Some good news for 2017

I admit to being a sceptic, so don't read on if you'd rather not hear.

If indeed your oncologist said you were 'cured' after six months of Stage IV PCa (and no evidence) they are a fool.

Secondly, don't underestimate the power of chemotherapy or hormones. Your fantastic experience has been shared by many: read the research.

But be clear, this isn't cure. It's possibly remission. Time will tell.

Meanwhile, I don't knock the placebo effects of untested herbs and spices, or the psychological benefits of a vegan diet. But your priority - if you wish to take advantage of the opportunity you've been given by medical science - is to ensure you have a full and balanced diet: If you can do that vegan-style, then great. But if in doubt, consult a dietitian. Your GP can refer you. The NHS has that covered too.

Sorry to be so brutal. But believing yourself to be 'cured' six months after a stage IV diagnosis is not a safe place to be. The future needs to be built on a solid base - not dreams and an incompetent doctor.

Edited by member 18 Jan 2017 at 11:54  | Reason: Not specified

Having been diagnosed with Stage 4 prostate cancer six months ago I decided that I would also do what I could to assist any medical interventions offered. My oncologist proposed the following treatment plan: firstly five weeks of tablet based hormone treatment, followed by tri-weekly chemotherapy (upto a maximum of ten cycles), with on-going tri-monthly hormone injections. From day one I adopted a vegan diet (for medical rather than ethical reasons) and took the following supplements daily: Turmeric 450mg, Coriolus (Turkey Tail) 300mg, and Reishi extract 500mg.

Upon diagnosis my PSA was >1000, after the five weeks of hormone tablets it had dropped to 156, after the first session of chemo session it was down to 153, and after the second chemo session it had dropped spectacularly to 0.417! I then developed a minor infection that delayed the third session for three weeks. Prior to recommencing the third chemo session my consultant asked for another blood test and this showed the PSA had dropped to 0.115. This was so low that he said further chemotherapy sessions would not be of any benefit and that I now only needed to come back in two months for a progress check. This meant that apart from regular blood tests and the tri-monthly hormone injections my oncologist was stating that I was, and I fully understand the implications of what he's saying here, effectively 'cured'. My family and myself have therefore gone from gloom and doom to joy and uplift in less than half a year.

I fully accept and acknowledge that the clinical interventions played a major role in my recovery. I cannot obviously say that the change in diet and/or the supplements played any part in my miraculous recovery what so ever; but I'm certain they had a psychologically effect but physiologically of course I'll never know. As each persons reaction to cancer, and its treatment, is so very personal I only highlight my own experience in the hope that it might help others.

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/jan/16/everything-you-want-to-know-about-diets-and-cancer#comments

Good Luck and Best Wishes

Boyd

I read recently, in an SAS survival manual, that the first rule of survival is 'a positive mental attitude' and if being a 'glass half-full' sort of guy helps me through then so be it; only time will tell.

Boyd