Conditions

Prostate Cancer

Cancer of the prostate gland is primarily a disease of aging. Approximately 80% of all cases occur in men over the age of sixty-five, and by the age of eighty, 80% of all men have prostate cancer to some degree.

Prostate cancer is a slow-growing cancer, but it does spread to other areas of the body. Prostate cancers double in mass every six years, on average.

The exact cause or causes of prostate cancer are not known. However, there are certain risk factors that have been linked to its development. Men aged sixty-give and older, African-American men, and men with a family history of prostate cancer are at increased risk. The incidence is higher among married men than among unmarried men. Also at increased risk are men who have had recurring prostate infections, those with a history of venereal disease, and those who have taken testosterone.

Signs and Symptoms:

In the early stages:

• Urinary hesitancy and intermittency
• Urinary frequency and urgency
• Post-void dribbling
• Nocturia
• Decreased force of stream

Once the cancer has spread:

• Bone pain, particularly in axial and appendicular skeleton
• Pathologic fractures
• Cord compression with weakness or paraplegia
• Weight loss
• Anemia or pancytopenia
• Renal failure

Diagnosis:
A digital rectal exam of the prostate is the simplest and most cost-effective approach for diagnosing prostate cancer. A blood test to detect elevated levels of a protein called prostate-specific antigen is an excellent screening test for prostate cancer. Ultrasound scanning of the prostate is often done to follow up on an abnormal rectal exam or PSA test. Other diagnostic tests, including computerized tomography scans, bone scans, and magnetic resonance imaging may be necessary. The final diagnostic procedure is usually a microscopic examination of a needle biopsy. Repeated biopsies may be needed in some cases.

Treatment Options:
Treatment strategies depend on the tumor stage and grade, pretreatment PSA levels, and the desires of the patient. Prostatectomy with or without lymph node dissection is recommended for patients who are in good health, under age 70, with tumors confined to the prostate, and have a negative bone scan. Radiation therapy is recommended for patients whose cancer is confined to the prostate or is locally invasive and who have negative bone scans. Radiation therapy is also used for painful metastases or local urinary obstruction. Radioactive seed implantation is used for localized disease. Watchful waiting is recommended for asymptomatic patients over age 70 who have complicating illnesses or who have early stage, well-differentiated tumors confined to the prostate. Androgen ablation therapy is recommended for men with metastatic disease. Chemotherapy is recommended for hormone refractory prostate cancer.

Traditional Treatments:
Specific treatments can be complex and diverse. Talk with your doctor about your questions or contact a cancer support group in your area.

Complementary and Alternative Therapies:
Nutrition and herbal therapies may be helpful in minimizing the disease process, enhancing conventional treatment, improving overall health, and reducing side effects.

Nutritional Supplementation:

• Vitamin C, vitamin E, coenzyme Q10, and selenium (200 mcg bid) for antioxidant protection. Carotenoids, especially lycopene, provide antioxidant protection to the prostate.
  Warning: If you have high blood pressure, limit your intake of supplemental vitamin E to a total of 400 IU daily. If you are taking blood thinners, consult your doctor before taking supplemental vitamin E.
• Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and evening primrose oil (EPO) reduce thrombus formation and have an inhibitory effect on invasion and metastasis.
• Zinc is essential for prostate health and immune function.
• Glutathione offers antioxidant protection and detoxification.
• Bromelain is a proteolytic enzyme that has anticancer activities and may enhance chemotherapy.
• Melatonin may help overcome clinical resistance to LHRH analogs and improve treatment outcome.
• Modified citrus pectin (MCP) has an inhibitory effect on metastases.
• Shark and bovine cartilage are controversial treatments that may have antiangiogenic properties.

Alternative Therapies:

• Turmeric works well with bromelain and has antitumor activities.
• Saw palmetto is most effective in treating the symptoms associated with an enlarged prostate in stage I and II benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and inhibits 5-alpha reductase and 3-ketosteroid reductase, and has antiandrogenic effects
• Mistletoe (Viscum album) has cytotoxic properties.
• Gromwell (Lithospermum ruderale) decreases FSH.
• Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) decreases FSH and estrogen levels.
• Chaste tree berry (Vitex agnus castus) decreases FSH and estrogen levels.
• Nettles (Urtica dioica) aids in detoxification.
• Poke root (Phytolacca americana) aids in detoxification.
• Hoxsey Formula is traditionally used in cancer treatment and contains herbs with antitumor, antiangiogenic, and immune-stimulating properties.
• Commercial Hoxsey-like formulas or trifolium compounds include red clover (Trifolium pratense), burdock root (Arctium lappa), Oregon grape (Mahonia aquifolium), queen's delight (Stillingia sylvatica), barberry (Berberis vulgaris), licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra), poke root (Phytolacca americana), prickly ash bark (Xanthoxylum clava-herculis), and yellowdock (Rumex crispus).

General Recommendations:

• See a qualified homeopathic practitioner for possible constitutional remedies.
• An acupuncturist may be able to help alleviate the negative effects of traditional treatment and help stimulate healing.
• Get regular physical activity.
• Enjoy regular sexual activity to keep the prostate gland from getting stagnant and inflamed.

Warnings:
If you have high blood pressure, limit your intake of supplemental vitamin E to a total of 400 IU daily. If you are taking blood thinners, consult your doctor before taking supplemental vitamin E.