Tag Archives: Prostate Cancer

Cancer Care Tips, Cancer Research, Cancer Survivors

Vitamin D and the Cancer Connection

Vitamin D To Reduce Risks of Cancer
Vitamin D To Reduce Risks of Cancer

Does Vitamin D offer hope for alternative cancer therapy? A new study in the journal Clinical Cancer Research suggests low blood levels of this vitamin may be linked to more aggressive, advanced cases of prostate cancer in men.

What we do know…
Vitamin D effects how cells develop and grow, regulating the differentiation of cells as they change from stem to adult cells, and regulating the growth rate of normal and cancer cells. The skin makes it when exposed to sunlight, however Vitamin D levels are known to decline with age, in certain seasons and climates, and in individuals with darker skin, which naturally blocks sunlight.

What we don’t know…
Researches haven’t yet proved a cause-and-effect relationship, and don’t yet understand how Vitamin D comes into play. They are also unsure if taking extra might reduce prostate cancer risks and offer natural cancer treatment and prevention.

What the study shows:
Among the 667 Chicago men ages 40-79 studied with abnormal prostate screenings, the majority were found to be Vitamin D deficient. In addition, among those testing positive for cancer, those with very low levels were at greater risk of advanced, aggressive varieties. In addition, black men were more likely to be diagnosed.

What about Vitamin D’s relationship to cancer?
At this point, scientists only know that the rate of prostate cell growth (in a petri dish) slows when Vitamin D is added to the mix. They are now theorizing that too little of this vitamin may cause cell growth to go awry, leading to cancer.

Researchers admit larger, more extensive studies are necessary to examine the possible connection and address the many unanswered questions prompted by the research.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research

BPA Linked to Prostate Cancer

Prostate Cancer Treatment
Prostate Cancer Treatment

BPA is back in the news. This time industrial chemical Bisphenol-A has been linked to prostate cancer. Two years ago, fear about BPA’s effect on infants and young children caused the Food and Drug Administration to ban its use in baby bottles, infant formula packaging and children’s cups. However, the agency ruled there was not enough scientific evidence to ban BPA’s use in food packaging. Since then, despite public demands and introduction of several bills, Congress has failed to pass legislation banning BPA in food packaging.

Prostate Cancer Danger

Already associated with breast cancer, diabetes, obesity and hormonal abnormalities in children, BPA, which mimics estrogen when it enters the human body, has now been linked to prostate cancer. Researchers at the Cincinnati Cancer Center found that men with prostate cancer exhibited BPA levels in their urine that were two to four times greater than men who were cancer free. More importantly, BPA levels were highest in younger men under 40 who are typically at lower risk of developing prostate cancer. In animal research, BPA has triggered prostate tumor development and growth.

“BPA may potentially contribute to either the development or progression of prostate cancer, or the BPA is more predictive of cancer,” study leader Dr. Shuk-mei Ho told Newsweek. Noting that the Cincinnati study was small in scope, Ho said immediate, larger studies are needed.

Chelation Therapy Removes Toxins

When integrated into Issels’ integrative immunotherapy core program, chelation therapy may aid treatment of BPA-linked prostate cancer. An alternative cancer treatment designed to eliminate undesirable substances from the body, chelation removes heavy metals, chemical toxins, mineral deposits and fatty plaques that may contribute to cancer growth. For more information about chelation and other alternative cancer treatments, visit our website.

Cancer Care Tips, Cancer Research

Diet Change Could Protect Against Fatal Prostate Cancer

Avocado halves with seed isolated on black.
Substitute to healthy choices in your diet.

Making a small dietary change could protect men against fatal prostate cancer:

Substitute healthy vegetable fats — such as olive and canola oils, nuts, seeds and avocados — for animal fats and carbohydrates.

By increasing their consumption of healthy fats, a recent U.S. study found that men could decrease their risk of dying from prostate cancer by nearly a third! For 8 years, researchers at the University of California-San Francisco tracked the fat consumption of nearly 4,600 men with non-metastatic prostate cancer. The results:

“Men who replaced 10% of their total daily calories from carbohydrates with healthy vegetable fats had a 29% lower risk of developing lethal prostate cancer.” 

The nutritional benefit of including healthy fats in your diet is not new news. High levels of monounsaturated fats found in olive oil, avocados and nuts contain important antioxidants and fat-soluble vitamins that strengthen the immune system, helping it fight cancer. But the discovery that increasing consumption of healthy fats could significantly decrease the potential fatality of prostate cancer is a ground-breaking revelation.

Researchers found that a little goes a long way. A single daily serving of olive or canola oil (1 tablespoon) decreased the risk of dying from prostate cancer by 29%; a single serving of nuts (1 ounce), by 18%. While more research is required, study leader Erin Richman of UCSF believes the findings “support counseling men with prostate cancer to follow a heart-healthy diet in which carbohydrate calories are replaced with unsaturated oils and nuts.”

Nutritional counseling is just one aspect of Issels’ integrative immunotherapy treatment for prostate cancer. Visit our website to find out more.