by Jackie Hart, MD
Q: Can you recommend any alternatives for preventing or treating prostate cancer?
A: There are many approaches you can take in addition to standard therapies to prevent or treat prostate cancer as well as to help recovery and lessen side effects from standard therapies.
Standard Western treatment options include surgery, radiation, hormone therapy, and "watchful waiting." The extent of the disease varies from person to person and the decision of which approach to take is personal. You and your doctor must weigh the advantages and disadvantages of each choice.
The following suggestions may enhance whichever approach you choose. Be sure to discuss these ideas with your physician.
Diet
Diet is one area that seems to have a clear impact on prostate cancer. Meat and high-fat diets (more than 40% of total calories from fat) tend to stimulate development and growth of prostate tumor cells, whereas a low-fat diet (up to 20% of total calories from fat) also high in fiber and soy products, seems to confer some degree of protection.
Working with a registered dietitian to design a meal plan is a good idea. One vegetable to be sure to include each day is the tomato; tomatoes and tomato products, such as spaghetti sauce, contain a substance called lycopene that appears particularly helpful in fighting prostate cancer.
Supplements
Vitamin E and selenium are dietary supplements that may convey some protection against cancer in general and prostate cancer specifically. The general term for vitamin E is tocopherols; supplements of vitamin E often come in a form known as alpha-tocopherols, but a recent study showed that a form called gamma-tocopherols may be superior in inhibiting prostate cancer cell growth.
I recommend, therefore, that you look for a supplement that contains what is called mixed-tocopherols and take 400 international units (IU) per day. The amount of selenium to take is 200 micrograms per day.
Physical activity and meditation
Other steps to take in changing your lifestyle to complement treatment of prostate cancer include exercise and meditation. Exercise improves immune function, reduces body fat, decreases insulin levels, improves mood, and decreases loss of lean body mass. During treatment for prostate cancer, many people lose muscle mass and become weaker. For people who are able to exercise during and following treatment, aerobic exercise (three hours per week) together with strength-training help curb this loss. Consider working with a physical therapist or personal trainer for assistance with your special needs.
After prostate surgery, the walls of the pelvic floor are often weak, which may lead to incontinence of urine. Working with a physical therapist to learn specific exercises can help recovery. The therapist may also use other therapies, such as electrical stimulation. Biofeedback therapy is another alternative that may complement physical therapy in this instance.
Meditation reduces stress and may bolster the immune system, which may aid in the fight against infections and malignancies. More specific to prostate cancer, meditation increases melatonin, a hormone produced in the pineal gland during the night. Levels of this hormone diminish with age (as does a restful night sleep). Test-tube studies conducted in Israel suggest that melatonin has some benefit against prostate cancer cells. While there isnt data to support taking melatonin supplements for prostate cancer, I would recommend daily meditation and trying to always get a good nights sleep.
Acupuncture and energy healing
Acupuncture and energy healing have also been used in people with prostate cancer. I have seen acupuncture used successfully to help side effects from hormone therapy, such as hot flashes. In addition, acupuncture may help recovery and lessen side effects following surgery for prostate cancer.
Energy healing was actually studied in experiments of cancer cells; the energy healer was able to stop the growth of the cells by 15%, which was significantly better than the lay person imitating the healer.
Q: Can you recommend any alternatives for preventing or treating prostate cancer?
A: There are many approaches you can take in addition to standard therapies to prevent or treat prostate cancer as well as to help recovery and lessen side effects from standard therapies.
Standard Western treatment options include surgery, radiation, hormone therapy, and "watchful waiting." The extent of the disease varies from person to person and the decision of which approach to take is personal. You and your doctor must weigh the advantages and disadvantages of each choice.
The following suggestions may enhance whichever approach you choose. Be sure to discuss these ideas with your physician.
Diet
Diet is one area that seems to have a clear impact on prostate cancer. Meat and high-fat diets (more than 40% of total calories from fat) tend to stimulate development and growth of prostate tumor cells, whereas a low-fat diet (up to 20% of total calories from fat) also high in fiber and soy products, seems to confer some degree of protection.
Working with a registered dietitian to design a meal plan is a good idea. One vegetable to be sure to include each day is the tomato; tomatoes and tomato products, such as spaghetti sauce, contain a substance called lycopene that appears particularly helpful in fighting prostate cancer.
Supplements
Vitamin E and selenium are dietary supplements that may convey some protection against cancer in general and prostate cancer specifically. The general term for vitamin E is tocopherols; supplements of vitamin E often come in a form known as alpha-tocopherols, but a recent study showed that a form called gamma-tocopherols may be superior in inhibiting prostate cancer cell growth.
I recommend, therefore, that you look for a supplement that contains what is called mixed-tocopherols and take 400 international units (IU) per day. The amount of selenium to take is 200 micrograms per day.
Physical activity and meditation
Other steps to take in changing your lifestyle to complement treatment of prostate cancer include exercise and meditation. Exercise improves immune function, reduces body fat, decreases insulin levels, improves mood, and decreases loss of lean body mass. During treatment for prostate cancer, many people lose muscle mass and become weaker. For people who are able to exercise during and following treatment, aerobic exercise (three hours per week) together with strength-training help curb this loss. Consider working with a physical therapist or personal trainer for assistance with your special needs.
After prostate surgery, the walls of the pelvic floor are often weak, which may lead to incontinence of urine. Working with a physical therapist to learn specific exercises can help recovery. The therapist may also use other therapies, such as electrical stimulation. Biofeedback therapy is another alternative that may complement physical therapy in this instance.
Meditation reduces stress and may bolster the immune system, which may aid in the fight against infections and malignancies. More specific to prostate cancer, meditation increases melatonin, a hormone produced in the pineal gland during the night. Levels of this hormone diminish with age (as does a restful night sleep). Test-tube studies conducted in Israel suggest that melatonin has some benefit against prostate cancer cells. While there isnt data to support taking melatonin supplements for prostate cancer, I would recommend daily meditation and trying to always get a good nights sleep.
Acupuncture and energy healing
Acupuncture and energy healing have also been used in people with prostate cancer. I have seen acupuncture used successfully to help side effects from hormone therapy, such as hot flashes. In addition, acupuncture may help recovery and lessen side effects following surgery for prostate cancer.
Energy healing was actually studied in experiments of cancer cells; the energy healer was able to stop the growth of the cells by 15%, which was significantly better than the lay person imitating the healer.