Understanding testosterone

As we know blocking testosterone production halts tumour growth in early disease, while elevating the hormone can delay disease progression in patients whose disease has advanced. This never made that much sense....Now it seems we have an explanation: 

"The researchers found that prostate cancer cells are hardwired with a system that allows them to proliferate when the levels of testosterone are very low. But when hormone levels are elevated to resemble those present in the normal prostate, the cancer cells differentiate....It turned out to be rather simple. When androgen levels are low, the androgen receptor is encouraged to “go solo” in the cell. In doing so, it activates the pathways that cause cancer cells to grow and spread. However, as androgens rise, the androgen receptors are forced to “hang out as a couple,” creating a form of the receptor that halts tumor growth. Nature has designed a system where low doses of hormones stimulate cancer cell proliferation and high doses cause differentiation and suppress growth, enabling the same hormone to perform diverse functions."

Here's the research article: https://corporate.dukehealth.org/news/study-solves-testosterones-paradoxical-effects-prostate-cancer

Here's also Chris Woollams at Canceractive writing in 2020 about hormone treatment (before this recent discovery). His article is an interesting look at current practice and a possibly different approach to hormones: https://www.canceractive.com/article/the-reality-of-lowered-testosterone-and-higher-oestrogen-in-men-counters-orthodox-theories-of-prostate-cancer He concludes rather grimly: "It all really seems a bit of a mess. Low Testosterone makes matters worse and standard treatment is to cut testosterone! Blood fat levels make matters worse, and standard treatment raises them! Anti-oestrogens seem to do a good job and no oncologist thinks to explore an anti-oestrogen, or indole 3 carbinol, or melatonin?. Meanwhile the number of prostate deaths climb, and recurrence is a major factor. As a friend of mine with a prostate cancer a decade ago said 'there doesn't seem to be best practice in prostate cancer'. He could well be right."

We still have a way to go - the latest research is very useful in helping us understand.

Another look at exercise

I find it is often good to have a reminder - here's a short video re exercise and prostate cancer: https://youtu.be/XFXfDUmjNDw?si=Ca1M6DeWdbD36Zk3

Inspire2Live

What a great name for an organisation, Inspire2Live - I joined them as a patient advocate several years ago now - we are some 100 patient advocates from dozens of countries around the world. The group meets online every week and in person at conferences - sadly I've been only on the edges of this group as meeting times are a challenge. However it is great to see this group making real tangible changes - see Peter Kapitein at a recent conference - he was the guy that started this all off: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkHeAJ9jUVo

Check out Inspire2Live at: https://inspire2live.org/

And here are the advocates from around the World: https://inspire2live.org/about-us/patient-advocacy/meet-our-patient-advocates/

Find out more about peer-to-peer support groups

As regular blog readers will know I used to work for Yes to Life and help establish their cancer support groups in real life and online. To find out more about these there is an excellent new radio show with Sara Spinks, the current Co-ordinator for the Yes to Life programme of Wigwam Support Groups. She is an ardent advocate for the many benefits of group work including looking into the deeper questions of life, or simply for mutual support and learning.

All the groups are consistently appreciated by members on a wide variety of levels. During the interview, two Yes to Life Wigwam Group members will also describe what keeps them coming back for more.

Find out more about Yes to Life’s Wigwam Cancer Support Groups via the links below:

• Yes to Life Cancer Support Groups
• Yes to Life Wigwam Book Club

Check thepodcast out at: https://yestolife.org.uk/radio_shows/groups-healing-power-of-meeting/

See also my blog on what can make the biggest difference to our healing: https://myunexpectedguide.blogspot.com/2021/03/what-can-make-biggest-difference-to-our.html

And about building a community of Wigwam groups: https://myunexpectedguide.blogspot.com/2021/05/building-community-of-peer-led-support.html

Feeling creative? Could you help with our next cancer and art magazine?

Flourish Magazine is a joint venture between integrative cancer care charity Yes to Life and creative health charity Artlift, funded by National Lottery Awards for All, Arts Council, Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust and many others. I helped establish this magazine to be a space explore the benefits of an integrative and creative approach to living with cancer.

It features a range of creative responses, expert information and interviews in each themed edition that offer support and represent the diversity of the cancer community.

Can you help? We are after content, paintings, photos, poems and more for our next issue with the theme 'Mind'. To get involved check out our latest issue on the 'body' with a look at tattoos, sex and more - back pages tell how to get involved.

See our previous five issues at: https://yestolife.org.uk/flourish-magazine/