Advanced stage 4 cancer - diet during chemotherapy

One of the leading specialists in the UK on male health, who's also a diabetes and hormone therapy specialist, said at a recent presentation to a local support group he would put all men on hormone therapy onto Metformin and a statin as a matter of course, just to directly counter the reduction in insulin sensitivity and increase in cholesterol (metabolic syndrome) which loss of Testosterone causes, which is why hormone therapy increases cardiovascular events.

There is still the ongoing Metformin arm of the STAMPEDE trial, although that had a different aim - to see if Metformin reduces recurrence, so not relevant to Stage 4. This arm hasn't reported yet.

I did talk with my oncologist about Metformin right at the beginning and he said he thought it was a good idea, but he couldn't prescribe it, and said ask my GP. I asked my GP, and he was happy to prescribe it given my oncologist thought it was a good idea, saying it was cheap, and very unlikely to do any harm if used by a non-diabetic (chance of hypo is apparently low in a non-diabetic), so I was on it. (I think my GP is also the practice's diabetic specialist, so probably knows more about Metformin than many other GPs.) The only slight problem this causes is whenever a clinician sees you're on Metformin, they assume you are diabetic, which I had to correct many times. After an operation, I found bruises on most of my fingertips, which was because they were doing blood glucose finger prick tests all through the operation to make sure my blood glucose stayed normal, thinking I was diabetic. Also some people can't take Metformin because it causes them bowel problems.

There is also the possibility he might find some foods less palatable due to the drugs, or causing intestinal upset. Probably best to have a flexible approach to ensure energy levels are maintained.

Hi Mark, 

I’m sorry to read you have joined the G9 club.

David takes a mixture of medications and supplements. Vitamin D, Vit B12, omega3 1000 mg, grass fed adrenal cortex 500 mg, garlic, Tumeric & ginger 1380 mg, evening primrose oil 1000mg, B17, Magnesium malate1600 mg, pomegranate extract 10,000 mg, K2 200ug, CoQ10, Ginger root, Betaglucans, Rosemary exreact, Turkey tail mushroom extract. Cider vinegar, hot lemon juice, and super green vegetable drink.

The Care Oncloogy Clinic prescribe, metformin, menbedazole, doxycycline, statins. 
David is also on  HT Prostap injection every three months. 

His original treatment was HDR Brachytherapy, 25 sessions of RT & three years of Prostap. He was initially diagnosed in 2015.

He was then diagnosed with stage 4 two years ago. This is when we started reading and looking beyond traditional treatments. 

This sounds and reads like an awful lot, and it is!

I’ve also read a book called ‘Your Forth Choice’ it’s about a fruit called PawPaw. 

Our diet is chicken X2 weekly Fish, lots of fresh home grown veggies, fruit, very limited or no sugar, red wine and the occasional pint of real ale. 
He does eat cheese and Greek yoghurt sometimes. 

I did a lot of reading, and decided we’d give this dammed cancer a run for its money.

The Care Oncology Clinic have been very good, they are not NHS 

David’s initial treatments were not NHS but he has both private & NHS consultants. 

We also have a GP friend who is very alternative, who has advised us as well on supplements.

Once we got our heads around it the daily regime has become quite easy, he takes them and we just get on with our lives.

David does get some pains, and these are mostly managed by exercise, we have rowing machine, it really helps. 
We manage an acre of garden,grow our own veg, he sings and plays every day. 
We tend to spend summers at home and holiday in winter…. Though after the debacle over the bank holiday I’ll be booking hols in the UK 😉

Please feel free to ask questions I’ll do my best to answer them. 

Leila.