A friend of mine chose to NOT have his prostate removed when cancer was found in 2005. Instead, he started reading, researching, and went to a raw foods diet. Twelve years later he is in fine shape. If this link gets through, have a look! https://pcri.org/insights-blog/2017/12/14/twelve-years-on-active-surveillance
Hi, Cartoonman,
Thanks for sharing this info! I've felt this way for a couple of years now--and have gone against the advice of several urologists that I've seen--and against the advice of several family members who work in the medical profession. It's not easy to do, and I've used this forum and a counselor help me make my healthcare decisions. The bottom line: I'm responsible for my health. I'm also fortunate in that I have a primary care doctor who totally supports my questioning. No regrets so far!
Stebrunner
The diet may not have had anything to do with it. Only 5% of all Prostate cancers ever progress to the point of being an issue. With a low gleason score, periodic biopsies are a viable and safe strategy.
I've read this twice and I still do not know what his original PCA diagnosis or Gleason score was or his PSA at that time. His mention of a PSA of 8 for what it’s worth seems more recent. Even in 2005 there were other treatments apart from RP.
Before having GL for BPH my PSA was about 9.8 and came down to 5 after it. When my prostate regrew my PSA was 7.8 and after another laser procedure it is now 0.74.
Good to read, and yes, it can be useful (and more!) when we make our own choices (following extensive reading & etc., of course). My friend Mark (who is my age, 68) is a member of our church, and is vibrant and healthy and cancer-free, all these years later...
I have a similar story. Good decision!
Derek, my Gleason was 8 and PSA 9 when in 2002 the cancer was discovered. Changing of the lifestyle, reasonably dieting and maybe some supplements gave me 8 years of total bliss, my PSA even went down and I had no problems whatsoever. In 2010 I started having ED, nobody knew why, but Viagra worked for the next 3 or 4 years. My PSA started growing wildly (well, not very, but I reached 75) in 2014 and I started having more and more problems urinating. In 2016 I had TURP and GL. I took some Lupron shots, on and off, 2015-2017. Thanks to Jim I discovred CIC in 2017. Later this year the doctors discovered several small metastases in my lungs. I started taking cancer medication called Zytiga and the cancer seems to reverse. I am not young. I am 77 now.
The diet has definitely sth to do with it. The sole dieting made my PSA go down in 2002 when first discovered. No meds, no supplements even.
Good luck with the treatment and keep fighting.
PSAs often go up and down for a lot of reasons. Riding a bike can make PSAs go up