The Case for Active Surveillance

So if your cancer is localised the evidence is growing for Active Surveillance. In a UK study of 1600 men published this March, Dr Freddie Hamdy showed that Active Surveillance was a safe alternative for most men. 

Men diagnosed with localised prostate cancer shouldn’t go straight to radiotherapy or surgery - this is especially so as we know the side effects of those treatment are not great. I sadly wasn't in the 'localised' group but am delighted to see that this research will hopefully save many from treatment side effects if only for some years.

The study (i) showed little difference in survival across the 15 year study period from 1999. Death from prostate cancer occurred:

3.1% of the ‘Active Surveillance’ group, 

2.2% of the surgery group,

2.9% of the radiation group. 

These differences were considered to be statistically insignificant. This reminds me of a 2002 study that Chris Woollams of CancerACTIVE shared - in that they looked at over 50 men killed in car accidents in California and found that over 60% were driving around with prostate cancer, didn’t know it and weren’t receiving treatment. In other words from initial diagnosis, treatment was rarely urgent.

The study also found that at the end of the 15 year study, the prostate cancer had spread in 

9.4% of the ‘Active Surveillance’ group, 

4.7% of the surgery group 

5% of the radiation group. 

However the spread did not equate to significant survival differences. Having said all this it is clear we should consult with our medical team to find the best way forward.

Notes

(i) https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMoa2214122

Dental health and cancer

Update 23.6.24: The video below is great but I also really liked this Yes to Life Radio Show talking with Dr Kathrin Huzelmann: https://yestolife.org.uk/radio_shows/the-secret-life-of-teeth/

Here's another video worth watching that looks at dental health with Chris Woollams interviewing Dr Elmar Jung, an expert Holistic dentist - it is a great look at how our teeth can make us ill and what involvement dental complications have in cancer. It includes:

* Root canals * Amalgam fillings * How good breathing affects your teeth * How the nerves in your mouth affect organs in your body * Gum disease * Fluoride

From Chris Woollams YouTube where there are other usefulvideos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zudasa0Ke_g

Modified Citrus Pectin - a key supplement

I've mentioned Modified Citrus Pectin previously - see here where there is a link to a great 10 minute video with Sam Watts talking MCP.
I took this supplement but it hasn't been part of my protocol in the last couple of years. A video from Chris Wark has reminded me that it is one of the most important supplements that those of us with cancer can take.

In the video Chris interviews Dr. Eliaz, one of the world's foremost experts on galectin-3 and modified citrus pectin (MCP). As the show notes write: "Galectin-3 is an essential survival molecule in your body that when over-expressed promotes inflammation, aging, and chronic diseases like cancer. Modified citrus pectin has been scientifically proven to block its harmful effects. By disrupting galectin-3 interactions, MCP creates an environment that is inhospitable to inflammation, fibrosis, hypoxia, infection, and cancer cell growth. Modified citrus pectin has also been found to be helpful with pain relief and is known to bind to heavy metals and help remove them from the body".

See video at: https://www.chrisbeatcancer.com/dr-isaac-eliaz-the-survival-paradox-galectin-3-modified-citrus-pectin-and-integrative-cancer-therapy

I like the Cancer Choices website, as that looks at some of these treatments at a glance. They look at the science and more and score each treatment on a number of factors. In this MCP doesn't get a great reading - see here: https://cancerchoices.org/therapy/modified-citrus-pectin/

However Chris Woollams lists it as one of his top ten supplements for people with cancer: https://www.canceractive.com/article/the-top-10-cancer-fighting-supplements See more on his views here: https://www.canceractive.com/article/Modified-Citrus-Pectin,-MCP-and-cancer

Urinary Incontinence

When I started my radiotherapy treatment Macmillan gave me a credit card that I could wave at folk to get urgent access to a loo. I never tested it to see if it worked!  Nevertheless radiation treatment certainly impacted on me - I am fortunate to not be among those that are having a whole range of more serious issues - although I am certainly going more frequently and with more urgency. Indeed it is said that post-surgery or radiation, almost every man experiences urinary incontinence.

This issue isn't talked about enough - one in three men over 65 have a urinary incontinence problem while one in 25 aged over 40 will have some urinary leakage every year. It can be hard to find good info, it was therefore great to come across this week a 30 min video with Consultant Urological Surgeon, Ms. Tamsin Greenwell - see below. 

Ms. Greenwell explains the link between prostate cancer treatments and urinary incontinence and shares practical advice on how to manage urinary frequency and urgency. Learn what to ask your doctor and get insights into effective treatments to regain control over your life - several of them I had not heard of - but also there is a mention of how acupuncture can help some. I like this straight-talking video from Malecare - they are one of the world's leading cancer patient support and advocacy nonprofit organizations. It is worth checking out some of their other videos too.

Prostate Cancer UK also have some good advice: https://prostatecanceruk.org/

Book of Cancer blogs just out

I've just seen that Yes to Life's new book is out..."Kitchen Cancer Talks. Shared Stories, Same Experiences" with a foreword from Patricia Peat. It will no doubt help to raise funds for the charity.

I've not seen it but I understand it has several of my blogs in the book along with many others from Yes to Life's Wigwam group members and supporters including nutritionists and even a Naturopathic Oncologist. While everyone’s story is unique to them, the experiences and emotions that accompany being diagnosed with cancer and the journey to find an integrative path will be recognized by many. The power of shared experiences enables us to see we are not alone in our thinking.

Robin Daly, the Chair and Founder off the charity writes: "These posts are simply too valuable to pass by as ephemera. The quality of the writing is consistently high, and the sheer breadth of the content results in an inspirational resource that you can dip into at any time. Open up anywhere and you are likely to be led into territory you’ve not explored, and to have new avenues to health and wellbeing open up."

Get book (£6 kindle and £20 paperback) at: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0C2RHK145?

‘Could this be the day the World changes (for people with cancer)’

The title of this blog post was by health author, Jerome Burne, taken from his blog on the Yes to Life website (i). The title makes a big big claim - but I think it really could be one of those moments in history. On 12th February, at a specially put together Yes to Life online forum with three panels of cancer experts (Scientists, Clinicians and Patient Experts) and an invited audience of some 200  cancer specialists, a new way of thinking about cancer was proposed.

Mark Lintern presented his findings that have resulted from eight years of intensive research into the origin and mechanisms of cancer. He had been hugely frustrated by the lack of understanding he encountered when dealing with his own and a friends cancer. It drove him to explore more - in what has been described as a ‘Herculean’ effort, he has come up with findings that could lead to an enduring change in the direction of cancer care, to potentially prevent cancers and to lead to groundbreaking new treatments.

In another blog by Jerome, 'Revealing the Dark Matter of Cancer’, he sets out to share the approach and how it came about. It is very worth a read: https://healthinsightuk.org/2023/04/12/revealing-the-dark-matter-of-cancer/

Cancer is widely regarded as a genetic disease. Mark, like many of us who have looked at the causes of cancer, couldn’t understand how changes to DNA were supposedly random and just the result of bad luck. Indeed these are the very words my oncologist used when I was diagnosed. It just didn’t sit right. One of the problems is that there are around 1,000 genes that can become cancerous when mutated, and it typically takes at least two different mutations within these cells for cancer to grow. That means there are a million potential mutation pairs, and it becomes hopeless to narrow down the possibilities when seeking new treatments.

There are other theories of cancer but the one that many integrative health professionals seem to favour (at least until now), is the metabolic theory. This approach looks at the abnormal energy use of cancer cells.  See a good description of the metabolic theory at: https://foundationformetaboliccancertherapies.com/metabolic-cancer-therapies and Prof Thomas Siegfried talking about this approach: https://youtu.be/APwnkpD_BfI

New paradigm

Mark looked at all this and info that seems to have been overlooked from other medical fields and he suggests that cancer can be caused by multiple factors that can trigger the infectious process of an opportunistic pathogen. There is effectively a battle between the pathogen, the cell and the immune system. A victorious immune system can remove the tumour. 

One of the ways of assessing new theories about cancer is how many of the so-called hallmarks of cancer – the changes a cancer makes to a cell – the theory can explain. This new pathogen theory comes out top. It can account for 9 out of the ten, more than both the genetic or metabolic approaches. Of course, Mark is now keen to see his theories tested, but already the reception from this first meeting to these ideas has been very positive.

Find out more

Mark Lintern shares his story of 8 years’ research into the mechanisms and origin of cancer in 6 Health Radio shows with Robin Daly, Chair and Founder of Yes to Life: 

https://yestolife.org.uk/radio_shows/through-another-lens-part-1/

Cancer Through Another Lens - Professional pre-release version

https://www.yestolifeshop.org/product-page/cancer-through-another-lens-professional-pre-release-version

Update 29.09.23: I liked this article as an additional perspective on cancer: https://www.anhinternational.org/news/opinion-cancer-as-a-survival-and-healing-mechanism/

Note

(i) https://yestolife.org.uk/could-this-be-the-day-the-world-changed/

Interview with Prof Rob Thomas

This is a great overview of prostate cancer treatments (and a bit about breast) - Chris Woollams of CancerActive interviewing NHS oncologist Robert Thomas; looking at treatment protocols, hormones, lifestyle and much more. I found it a great reminder but also some stuff I didn't know.