hospital to have a procedure known as a “Trans-Urethral Resection of the Prostate, commonly referred to as TURP. My third in twenty years. It being necessary to releave some severe symptoms being experienced because of a Benign Prostate Hyperplasty – BPH, that is, an enlarged prostate gland encroaching into -and thereby blocking – the exit of urine from my bladder.
Bladder Retention – Blockage
During the 17 days post op I experienced minor discomfort and hemorrhaging. On the morning of the 18th day however, last Sunday that is, things started going awry. My initial morning urination consisted of what looked like pure, dark coloured, blood. The next occasion, about one hour later, also contained fairly large blood clots but was much lighter in colour. Then, around mid-morning I experienced a full stoppage mid-stream. This was somewhat surprising considering my recent operation promised to prevent such blockages.
So off to Hospital I go
By lunch-time, with my bladder filling up and with only minuscule trickling to relieve it, off I went to Redcliffe Hospital Emergency.
Once there I was immediately attended to and was required to give a urine sample. I laughed that one off saying I’d be lucky to get a trickle even. “That’s alright” said the nurse “Just give me what you can”. Once in the loo and with sample bottle poised appropriately, I endeavored to comply. Oh boy! Did I just. A sudden gush, directionally off to the left, knocking the sample bottle out of my hands on to the floor and a huge blood clot -and I do mean huge – together with urine, splattering the corner of the room to the left of the toilet bowl. My instant shock and relief was tempered by my equally prompt embarrassment at having made such a mess.
Capturing the Evidence
I managed to salvage the large, liver looking blob of blood and place it in the bottle. Once in the bottle it completely covered the bottom of the bottle with a thickness of about one centimetre. Cleaning the toilet area took quite some time but I simply couldn’t leave it as it was. By which time of course, the nurse was getting concerned by my absence, as was my dear wife in the waiting room.
Having then handed the nurse the blood clot sample – but with no urine for testing – contained in a now non-sterile bottle I was sent back to the loo to repeat the process. But I was now feeling greatly relieved and counting my lucky stars not having had to undergo yet another catheter procedure. I achieved the desired objective without any further problems.
Urinary Track Infection – Antibiotics
So that was it, I’m off home now, or so I thought. A quick temperature check indicated the likelihood of internal infection, probably in my urinary track, and no way was the nurse allowing me to leave without seeing a doctor and then, a subsequent blood test.
All’s Well That Ends Well
Some four hours later and with a prescription for antibiotic tablets in my hand, I was finally released.
What is most surprising is that since that time I have had no bleeding at all. So where was the blood coming from, I wonder. Is it possible that the clot itself was in fact sealing the open wounds on the prostate and the blood originated from that one huge clot? And once that clot ‘came loose’ from the wound it’s job was done? How very strange it all is. Anyhow, it is now four days later and I am sailing along very nicely, thank you.
Scientists believe they now know exactly why polyphenols, such as those found in red wine and green tea, inhibit cancer growth. The antioxidants produce a combined effect to disrupt an important cell signaling pathway necessary for prostate cancer growth.
The SphK1/S1P signaling pathway plays a role both in prostate cancer and in other cancers such as colon cancer, breast cancer, and gastric cancers.
Eurekalert reports:
“Scientists conducted in vitro experiments which showed that the inhibition of the sphingosine kinase-1/sphingosine 1-phosphate (SphK1/S1P) pathway was essential for green tea and wine polyphenols to kill prostate cancer cells … Human prostate cancer cells were implanted in the mice and results showed a dramatic decrease in tumor size in the mice drinking the EGCG or polyphenon E mixtures.”
Hey guys! Have you noticed the new ads in the left side bar for a selection of India’s ancient, Ayurveda Medicine, treatments for men? What a fascinating selection there is too, with reviews and answers to all manner of male illness and disease, including, of course; prostate cancer signs and treatments, benign prostate hyperplasia BPH and urinary track problems.
You will see also that, India-Herbs, is supported by a large team of medical practitioners.
Click on any one of the ads to read the detailed medical information and see videos regarding that particular issue. You’ll be pleasantly surprised… as I was. You can even get a medical consultation.
I was so impressed that yesterday I joined India-Herbs as an Affiliate so that I could bring to you India-Herbs professional knowledge, experience and products and yes, their clinical solutions too.
I will earn a small commission if you buy. Battling prostate cancer is an expensive project whether you go down the modern medicine route or the natural therapy one as I am happily doing. So every dollar counts.
A valid question you may well want to ask, is “Have I tried the products myself?” Well, no, I haven’t yet had the time. I was introduced to the web-site only yesterday. But rest assured that I will be exploring the India-Herbs website more deeply and will most certainly be trying both their products and their global service. I would add though that I have used Ayurveda medicine many times over the years and always got satisfactory results so I am looking forward to more of the same here.
I will, of course, report on my experiences with India-Herbs.
Today I want to move away slightly from my regular subject topic, prostate cancer treatments, to that of an allied condition not directly connected with cancer, Benign Prostate Hyperplasia BPH.
With this posting I’ll bring you up to speed with the latest developments regarding my own enlarged prostate gland, or BPH.
Regular readers will recall that in January I was twice admitted into my local hospital in Redcliffe, with bouts of frank Haematuria (hemorrhaging), when blood clots blocked my bladder opening into my urethra. A non-too pleasant experience I can assure you – but one with which I have become familiar over the years – requiring the urgent insertion of a catheter tube to release the build up of urine in the bladder and a couple of days of irrigation in hospital.
Unfortunately, this time around the catheter procedure created considerable, ongoing problems for me. The very act of urinating became very painful; the flow intermittent ranging from a dribble to a drought and with no pressure to speak of. It even got to the point where the usually simple process of urinating became such a lengthy one that taking a seat was the only option. Thankfully though, I did have control both starting and finishing, that is, there was no dribbling before or after. Night time visits increased in frequency to four or five. I guess pain was the most debilitating aspect.
Discussions with my urologist highlighted several options, the primary ones being a prostatectomy, hormone therapy or a trans-urethral resection of the prostate. TURP. The first two options were definitely not on my agenda as I am still determined to manage my prostate cancer using herbs and supplements. Option number three seemed to be the way to go as it would immediately resolve my current issues.
A subsequent, exploratory flexible Cystoscopy, confirmed a major swelling of the inner portion of the prostate gland, that area encompassing the urethra, making me an ideal candidate for urgent treatment with a TURP.
And so last Thursday I duly attended my local hospital and had what is known as a channel TURP. My pre-op interviews, held several days before had been thorough and, for me in particular, enlightening. I had detailed discussions with a nurse, an anesthetist and finally, a doctor. Apart from verifying my medical history, the perceived need for the surgery and my willing compliance, the relevant risk factors were reviewed as was my own particular risk profile.
One salient factor that emerged was that the anesthetist, and this was independently concurred with later by the doctor, was that given my own risk profile, I might consider having a spinal anesthetic instead of the full blown anesthesia. Now that I found most interesting as I had been researching that very subject just days earlier and had already come to the decision that I would opt for it if it was offered to me. So I had no hesitation in saying “yes” and with big thank you. My previous two TURP’s, in 1985 and 1995, had been done under a full anesthesia so this was to be a new experience.
Anyhow, the surgery went off without a hitch and the benefits afforded me by having the spinal anesthesia included being awake during the procedure and having the ability to hear, to some degree, what was happening around me and, moreover, a very speedy recovery.
Afterward, over a period of several hours, the legs and lower half of my body regained full sensitivity and activity… and there was no pain experienced at all, just a little discomfort in the groin area. I had no need of pain killers offered, only a couple of Panadol tabs at night. There was no three or four hours of drowsy, smelly and painful discomfort that comes with a full anesthesia.
I am now convalescing at home, trying desperately not to agitate my prostate with too much computer work. My experience in the past with Frank Haematuria showed that bleeding episodes were invariably preceded by protracted periods sitting at the computer.
I don’t intend to make the same mistake again, particularly with a very raw and sensitive prostate gland, post op.
In closing, I can very happily tell you that the operation was a great success, I can pee without pain and, for the first time in many years I can pee like a Stallion.
Only time will tell if I can perform like one too.
With the advent of a more serious problem arising from my enlarged prostate gland over recent months I have revisited my prostate cancer supplement regimen.
Together with some very valuable advice from a book, titled “Prostate Cancer – The Role of Nutritional Supplements in the Prevention and Treatment of Prostate Cancer” written by Ladd R. McNamarra, M.D. I have reformulated my requirements and list them below. My earlier regimen was directed more so at my prostate cancer and, to some degree, it neglected targeting my enlarged prostate gland (BPH). My latest program targets both the prostate cancer and the BPH.
The latter has now become fairly critical and now, following a recent flexible cystoscopy, circumstances have forced me to under go a Channel Trans Urethral Resection of the Prostate (TURP) for which I enter hospital tomorrow morning. Once that’s over and done with I will focus strongly on ensuring that the same problem does not occur again. I will discuss the pro’s and con’s of having a TURP in a later post.
You will note in the list below that I have not included a multi-vitamin. That is because of the unreliability, in my view, of the quantum and mix of the ingredients. I am better able to control both by taking vitamins individually. However, by using a good, reliable multi-vitamin you could reduce the above listed items accordingly.
My Prostate Cancer Supplement Regimen (Note: The following should not be construed as medical advice. It is comprised of my own research, thoughts and opinion. Before using any of these supplements or products you should seek advise from your health practitioner).
Bioglan Prost-8 for Prostate & BPH
Vitamin C. 3000 IU daily
Vitamin D3. 4000 IU daily. Inhibits metastasis
Grape Seed Extract 360 mg Proflavanol 90
Vitamin E Natural 1500 IU daily d-alpha-tocopherol
Hello again. It has been a long time between drinks, hasn’t it? Sorry about that but all sorts of issues conspired against me take me away from blogging for this long period of absence. But I am back and as indicated in my last post, I am going to present a series of posts about some of the products I take to ameliorate or kill off my prostate cancer. Seeing as how any battle against any cancer must, of necessity, involve optimizing the immune system you may note that some products are also aimed at doing precisely that.
So here is my first offering to you…
Pomegranate Extracts and Juices Have The Potential to Protect Against and Fight Prostate Cancer:
A study reported in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry showed that pomegranate reduced tumour cell growth and induced apoptosis in both androgen-dependent and androgen-independent prostate cancer cells.
Consumption of the seeds also may prevent and/or help combat prostate cancer. The fruit’s ellagic acid, the main polyphenol in pomegranate, appears to be the reason for this. Moreover, its powerful level of punicic acid, a compound closely related to conjugated linoleic acid, is also considered probable. Drinking eight ounces of the seed-derived juice a day appears to help inhibit cancer of the prostate cancer cells.
Also, it has been shown that drinking the pomegranate juice slows down the antigen doubling which occurs after patients receive traditional therapies, including surgery, for prostate cancer. These antigens cause a recurrence of the cancer in about a third of these patients. With the juice, it was found that the antigen growth slowed down considerably, thus putting off the cancer’s recurrence until age-related death from other causes.
In another recent study, researchers showed that pomegranate fruit extract inhibited cell growth and induced apoptosis (programmed cell death) in a highly aggressive human prostate cancer cell line.
The same researchers followed up their cell culture experiment with a study that tested the oral administration of a human acceptable dose of pomegranate fruit extract on mice implanted with prostate cancer cells. In mice treated with pomegranate fruit extract there was a significant inhibition of tumor growth. In addition, pomegranate fruit also reduced secretion of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in the serum of the animals.
The only reservation I would make about taking pomegranate products or juice is that the sugar content is very high, so men with sugar related medical conditions should certainly seek advice from their health practitioner before taking it.
Note: I currently take an Australian pomegranate concentrate, 30 ml twice daily, diluted with organic, 100% pure grape seed (Shiraz) juice.
I mentioned in my last post that I would give you an update on my self-proscribed natural therapy treatment regimen so here it is.
My primary goal has been to prevent my prostate cancer, with a Gleason score of 9, and a current PSA of 12, (first diagnosed in May 2006) from spreading from the prostate gland proper and also, to prevent a metastasis developing in other parts of my body. A critical objective running in tandem with this goal is, of course, to ensure my immune system is working at optimal performance.
However, regular readers will know that I do also have to contend with other health issues which I am also endeavoring, in part at least, to self-manage, and must take these other matters into consideration when developing my treatment regimen. In particular, I have to be careful those herbs, vitamins and other supplements I take are compatible with one another and do not cause a conflict.
An example here might be with taking vitamin D supplements and vitamin A together. Vitamin A seriously diminishes the benefit of vitamin D so whilst not harmful together, it would be a waste of both time and money.
So here is what I am taking at present…
Dietary Foods:
Tumeric (curcuma longa
Tomatoes contain Lycopene
Sweet potatoes contain many anticancer properties
Beetroots are rich in the nutrient betaine, which is important for cardiovascular health
Tofu contain several types of phytoestrogens
Raspberries contain many vitamins, minerals, plant compounds and antioxidants (anthocyanins)
Citrus Fruits containing Iimonene which stimulates cancer-killing immune cells.
Nuts contain the antioxidants quercetin and campferol (my pref. Brazil, Cashews & Walnuts)
Mushrooms – Shiitake, maitake, reishi,
Asparagus is said to be good for fighting cancer and kidney stones
Grapes, red contain bioflavonoids, powerful antioxidants
Garlic has immune-enhancing allium compounds
Cruciferous vegetables – broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage
Chili peppers and jalapenos contain capsaicin (anti-cancer)
Avocados are rich in glutathione
Fish – twice weekly
Quinoa (in lieu of rice)
Muesli
Almond milk, Oat milk or Rice milk
Blueberries have the phyto-chemical anthocyanin which helps reduce age effects
Raw veggies juiced daily
Raw fruit juiced daily
I have a preference for Alkaline foods for ensuring PH balance but more specifically, because cancer cells cannot survive in an alkaline environment. Apparently cancer cells expel acid, adding to that created by an overly stressed physiology. It is necessary therefore, for me to monitor my PH on a regular basis, say twice weekly.
Restrictions: No dairy foods – milk, milk choc, cheese, butter etc.,
No red meat, no processed meats,
No soy products. No added sugar or salt.
General avoidance of highly processed foods,
fast foods, cakes and donuts etc.
bicarbonate soft drinks, Coke etc.,
Packaged foods bought only with minimal salt and/or sugar
Alcohol in moderation – I have the occasional Red Wine – for the Resveratrol
content and, of course, because it is my drink of choice.
Supplements – Prostate Related:
Bioglan Prost-8 caps (Prostate Enlargement)
Proflavanol 90 (Grape Seed)
Maple Syrup and Bicarbonate of Soda
Rochway Papaya 35 Concentrate
Papaya leaf tea (home made)
Lemon Grass tea (home made)
Green Tea
Organic Grape juice
Organic Pomegranate Concentrate
Selenium Colloid 25ml daily,
Zinc
Vitamins – Immune System & General Health
Wagner Kyolic High Potency Aged Garlic Extract – 3 caps daily
Vitamin D (4000 IU daily)
Vitamin B complex
CoQuinone (CoQ10)
Colloidal Mineral Formula 25ml daily,
Natural vitamin E
Important Items currently on 2 month self-imposed break:
Laetrile/Amygdaline/Vitamin B17 by way of Apricot kernels – 1 per 10 lb body weight.
I will recommence the Apricot Kernel therapy within a few days as it is possibly the
most effective of all natural treatments for killing off cancer cells. Previously, I was able to take up to 20 kernels per day without any noticeable ill effects.
The Miracle Mineral Supplement (MMS) I will have to confirm whether or not it can be taken safely in concert Amygdaline (Apricot Kernels).
As with most things I like to take an occasional break from what I would describe as “Hard Core” treatments simply to let my lone kidney and liver take a rest.
Finally, I would agree that looking at the above diet and supplements listings it does appear to be quite a comprehensive regimen, and you’d be correct in thinking it is also expensive. But what price life, eh? If I had taken the conventional medicine options offered me initially, I would have already been many thousands of dollars out of pocket… and probably very little to show for it… other than very considerable, debilitating, side effects.
I am very happy with my over-all progress to-date and other than for the occasional hiccup, my general health is coping very well indeed with no sign of the nastiness usually associated with prostate cancer. The future is looking good. Bye for now.
p.p. In my next post I will give some pointers, and include some reference URL’s, for the various supplements and vitamins mentioned in this post.
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