Ignoring Prostate Cancer Entirely
I've read three posts in the past week or two talking about not pursuing treatment for asymptomatic prostate cancer or tests that show they might on the bubble.
Make the decision that best suits your needs in life. But, know the battle you are in for if you decide to roll the dice. No judgement for what you do, we all have our own path. Remember that people who love you will also be impacted by whatever decision you make.
This site summarizes it well: https://healthinkwell.com/what-happens-if-i-leave-prostate-cancer-untreated-stages-and-outcomes/
Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Prostate Cancer Support Group.
Alan, you are so right about health and quality of life, but I’ve spoken to hospice nurses whose patients, literally abandoned by the medical community and left to “die with dignity” STILL want to live!
Of course, some are comatose but even the lucid ones don’t understand what hospice means and think they are actually getting life saving treatment. They WANT to live more, even in their debilitated state.
I wonder how many men on AS, when told that their sudden jump in PSA and newly biopsied tissue reveals aggressive disease, simply say, oh man, I better get out there and increase my endurance training. I think at that point Tyson’s Law kicks in, No?
“ I wonder how many men on AS, when told that their sudden jump in PSA and newly biopsied tissue reveals aggressive disease, simply say, oh man, I better get out there and increase my endurance training”
Of course your question is a hypothetical…and only happens rarely in the case of GG1 men (per Dr Lawrence Klotz), but I think the answer to your hypothetical question may still be “hundreds, if not more”…
Chris Wark has hundreds of stories of what the medical world technically calls “spontaneous remission”…because from their POV they have no way to explain such outcomes.
Spontaneous remission…sounds almost miraculous but I guess anything’s possible; but I opted for the more probable when I saw my biopsy results.
Unfortunately, even though I had had prostate issues, my urologist moved and I fell thru the cracks for AS.
Seeing all the 4+3 cores at 70 and 80% and perineural invasion in almost every slide, I did not think any lifestyle changes were going to further my cause. I was already aerobically exercising frequently, taking vitamin D, Meriva (turmeric) and DIM for hormone balance, and boiling organic ginger root to make a concentrated tea.
Talk about a freakin fanatic??
But I do sometimes wonder if doing all that - useless as it seems now - actually might have kept my cancer from getting worse. I guess I’ll never know but I am VERY happy I opted for conventional treatment, nasty as it might be…Best,
Phil
Phil,
Although unusual, spontaneous remission is not necessarily miraculous.
Dr. Kelly Turner, PhD is a researcher, lecturer, and consultant in the field of integrative oncology. Her specialized research focus is the Radical Remission of cancer,. She has studied over 1000 cancer cases of spontaneous remission.
The title of her book is
“Radical Remission: Surviving Cancer Against All Odds - Uncovering the Nine Key Factors of Spontaneous Remission Through Holistic Healing Practices and Survivor Stories”…it is an interesting read.
Thanks for sharing your experience. My biggest takeaway from your experience is that you are very happy you opted for conventional treatment…. that trumps all the “nastiness”.
Everyone’s journey is unique and the approach one chooses to address their cancer diagnosis is ultimately a personal decision that is hopefully effectual and one that the individual is willing to own, without regret, no matter what the outcome.
All the best,
Alan