1. < Prostate Cancer

Holistic vs surgery, radiation or chemotherapy

Posted by jokoller @jokoller, Jan 30 8:36pm

I’ll see surgeon and radiologist next week to get their opinions on next step (recently diagnosed with prostate cancer that hasn’t metastasized).
Has anyone tried or considered holistic, in the manner of LifeWorks Wellness Center, Clearwater, FL?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Prostate Cancer Support Group.

josgen | @josgen | Feb 2 7:29am
In reply to @rcockerell "Since being diagnosed in 2016 with stage 2A I've researched diligently fruits, vegetables and supplements, which..." + (show)
@rcockerell

Since being diagnosed in 2016 with stage 2A I've researched diligently fruits, vegetables and supplements, which reduce absorption of sugar preventing cancer growth. I'm lucky in that I've avoided chem & rad, however that may be in the works if cancer takes off again. For now I have had great success with a root mushroom extract labelled AHCC. As far as I know only 2 companies provide. I take Source Naturals & it seems to be preventing further growth. A recent PSMA PET scan showed no tumors. That doesn't mean there's no cancer cells just no tumor. Has been used in Japan in hospitals & clinics for # of years. Also take Berberine, which helps control glucose absorption.

Thoughts & Prayers go out to my friend!!

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I take berberine as well; it's supposed to act similarly to Metformin. Recently, I came across Gymnema and have added it to my supplement routine.
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/gymnema-sylvestre-benefits#TOC_TITLE_HDR_9

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proftom2 | @proftom2 | Feb 2 9:33am
In reply to @colleenyoung "@jokoller, when you meet with your surgeon and radiologist next week to discuss treatment options, I..." + (show)
@colleenyoung

@jokoller, when you meet with your surgeon and radiologist next week to discuss treatment options, I might suggest letting them know that you are interested in integrative approaches to cancer care.

When considering complementary or alternative treatments, be open-minded yet skeptical. Learn about the potential benefits and risks.

Keep in mind that natural substances can also have toxicities, adverse side effects and treatment interactions. Supplements are not regulated and can be marketed without rigorous clinical testing.

More and more cancer centers and oncology specialists are open to discussing and integrating complementary medicine in programs called Integrative Medicine or Integrative Oncology. Integrative medicince is offered at many cancer centers of excellence, including Mayo Clinic.

Here's a link to more information about Mayo Clinic's Integrative Medicine programs
– Integrative Medicine and Health https://www.mayoclinic.org/departments-centers/integrative-medicine-health/sections/overview/ovc-20464567

In this Mayo Clinic Q & A Podcast. Dr. D'Andre talks about how integrative oncology can be incorporated into conventional cancer care at Mayo Clinic.

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Love it, thank you Colleen. I've, I mean we, my oncologist and I, designed "Integrative" treatments into my treatment plan. Epically helpful.

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heavyphil | @heavyphil | Feb 2 9:51am

An integrated holistic approach can only be a good thing….BUT it is not a replacement for interventive medical treatment. None of us want this, but someone already commented that with cancer there is no free lunch - how true!!
I always hear about the great conspiracy: “they know how to cure cancer - but they’re making too much money to let that happen”. WHAT A CROCK!!! Imagine the $$ they could really make with a damn cure!!! I’d pay anything and everything for a true ‘cure’. And BTW , avoiding a lot of sugar is advisable but it has NOT been proven to feed cancer and more than a few have died clinging to this false hope.
Best of luck to you and the rest of us!
AL

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Moderator
Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Feb 2 10:18am
In reply to @pieperfarm "Is it true that cancer feeds on sugar, and reducing sugar can help with both weight..." + (show)
@pieperfarm

Is it true that cancer feeds on sugar, and reducing sugar can help with both weight and slow down cancer?

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@pieperfarm, you ask a good question that is often asked by cancer patients.

- Sugar's Role in Cancer https://connect.mayoclinic.org/blog/cancer-education-center/newsfeed-post/sugars-role-in-cancer-1/
According to this article by Mayo Clinic nurse educators "Sugar seems to be a major source of anxiety and fear for people with cancer. There is a myth circulating that sugar feeds cancer and that avoiding sugar will prevent the growth of cancer. To set things straight…sugar does not cause cancer on its own. Giving sugar to cancer cells does not make them grow faster and depriving cancer cells of sugar does not make them grow more slowly. ..."

Eating a heathy diet can reduce the risk of getting cancer and the risk of recurrence. Less sugar is usually part of a health diet. Sugar does not "feed" cancer.

@melcanada just posted this great video in another discussion in the Prostate Cancer support group that is worth posting here too.


@heavyphil, I agree that claims to "cure" cancer are dangerous.

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1 reply
melcanada | @melcanada | Feb 2 10:30am

Everyone should know this Its diabetics that should be concerned about sugar for their diabetes

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josgen | @josgen | Feb 3 7:54am
In reply to @colleenyoung "@pieperfarm, you ask a good question that is often asked by cancer patients. - Sugar's Role..." + (show)
@colleenyoung

@pieperfarm, you ask a good question that is often asked by cancer patients.

- Sugar's Role in Cancer https://connect.mayoclinic.org/blog/cancer-education-center/newsfeed-post/sugars-role-in-cancer-1/
According to this article by Mayo Clinic nurse educators "Sugar seems to be a major source of anxiety and fear for people with cancer. There is a myth circulating that sugar feeds cancer and that avoiding sugar will prevent the growth of cancer. To set things straight…sugar does not cause cancer on its own. Giving sugar to cancer cells does not make them grow faster and depriving cancer cells of sugar does not make them grow more slowly. ..."

Eating a heathy diet can reduce the risk of getting cancer and the risk of recurrence. Less sugar is usually part of a health diet. Sugar does not "feed" cancer.

@melcanada just posted this great video in another discussion in the Prostate Cancer support group that is worth posting here too.


@heavyphil, I agree that claims to "cure" cancer are dangerous.

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Here is more food for thought. A 2020 article from the Prostate Cancer Foundation website about Dr. Lew Cantley's research. He is Director of the Cancer Center at Weil Cornell medicine.
https://www.pcf.org/c/prostate-cancers-sweet-tooth/
From the article: "Cancer loves sugar, and sugar really loves cancer. Isn’t that sweet? Actually, no, it’s more like a match made in hell – because sugar (glucose) makes many types of cancer grow faster."
And "Scientists have long known that cancers soak up glucose like a sponge; in fact, German physiologist Otto Warburg, who found that tumors extract glucose at a rate 20 to 50 times higher than do normal cells, won the 1931 Nobel Prize for his research on metabolism."
And "But Cantley’s studies suggest that it’s not so much the amount of glucose in your bloodstream that helps promote cancer, as it is the level of insulin, the hormone made by the pancreas that controls glucose."
And "If you are on ADT for metastatic prostate cancer, you are more likely to gain weight, and also to develop insulin resistance. One way to fight this is by limiting your sugar and simple-to-digest carbs. Bonus: keeping insulin down may also help slow down the cancer."
Finally, “The more we learn about cancer metabolism, we are understanding that cancers are addicted to particular things. For many cancers, that thing is sugar.”

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Jerry | @jerryegge | Feb 3 9:48am

Lots of great posts! Question: what counties have the lowest prostate rates and which ones have the highest? Now: what do they eat and not eat? Interesting stuff!

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1 reply
Moderator
Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Feb 10 2:57pm
In reply to @jerryegge "Lots of great posts! Question: what counties have the lowest prostate rates and which ones have..." + (show)
@jerryegge

Lots of great posts! Question: what counties have the lowest prostate rates and which ones have the highest? Now: what do they eat and not eat? Interesting stuff!

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Jerry, here are some statistics about prostate cancer prevalence around the world
https://www.wcrf.org/cancer-trends/prostate-cancer-statistics/
- Prostate Cancer Incidence and Mortality: Global Status and Temporal Trends in 89 Countries From 2000 to 2019 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8888523/

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