I am looking for advice

[Guest guest]

Hi,I was diagnosed in 8/2009 with PC- Gleason 3+4. I have 3 lesions on my ribs. I had my prostate removed since they thought it was contained- the initial indications (biopsy) seemed to confirm this. My PSA pre surgery went up to 18, my PSA now is as follows:1/2010 18 Started Lupron2/2010 Started Zometa4/2010 .57/2010 <.1 Stopped Lupron- continued Zometa every 3 months10/2010 <.11/2011 <.14/2011 .37/2011 3.4 Started Lupron.At this time I transferred my care to Loyola in Chicago. My onocologist was not an expert and I

was looking for someone who specialized in prostate cancer. At Loyola- they did an exam and found a nodule on my testes (If I didnt switch- this wouldnt have been caught). I find out tomorrow what it is. The doctor at Loyola added Cassodex- (finally). I have read a study where the 2 drug combination is better than 1- and 3 is better, etc.A little about myself. I am 48 years old. I weight 295 pounds, 6'3. I would say I exercise once a week- I know this could be better. The diet isnt great- but I have basically eliminated red meat- and fast food. I enjoy a few beers on occasion- (nothing daily- twice a month). What I am asking about is advice. If there is a top 10 list of things that I must do to have the best success with this- I would like some insight. I feel I am now with the right doctor- (I didn't trust my gut to move sooner), So now its time to do my part-

the doctors are handling theirs it seems.What things do I need to be doing to have the best success. If the answer on this board is shed a bunch of weight- I guess I have to....I dont have an alternative. I welcome all input on diet, exercise, lifestyle, doctors, etc. I have learned from others, thats why I changed my doctor. And remarkably- i actually do what I am told. Thank you in advance,Tim Ebert

[Guest guest]

....

> What I am asking about is advice. If there is a top 10 list of

> things that I must do to have the best success with this- I

> would like some insight. I feel I am now with the right

> doctor- (I didn't trust my gut to move sooner), So now its time

> to do my part- the doctors are handling theirs it seems.

>

> What things do I need to be doing to have the best success. If

> the answer on this board is shed a bunch of weight- I guess I

> have to....I dont have an alternative. I welcome all input on

> diet, exercise, lifestyle, doctors, etc. I have learned from

> others, thats why I changed my doctor. And remarkably- i

> actually do what I am told.

Hello Tim,

I'm not a doctor or expert of any kind. What I have to say is

purely a layman's understanding of the situation. Your new

oncologist can offer better advice than I can.

However, that said, if I were in your shoes I think I might do

the following:

1. Go ahead and lose the extra weight. It's certainly not doing

you any good and may be doing some harm, maybe even significant

harm.

2. Find out what foods and supplements you can take that might

help.

Among foods, I know that cooked tomato based foods (e.g., tomato

sauce) and broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables are

sometimes recommended. Among supplements, the well known Dr.

" Snuffy " Myers prescribes pomegranate extract and resveratrol for

his patients - in fairly large quantities. Other supplements I

have seen prescribed include vitamins C and D and lycopene from

tomatoes. Others here may be able to offer other suggestions.

As I understand it, the evidence for all of these is weak, but

not non-existent. Will it help? Who knows? I don't.

3. Try to stay in shape.

ADT can rob you of your energy. Exercise can restore a lot of

it. I don't know if this will help with the cancer or not. Some

say it does. But it will make you feel better.

I wish I could say that if you do all of this it will add an

extra five years or more to your life. Maybe it will or maybe it

won't add anything at all. Unfortunately, the data on all of

this is not very substantial.

However, I know that a lot of prostate cancer research is

underway. Several important new drugs have come out in the last

year and more are in the pipeline. I think that every year that

you can hold the cancer in check will not only add a year to your

life but just might enable you to benefit from the new drugs, and

the drugs after them, and so on out to a reasonable old age.

I think it makes sense for you to take an aggressive approach to

fighting the disease, to keep working with the best doctors you

can find, and to live your life as if you have a real future -

which I sincerely hope and have some reason to think that you

just might.

Best of luck to you.

Alan

[Guest guest]

Tim, I do not believe there is a ‘silver

bullet’ that you could use, but I do believe that there are a number of

actions you can take that may significantly slow any further progress.

I don’t know if you have come across

Dr “Snuffy” Myers yet. He has been well known to PCa men on

the Internet for most of the fifteen years since I was diagnosed – first as

a doctor with prostate cancer and then as an oncologist giving advice to PCa

men and finally as a doctor specializing in advanced disease (for which he

charges!!).

Anyhow in his free advice days – and

to be fair he still freely gives very good advice in his videos – he published

a paper he titled Comprehensive Management Of

Prostate Cancer and gave me permission to put it on my website –

you can read it here http://www.yananow.org/MyersManagement.htm

I think it is a good start.

Good luck.

All the best

Terry Herbert

in Melbourne

Australia

Diagnosed ‘96: Age

54: Stage T2b: PSA 7.2: Gleason 7: No treatment. Jun '07 PSA 42.0 - Bony

Metastasis: Aug '07: Intermittent ADT: PSA 7. Aug '11

My site is at

www.prostatecancerwatchfulwaiting.co.za

It is a

tragedy of the world that no one knows what he doesn’t know, and the less

a man knows, the more sure he is that he knows everything. Joyce

Carey

From: ProstateCancerSupport [mailto:ProstateCancerSupport ] On Behalf Of TIM EBERT

Sent: Monday, 26 September 2011

11:28 AM

To: ProstateCancerSupport

Subject: I

am looking for advice

Hi,

I was diagnosed in 8/2009 with PC- Gleason 3+4. I have 3 lesions on my

ribs. I had my prostate removed since they thought it was contained- the

initial indications (biopsy) seemed to confirm this. My PSA pre surgery

went up to 18, my PSA now is as follows:

1/2010 18 Started Lupron

2/2010 Started Zometa

4/2010 .5

7/2010 <.1 Stopped Lupron- continued

Zometa every 3 months

10/2010 <.1

1/2011 <.1

4/2011 .3

7/2011 3.4 Started Lupron.

At this time I transferred my care to Loyola in Chicago. My onocologist was not an

expert and I was looking for someone who specialized in prostate cancer.

At Loyola- they did an exam and found a nodule on my testes (If I didnt switch-

this wouldnt have been caught). I find out tomorrow what it is. The

doctor at Loyola added Cassodex- (finally). I have read a study where the

2 drug combination is better than 1- and 3 is better, etc.

A little about myself. I am 48 years old. I weight 295 pounds,

6'3. I would say I exercise once a week- I know this could be

better. The diet isnt great- but I have basically eliminated red meat-

and fast food. I enjoy a few beers on occasion- (nothing daily- twice a

month).

What I am asking about is advice. If there is a top 10 list of things that

I must do to have the best success with this- I would like some insight.

I feel I am now with the right doctor- (I didn't trust my gut to move sooner),

So now its time to do my part- the doctors are handling theirs it seems.

What things do I need to be doing to have the best success. If the answer

on this board is shed a bunch of weight- I guess I have to....I dont have an

alternative. I welcome all input on diet, exercise, lifestyle, doctors,

etc. I have learned from others, thats why I changed my doctor. And

remarkably- i actually do what I am told.

Thank you in advance,

Tim Ebert

[Guest guest]

AlanYou may be only a layman but I for one always find your posts really helpful. I'm now 66, thought i'd be pottering round the garden by this time, but the business I started on retirement from teaching is beginning to take off and gives me such a buzz. PCa may take me soon but meanwhile ...I'm taking everything on your list except Vit C but also take curcumin.BobBob Bishop, M.A., M.B.C.S., C.I.T.P.Crozier Data Consultancy020 8529 781607962 206218Sent from my iPad. ...> What I am asking about is advice. If there is a top 10 list of> things that I must do to have the best success with this- I> would like some insight. I feel I am now with the right> doctor- (I didn't trust my gut to move sooner), So now its time> to do my part- the doctors are handling theirs it seems.> > What things do I need to be doing to have the best success. If> the answer on this board is shed a bunch of weight- I guess I> have to....I dont have an alternative. I welcome all input on> diet, exercise, lifestyle, doctors, etc. I have learned from> others, thats why I changed my doctor. And remarkably- i> actually do what I am told. Hello Tim,I'm not a doctor or expert of any kind. What I have to say ispurely a layman's understanding of the situation. Your newoncologist can offer better advice than I can.However, that said, if I were in your shoes I think I might dothe following:1. Go ahead and lose the extra weight. It's certainly not doingyou any good and may be doing some harm, maybe even significantharm.2. Find out what foods and supplements you can take that mighthelp.Among foods, I know that cooked tomato based foods (e.g., tomatosauce) and broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables aresometimes recommended. Among supplements, the well known Dr."Snuffy" Myers prescribes pomegranate extract and resveratrol forhis patients - in fairly large quantities. Other supplements Ihave seen prescribed include vitamins C and D and lycopene fromtomatoes. Others here may be able to offer other suggestions.As I understand it, the evidence for all of these is weak, butnot non-existent. Will it help? Who knows? I don't.3. Try to stay in shape.ADT can rob you of your energy. Exercise can restore a lot ofit. I don't know if this will help with the cancer or not. Somesay it does. But it will make you feel better.I wish I could say that if you do all of this it will add anextra five years or more to your life. Maybe it will or maybe itwon't add anything at all. Unfortunately, the data on all ofthis is not very substantial.However, I know that a lot of prostate cancer research isunderway. Several important new drugs have come out in the lastyear and more are in the pipeline. I think that every year thatyou can hold the cancer in check will not only add a year to yourlife but just might enable you to benefit from the new drugs, andthe drugs after them, and so on out to a reasonable old age.I think it makes sense for you to take an aggressive approach tofighting the disease, to keep working with the best doctors youcan find, and to live your life as if you have a real future -which I sincerely hope and have some reason to think that youjust might.Best of luck to you.Alan

[Guest guest]

Hello,Thank you all for taking the time to respond. I certainly have some work ahead of me- and its a job that I welcome to have. I wish I found this group sooner. My old doctor just told me to eat more fruits and vegetables, and I found plenty online- but in just one short post, I have my marching orders from you guys. To say the least, thank you.To Alan's point, the drugs that are coming down the pipeline. There seems to be plenty happening. So I have certainly a to-do list. And for that I am grateful. I am thinking if I do my part and do the best job I can as a patient, things that are coming in the future that may help me. Prior to finding this group- (thank you E- I found your blog on Facebook) I visited

Healthboards. There is certainly a mentor Jim on there- and his latest post Going from incurable to likely curable!!! His PSA was over 100, and he has been fighting it since 1999. Thank you all- I will update how I am doing with things when it makes sense. At one point the idea of a support group sounded like a good idea- but there really wasn't anything for someone 48 years old- until I found this- thanks.TimTo: ProstateCancerSupport Sent: Mon, September 26,

2011 1:25:06 AMSubject: Re: I am looking for advice

AlanYou may be only a layman but I for one always find your posts really helpful. I'm now 66, thought i'd be pottering round the garden by this time, but the business I started on retirement from teaching is beginning to take off and gives me such a buzz. PCa may take me soon but meanwhile ...I'm taking everything on your list except Vit C but also take curcumin.BobBob Bishop, M.A., M.B.C.S., C.I.T.P.Crozier Data Consultancy020 8529 781607962 206218Sent from my iPad.

....

> What I am asking about is advice. If there is a top 10 list of

> things that I must do to have the best success with this- I

> would like some insight. I feel I am now with the right

> doctor- (I didn't trust my gut to move sooner), So now its time

> to do my part- the doctors are handling theirs it seems.

>

> What things do I need to be doing to have the best success. If

> the answer on this board is shed a bunch of weight- I guess I

> have to....I dont have an alternative. I welcome all input on

> diet, exercise, lifestyle, doctors, etc. I have learned from

> others, thats why I changed my doctor. And remarkably- i

> actually do what I am told.

Hello Tim,

I'm not a doctor or expert of any kind. What I have to say is

purely a layman's understanding of the situation. Your new

oncologist can offer better advice than I can.

However, that said, if I were in your shoes I think I might do

the following:

1. Go ahead and lose the extra weight. It's certainly not doing

you any good and may be doing some harm, maybe even significant

harm.

2. Find out what foods and supplements you can take that might

help.

Among foods, I know that cooked tomato based foods (e.g., tomato

sauce) and broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables are

sometimes recommended. Among supplements, the well known Dr.

"Snuffy" Myers prescribes pomegranate extract and resveratrol for

his patients - in fairly large quantities. Other supplements I

have seen prescribed include vitamins C and D and lycopene from

tomatoes. Others here may be able to offer other suggestions.

As I understand it, the evidence for all of these is weak, but

not non-existent. Will it help? Who knows? I don't.

3. Try to stay in shape.

ADT can rob you of your energy. Exercise can restore a lot of

it. I don't know if this will help with the cancer or not. Some

say it does. But it will make you feel better.

I wish I could say that if you do all of this it will add an

extra five years or more to your life. Maybe it will or maybe it

won't add anything at all. Unfortunately, the data on all of

this is not very substantial.

However, I know that a lot of prostate cancer research is

underway. Several important new drugs have come out in the last

year and more are in the pipeline. I think that every year that

you can hold the cancer in check will not only add a year to your

life but just might enable you to benefit from the new drugs, and

the drugs after them, and so on out to a reasonable old age.

I think it makes sense for you to take an aggressive approach to

fighting the disease, to keep working with the best doctors you

can find, and to live your life as if you have a real future -

which I sincerely hope and have some reason to think that you

just might.

Best of luck to you.

Alan

[Guest guest]

I agree that there is no silver bullet. Only way to fight cancer is to create a healthy body and strong immune system. Personally I've eliminated red meat and dairy products and increased my vegetable and fruit intake. Pomegranite extract is one of the supplements I take, along with Lycopene. The real key is an exercise program where now after 8 months I feel extremely strong and my body feels fit, which in turn makes my mind strong. I use meditation to promote positive thoughts.

Whether or not it works, I feel it does, and I feel much better and each day I'm still here I cherish and enjoy. I've completed my treatments (proton) and now its all up to the powers that be.

Good luck, and keep a positive mind and you will do great no matter the challenges ahead.

[Guest guest]

I believe it's many of the same things that has gotten me to nearly seven years after a diagnosis of metastatic disease

 

I agree that there is no silver bullet. Only way to fight cancer is to create a healthy body and strong immune system. Personally I've eliminated red meat and dairy products and increased my vegetable and fruit intake. Pomegranite extract is one of the supplements I take, along with Lycopene. The real key is an exercise program where now after 8 months I feel extremely strong and my body feels fit, which in turn makes my mind strong. I use meditation to promote positive thoughts.

 

Whether or not it works, I feel it does, and I feel much better and each day I'm still here I cherish and enjoy. I've completed my treatments (proton) and now its all up to the powers that be.

Good luck, and keep a positive mind and you will do great no matter the challenges ahead.

 

 

-- Emersonwww.flhw.orgEvery 2.25 minutes a man is diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Every 16.5 minutes a man dies from the disease.