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During the course of my treatment I've come across a number of alternative remedies for prostate cancer. Some are with merit, and others seem to me to be far fetched, untested or even plain dangerous. I will describe a few to you, but I do not necessarily agree with the information, nor do I vouch for it's accuracy or effectiveness. I'll leave you to follow up on items that interest you, but I believe that in the UK, any effective remedy would be currently under trial or be readily available now. Our cousins in America seem to be suffering from conspiracy theory, as they believe that cures and remedies are suppressed by pharmaceutical companies to propagate large profits from current treatments, and ensure that they are available far into the future. As we're a publicly funded health service and the government have at least some control, the climate for this type of problem is less likely in the UK.

Scientists believe that pomegranate juice is effective in the treatment of prostate cancer and pre prostate cancer as a result of tests on animals. Further full testing will have to be carried out but the first signs are very promising. Drink a glass a day, what have you got to lose? Fruit juice is good for you regardless.

A revolutionary technique using powerful sound waves to melt away prostate cancer without the distressing side effects is about to start trials in Britain, offering hope to the 30,000 men diagnosed each year.

Doctors believe the treatment, which uses high intensity focussed ultrasound (Hi fu), is as effective as conventional surgery or radiotherapy, but with far less risk of impotence and incontinence.

It is also cheaper, and less invasive and can be finished in less than three hours under local or regional anaesthetic.

The trial involving 150 men, which is due to start in January, follows promising results from international studies.

Addendum: - As of February 2005, I've been informed that one of the readers of this site is about to receive this treatment and I will report on the outcome when and if I receive the info.

Thousands of men suffering from prostate cancer could be saved by a gene therapy.

In a major breakthrough, scientists have found a way of 'switching off' the spread of advanced prostate cancer and shrinking tumours.

Experts have used gene therapy to stop the cancer cells responding to male hormones - called androgens - which fuel the spread of the disease.

In more than half the 27,000 men diagnosed with prostate cancer every year doctors try to bring the disease under control by stopping production of androgens, including testosterone.

Hormone therapy is used to suppress testosterone, which feeds the cancerous growth.

In most cases, however, this treatment only works for a limited time as he cancer is no longer sensitive to hormone control and finds other ways to proliferate. More than 10,000 men die every year of prostate cancer.

The new gene therapy gets to the root of the problem be effectively 'blocking' male hormones from feeding the cancer.

Although it is not a total cure, it could slow the progression of the disease to the extent that sufferers will be able to lead normal lives.

The genes are delivered into the cancer via a virus that is harmless to the body, which is given in an injection.

Researchers say tests have shown the treatment works on cancer cells in the laboratory, and in tests in animals.

Trials in humans are expected within 3 to 5 years. It is hoped that the treatment will becomes widely available early in the next decade.

Findings of the laboratory experiment, which is the work of a team from Imperial College London based at the Hammersmith Hospital, are published in the medical journal, "Oncogene".

Researcher Professor Jonathan Waxman said: 'The tumours simply shrink and die away after they are inoculated with the gene therapy'

'We think this new therapy could prove much more effective than current treatments in stopping the development of cancer and limiting its spread'

'Although this could be very good news for the prostate cancer patients, we do need to be careful in interpreting the results. As yet we have not carried out the tests in patients'.

Treatment of cancer in any part of the body involves either removal of the cancer or the organ containing cancer by surgery or destroying the cancer by radiation or chemotherapy. A newer way of destroying cancer is using cryotherapy (Freezing of tissue). Very fine needles are passed into the cancerous tissue under ultrasound guidance. Argon gas is passed through these needles. This freezes the tissue surrounding the tip of the needle to less than -40 degrees Celsius. This computer controlled freezing is continuously monitored by ultrasound as the frozen tissue can be clearly identified an the scan. This technique is known as third generation cryotherapy.

Certain types of cancers of prostate and kidney can be treated by this method. Cancers that have failed to respond to radiotherapy or those that are not suitable for radiotherapy or surgery can be treated by this method. The advantages of this treatment are: -

1/ It is minimally invasive with much less post-operative discomfort and inconvenience (compared to surgery or radiotherapy).

Remember, this is a private hospital and this treatment is approx £10,000 to £15,000.

Addendum: - As of January 2005, information has been publicised regarding a man from Bolton, Lancs. who was refused funding for this new treatment by his local health authority. He used his own savings to pay for the treatment which cost £8,000.00 and was performed at Sunderland. Due to pressure brought about by the press, the local health authority have agreed that he should be refunded the cost of this treatment.

Although not officially approved by the NHS advisory committee, the National Institute for Clinical Excellence, seven primary care trusts in Britain have agreed to fund this treatment, and I would hope it will not be too long before they all do. We sufferers should not be subjected to a post code lottery of life. (Info courtesy of the Manchester Evening News)

The following information requires you to make extensive enquiries before any decision is made to use the product. Enquiries I made showed that fatalities had occurred by users of the drug, which is not legally available in this country. I suppose that if you are in the latter stages of cancer, you may have nothing to lose in looking up info on this subject.

Oct. 4, 2004 (Atlanta) -- Humble aspirin, take another bow. Already being used to ward off heart disease and a variety of other cancers, the ubiquitous painkiller also appears to help men with prostate cancer live longer. And other painkillers seem to have the same effect.

"Aspirin has already been shown to prevent new cancers in patients treated for prostate cancer," says Khan H. Nguyen, MD, a cancer specialist at the Fox Chase Cancer Centre. His team's new study, he says, shows it also appears to delay the spread of prostate cancer and most importantly, improve survival as well.

And it's not just aspirin that seems to offer these benefits. Other anti-inflammatory drugs, like ibuprofen and naproxen, act similarly to potentially extend the lives of men with prostate cancer, the study suggests. Aspirin and these other medications are all known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

Speaking at the annual meeting of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, Nguyen says that in the study, more than nine in 10 men who took aspirin or another NSAIDs were alive 10 years later compared with fewer than seven in 10 men who didn't take the painkillers. "That's a really significant difference," he tells Web MD.

Louis Potters, MD, medical director of the department of radiation oncology at the New York Prostate Institute at South Nassau Communities Hospital in Oceanside, N.Y., notes that evidence is mounting that prostate cancer may develop in areas with chronic inflammation. And some studies suggest that anti-inflammatory medications might be able to modify this process, thereby affecting the cancer, he tells Web MD.

"Studies have shown that anti-inflammatories are potentially helpful for preventing prostate cancer," Potters says. "Now we have preliminary evidence that even if you have the disease, these medications may decrease its virulence. That's what's so nice about this work."

The only natural substance scientifically proven to have beneficial effects on the prostate, both pre and post cancer, is the humble tomato. It matters not if it's a sauce, puree or any other processed form. The only side effect I've heard of relating to a high tomato intake is that skin turns a distinctly orange shade.

Other useful foodstuffs/substances are Broccoli, zinc and selenium, all of which have anecdotal benefits. Like all vitamins, minerals etc. care should be taken about the quantities consumed as it is possible to overdose on them with severe results. As with everything, medical advice should be sought first.

A recent article in the Daily Express (9/2/05) indicates that carrots can halt or even shrink tumours. A chemical, falcarinol, is a natural pesticide used by the plant to protect itself. A team from Newcastle University and Danish researchers found the reduced risk in experiments on rats. We'll await the results of further research with baited breath.

On the subject of rats, one respondent on my guest page suggested (Tongue in cheek) (I hope?) that to hang upside down from the rafters of a building whilst eating a dead rat wrapped in a page from the bible was a cure, but he wasn't sure what for. It occurred to me that this could be a good scam, because if it didn't work, you could just tell the unfortunate patient that it must have been the wrong page number. Now tell me, just how many pages are there in the bible??? Enough to make it impossible for a man to suffer eating that many dead rats, I'll be bound.

It is accepted that it can reduce swelling of the prostate gland, but this comes at a price, and I don't mean financial.

Saw palmetto has a similar effect to an often used, prescribed medication called Finasteride (Proscar) which is prescribed to men with BPH (Benign prostatic hyperplasia). Problems arise when people already taking the prescribed drug, also start to take saw palmetto as extra insurance. No extra benefits can be derived by overdosing on this or any other form of medication.

Secondly, the taking of saw palmetto can be extremely dangerous because it is known to significantly lower PSA levels, thus masking an obvious first symptom of prostate cancer. Doctors use PSA as an initial guide to the health of the prostate gland. If the PSA is artificially lowered, a false diagnosis may be made. It is therfore necessary to have a DRE (Digital Rectal Examination) and PSA test as a reference point before embarking on a course of either saw palmetto or Proscar.

Thirdly, and most importantly, men already diagnosed with prostate cancer and in receipt of hormone therapy can be at great risk, because saw palmetto is also know to affect hormone levels and can prevent the hormone treatment from being as effective as it should be.

There is a mass of info on this subject and substance on the internet. Don't just read the sites that give a positive slant on this product, read the warnings as well, for those that sell these products rarely tell you about the down side of taking them.

Type this one in your search engine and you'll be amazed at the number of ailments it's alleged to cure including cancers. It is true that this was once a well used remedy in the distant past, but overuse of it caused a side effect that made peoples skin change colour and appear blue or more commonly, ash grey. Hence the phrases, ashen complexion or, grey around the gills.

What is colloidal silver? Well it's a suspension containing pure silver particles, usually produced with the use of electricity. Silver is known to kill all germs/bacteria on touch, which is why in days of old, the poor suffered more from disorders of the stomach caused by bacteria than the gentry, because their eating implements were not made from silver as was that of the gentry. Lets be honest, in those days, hygiene was not high on their list of priorities, it was pure by pure chance that the gentries eating implements were more hygienic due to their composition, and not by design. More luck than good judgement.

Other than skin discolouration, I can find no side effects that can be considered a risk. Silver does not in itself seem to be a toxic substance.

Hormone therapy used in the treatment of prostate cancer can lead to severe bone loss in men.

Androgen deprivation therapy (Goserelin (ZOLODEX)) has been shown to significantly reduce tumour growth and improve survival of prostate cancer. It works by inhibiting the production of testosterone by the testicles. While reducing stimulation of prostate tumour cells, androgen deprivation therapy also results in male menopause, thereby affecting the bone remodelling cells.

In October 2002, Celestia Higano, associate professor of oncology and urology at the UW, convened physicians and scientists at the Bisphosphonate Summit Meeting to discuss the bone-related problems in patients with prostate cancer. They found that men with prostate cancer treated with androgen deprivation therapy are at highest risk for significant bone loss and fractures.

Bone mineral density scans of the hip and spine show that men treated with androgen deprivation therapy have bone mineral density measurements significantly lower than that of healthy men of the same age. Early intervention, however, based on X-ray and bone mineral density scans may reduce the risk of fracture and its devastating complications, the researchers concluded.

The drugs mentioned in the heading are beneficial in the treatment of male osteoporosis, as is Zometa, which treats bone metastasis. They inhibit the release of calcium from the bone into the bloodstream.

I understand that many areas of the country (UK) are aware of this problem and advise patients about it and take an active roll in it's detection and treatment. Other areas, such as mine (North East UK) have not even touched on this subject, and it was by pure chance that I happened upon the info. I for one, will be taking my medical advisors to task over this matter.

I was recently apprised of the existence of a new method of obtaining a Gleason score which is more accurate, and more to the point, will be able to differentiate between moderate and aggressive prostate cancers, even among those with a Gleason score over 6.

The original test assessed malignancy on a score of between 2 and 10. If the score is above 6, you are likely to be given a radical prostatectomy ie. removing the entire gland. However, the Gleason system does not reflect how aggressively the tumours have been growing, or metastasising. For this reason, patients with identical Gleason scores can have different mortality rates.

Researchers at an American university (University of Minnesota), where Dr. Donald F. Gleason developed the test, have come up with a new test that could single out those who would benefit from a prostatectomy from those who wouldn't necessarily need the operation. (Reported in the "Us Too" newsletter. Visit there very informative site at http://www.ustoo.com/ )

It's a technical explanation, but in essence, what it boils down to is, if 100 men are diagnosed with a Gleason score of 6+, now, all the prostates come out. The projection is that 50 to 52% of them should not have a prostatectomy, because they do not have aggressive tumours. The others should have their prostate cancers treated very aggressively, because the tumours are likely to return in less than five years.

This seems to me to be a major breakthrough, which could save many men going through the trauma and risk of the prostatectomy, so why is there no reference to this new system in this country, because the info I have just provided was published in July 2002, almost three years ago.

OK this will not make any difference to me or to many of you in my position, even if your Gleason score is above 6, because in my case, the cancer has spread making a prostatectomy a none starter, but this is not the case for a lot of men. Why should they be disadvantaged, if a better system is available. I will attempt to find out more on this subject from the university, and publish it in the future.

I contacted the University of Minnesota about this research and have received two replies as follows: -

The research to which you are referring was a laboratory study involving
tissue from prostate cancers. The results needed to be confirmed in a
Clinical Trial with actual patients. This would validate that the test
could predict aggressiveness. The last time I talked with the researcher,
Dr. Akhouri Sinha, he was searching for resources to do the Clinical Trial.
I have sent him a query to see if there is any progress, and will let you
know his reply as soon as I can.

I heard from Dr. Sinha. In order to begin a clinical trial he needs to have
approval from the Institutional Review Board of each institution where the
test will be done. In his case that would be at least three places. He
has submitted an application which was rejected (not unusual on the first
try) and he is planning to re-submit. This is often a lengthy process and
is probably hampered in his case because he is not a physician, but a lab
researcher and he has to describe how this will be used clinically, how the
results will be reported, and what this will mean to the patient. That's
difficult for someone who doesn't work with patients. The job of the
Review Board is to make certain that the trial is conducted in a safe,
confidential and scientific manner, and that the patient understands all of
the implications.

It appears that this research is a very complicated and lengthy procedure, and we shouldn't be expecting results any time soon. Watch this space.

There is a world of information out there on the internet, just type prostate cancer into any search engine and have a look around.

Here's another few words to try in a search engine: - "Blue Green Algae", "Carctol"( info@carctolhome.com ), "Graviola" & "Noni Juice". You'll be surprised at the information you find on these products in relation to cancer cures.

Whatever you read, don't be conned by unscrupulous or crackpot individuals. Desperation can make fools of us all. Discuss any alternative treatments with your doctor or consultant. For instance, I recently watched the BBC watchdog program about a method that involved eating fruit all day and having numerous coffee enema's. There was no scientific evidence to support the claims, but desperate people were spending there every waking hour, sticking to a rigorous regime of fruit eating and enema's, to what end? Why waste their last hours going through purgatory, they're best spent doing something productive, unless you have a passion for fruit and a fetish for enema's? Each to there own I suppose, but its not for me.

Any more cures out there? Let me know via the comments page and I'll consider publishing them for everyone's benefit...... or amusement!!