Prostate Cancer - My Friend


I want to relate my experience with prostate cancer, the process and the healing. I hope that this account will give some people the courage to take responsibility for their own treatment and to consider more options than only those offered by traditional medicine. I also hope that it will give "food for thought" to our conservative medical practitioner friends.

At age 47 I had sold my main company and thought of retirement. I started an organic farm as my retirement project. At age 57 I was still running several businesses and the organic farm on the side. I had very little time to rest. One day, Sept. 11, 1997, the doctor called me to tell me that the result of the biopsies taken on Sept. 8 were positive. With a June PSA of 8.6 he took an ultrasound right away which showed a tumor measuring 9 x 6 mm and the lab report came back classifying the cancer as a Gleason 7, medium aggressive.

My family doctor had seen my PSA rise over the last four years and had advised watchful waiting, the urologist two years ago dismissed it as prostatitis, "like a cold of the prostate, I'll give you some antibiotics and you will be all right." On my question whether I really needed to take antibiotics he replied: "No, it won't do any good anyway." I left his office confused. Only by luck, on a return trip from a Seattle business trip, did I sit next to an early prostate cancer detection specialist who, after hearing my various test results, urged me to get an ultrasound immediately, as according to his interpretation of my values I had cancer. He was right.

My specialist friend Fred repeated ultrasound and biopsies on Sept. 18 and confirmed the original results, adding that the cancer was a T2a and that a perineural invasion on the left side was found. Fred speculated that the cancer had been there for ten to fifteen years.

While I had to do something quickly, I decided to resist the pressure to take immediate action and take the time I needed to inform myself as to what my options were. Suddenly business was not so important anymore and I studied day and night - my life was at stake now.

WHY I DECIDED AGAINST MAINSTREAM MEDICAL OPTIONS

From Andy Grove's article in the May 13, 1996, Fortune article on his experience with prostate cancer, I learned that with my values, the Johns Hopkins tables gave a 59% chance that the cancer had spread beyond the gland. This, plus watching a video of a prostate operation, made me realize that the hidden location of the cancer would require a major operation that would very heavily tax my immune system, helped me to make up my mind to refuse such an option. I read that after such an operation, whatever cancer cells were not removed, would be much more aggressive - no thank you. In the Journal of Urology (vol. 152, pp. 1821-25, 1994), a study was mentioned that in 52 percent of men whose cancerous prostates were removed, the cancer would spread afterwards. Taking those statistics, plus various statistics on impotence and incontinence, I gave myself less then a 20% chance that the operation would cure me without debilitating side effects that would have me totally depressed. I did not like those percentages.

I never liked the idea of having my body "nuked", and chemotherapy meant introducing poisons into my body; all of those therapies would send my immune system into a tailspin. Besides, I also did not like the probabilities of impotence and incontinence.

WHAT WERE MY ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS?

Now I started to look at other therapies. My intuition told me that I only wanted treatments that had a beneficial effect on my immune system. I was told that if I stayed away from immune system compromising therapies, I would have an almost 90% chance to naturally heal my body and cancer, but that once I were to submit to an immune system compromising therapy, that my chances would drop below 50%.

MY TREATMENT PROTOCOL, THE BASICS:
CLEAN OUT DIGESTIVE TRACT AND INSTALL GOOD FLORA

Over the past two years, I already had two one-week cleansing fasts in which I only drank juice with psyllium and bentonite and had a daily colonic irrigation. Due to my life style, however, I had very bad digestion and food absorption. I therefore decided to go on a two and one half month cleanse with soil based probiotics. It went a long way to clean out my GI tract of putrefaction and restore a more beneficial intestinal flora.

I then switched over to three containers of Bio-K daily for 1 1/2 month. Bio-K is a live culture blend of lactic bacteria acidophilus and Lb. Casei.(CL1285). It survives the stomach pH and multiplies in the intestinal tract. It improves digestion and other intestinal disorders, helps to increase absorption of essential nutrients and strengthens the immune system. I will pay attention to the proper functioning of my GI tract for the rest of my life.

DIET

Having an organic farm, I was conscious of nourishing my body with as much organic produce as possible. Organic food is not only free of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, growth hormones and antibiotics, but also has a greater store of elsewhere depleted trace minerals which are so important to your body's well functioning. I always made sure to eat my food as fresh and unprocessed as possible. Since being diagnosed with cancer, I added more fresh vegetable juices (with the addition of a little oil so that the beta carotene could be absorbed properly) and raw vegetables to my diet. I also included a homemade fresh soya drink which Chinese doctors use as prevention and treatment for cancer and is very nutritious. I almost completely eliminated coffee and alcohol.

BALANCE BODY CHEMISTRY

As we grow older, invariably our mineral balance is out of kilter and we are missing vitamins. The more our diet has consisted of chemically altered and processed foods, the more lopsided our body chemistry tends to be. The stress of today's daily life, as well as the pollution we live with, make matters worse. I used a kinesiologist who knew body chemistry well, to determine what vitamins and minerals my body needed and in what quantities. This work also goes a long way towards reducing my free radical damage. Real healing of cancer means bringing the whole body into balance, both physically and mentally. Any partial healing increases the chances for cancer to recur.

BALANCE BODY pH

Acid/alkaline balance is important. My body was on the acidic side and I learned that this condition entails a host of problems such as: increased free radical oxidation, poorer food (vitamins and minerals as well) absorption, decrease of friendly bacteria in the small intestines, less resistance to colds and infections, etc.. I took a Kaolin (clay) product with other minerals added that restored and now keeps my pH balanced.

THYMUS MUST WORK AT OPTIMUM

There are many supplements that stimulate the thymus gland if it does not function well. In my case I used live culture injections.

TEETH

Luckily I had had my mercury removed and replaced with non toxic fillings. My dentist advised me to have a tooth pulled that was in the process of a root canal treatment. He also mentioned a recent report linking the left lower wisdom tooth with prostate problems. This was the only wisdom tooth I had left. A very skillful dental surgeon removed three teeth (no's 27, 36 and 38) and repaired my left sinus at the same time. Sure enough, the lab confirmed our suspicion, that all tissue from those teeth was chronically inflamed. In my view this operation was very important, because I could not afford to have any condition that would tax my immune system which had to perform at optimum to heal the cancer.

EXERCISE

Enough is written about the importance of exercise for a healthy body and mind. I have done yoga and yoga related exercises for years, speed walking, and use my Nordic Track to fill in the gaps.

TARGETED TREATMENTS: HERBS

A book, Cancer Salves, written by Dr. Ingrid Naiman, opened my eyes to the healing power of herbs and their rich history. I adopted the most promising anti-cancer tea combination, an herbal suppository (which helped to keep the area close to the prostate clean) and a herbal enema mix.

PC SPES is prepared from highly purified herbal extracts (Chrysanthemum, Isatis, Licorice, Lucid ganoderma, Pseudo-ginseng, Rubescens, Saw Palmetto, Scute) for treatment of prostate cancer. It has fewer side effects than chemical hormone blockers. I personally experienced no side effects. It reduces PSA, suppresses prostrate cancer and improves quality of life for advanced stage patients. Scientific studies show that it fights cancer through the following actions:

    1. Promotes cancer cell death
    2. Reduces cancer gene-bcl 2
    3. Reduces androgen receptor
    4. Reduces cancer cell growth by regulating cancer cell cycle

HOMEOPATHIC MEDICINE

I took three homeopathic remedies:

  1. Designed to have my whole system respond better
  2. To increase oxygenation of healthy cells
  3. Drops specifically for my prostate

CELL-FX

A 100% water soluble Shark Cartilage extract, which reduces blood vessel formation, dampens PHF hormone and cell division, and stimulates the immune system via lymphocyte / immune cells.

PECTA-SOL

Modified Citrus Pectin is obtained from the peel and pulp of citrus fruits. Clinical research indicates an affinity for cell surface carbohydrate - binding when ordinary pectin is modified to create a shorter molecular chain. This product is designed to diminish the spread of cancer.

ECOGEN

Soybean Isoflavone Concentrate is a powdered blend of soybeans, rich in concentrations of genisteins, diadzein and gycitein. These isoflavones play a role in inhibiting angiogenesis (formation and development of blood vessels), inducing cell differentiation and triggering tumor cell breakdown.

HYPERTHERMIA TREATMENT

Cancer does not like a warm environment. Many types of heat treatments have been employed in history to combat cancer. Microwave hyperthermia is receiving a lot of attention recently. Unfortunately, I understand that the FDA has only approved this treatment for BPH (Benign Prostate Hyperplasia). I could not find a clinic in Canada offering what I was looking for; the little I found did not make sense to me. In Germany microwave hyperthermia is receiving much more attention. There even is an association covering this new type of treatment. Several universities have ongoing studies. The clinic where I finally received my treatments over a two week period works with a temperature of 43 degree Celsius. This is based on the understanding that at this temperature cancerous cells die as they have poor blood circulation, but healthy cells are not affected because better blood supply keeps them sufficiently cool. This clinic has a study underway that they believe may show a response rate of 80%.

INCREASE OXYGENATION OF HEALTHY CELLS

I learned of many ways to improve oxygenation of healthy cells such as: medical ozone treatments, breathing pure oxygen a couple of hours a day, peroxide infusions, etc. I decided to begin breathing deeply the best quality air available to me and to use a homeopathic solution. I also added Germanium sesquioxide (Ge 132) to my supplements. Clinical trials with Ge 132 showed high effectiveness in many cancers including prostate cancer. It stimulates the immune system and highly increases the availability of oxygen into all cells. Since cancer HATES oxygen, this is, in part, a reverse strategy therapy. Ge 132 also helps re-establish a more favorable acid/alkaline body balance (pH). The rise in pH towards more alkalinity arrests cancer growth because cancer thrives only in an acid environment. This is one of the reasons why an alkaline diet, such as fruits and vegetables, promote slow but certain healing from tumorous and cancerous conditions. Germanium is a controlled substance in Canada.

SYNPHONICS

Synphonics is music created from missing tones in a particular organism to effect healing by using these specific sound frequencies and waveforms to reestablish balanced energy patterns. It restores the flow of vital life force energy to areas that have been constricted by disease or stress. With life force energy healing occurs, it brings our vibrational model to an optimal state. Music involves healing on the emotional level as well, it softens disappointments which block life force energy and helps soften wounded emotions. It catalyzes whatever is unresolved in the psycho emotional realm. It offers a place of compassion and self forgiveness and promotes understanding and acceptance of the healing energies. It offers a place of neutrality.

VISUALIZATION AND MEDITATION

There is nothing better than a good meditation to calm your mind, to relax you and let you get in touch with yourself. Many studies have proven how instrumental visualization is for healing. I first devised very structured visualizations for my healing process. A therapist suggested that I should relax, not use so many words in my head and let images get into my head. I did this in very relaxed sessions and the visualizations that followed were amazing. They seemed to change with the healing process, which I monitored with ultrasounds.

PSYCHOLOGICAL WORK

The psychological aspect is so important in cancer healing. I have a hard time deciding which side is more important, the physical or mental. A good friend referred me to the work done by doctors Hammer and Sabbah. Dr. Hammer sees cancer due to a miscoding or short circuit of the brain after a traumatic experience. Cells do not receive proper instructions and can not fulfill their proper functions and therefore become cancerous. He asserts that emotions are situated in the limbic brain. Every emotion lived is communicated to the hypothalamus which in turn acts on the pituitary gland, the manager of our hormonal system. From the pituitary gland the message gets transmitted to the adrenal gland which sends stress hormones into the blood stream. Some of those hormones have a depressive effect on the immune system. Dr. Hammer then explains that we work on three levels.

    1. The psychological experience
    2. The brain's handling of the experience
    3. The physical repercussions

Depending on how we react to the experience, it gets localized in one of four areas of the brain: 1. Cerebral trunk, 2. Cerebellum, 3. Brain marrow, 4. Right and left cortex. From there it manifests itself in different illnesses, all predictable. Dr. Hammer proved this with brain scans on 15,000 patients and his work was later recognized by several universities. He points out that the stress often starts with a "displacement" conflict, to which a 'devaluation' conflict is added which the patient cannot see himself solving."

I also heard other therapists say that cancer is caused by: deep hurts, long term resentments, grief, hate or a general feeling of hopelessness. For males, and the prostate specifically, items are mentioned such as: male identity, territory, the prostate being the second heart for a man, the threat to the masculine principle, etc.

I found a regression therapist who received specialized training by Dr. Sabbah. In only 6 sessions we were able to identify and resolve my trauma. With the help of more therapy I was able to let go of resentments I held for a long time and forgive everyone in my life for whatever I perceived they had done to me. This helped me to revisit my early childhood, which had been a black memory up to recently. I got in touch and learned to love this little creative boy I found I had been, loved my boundless energy, loved the way I was able to cope with adversity. I now like myself a lot more and have learned what love is all about. What a life I now have ahead of me! I now know why the cancer came into my life. It gave me back my life which was confined into the narrow tracks of a workaholic. I can truthfully say that the cancer came as my friend. I believe now that every illness has something to teach us. All we have to do is to be sensitive to its message and make the necessary adjustments in our thinking and lifestyle.

The cancer enriched my life. I had a lot of time for introspection, facing death. I have gotten in touch with parts of myself that I didn't know existed. My life will never be the same again. I am looking forward with excitement to a much richer life.

One doctor specializing in prostate cancer treatment told me that, while prostate cancer was one of the slowest growing cancers normally, that it also was the most difficult to bring to a complete cure. I believe I know why - men don't like to talk about the problems connected with their reproductive organs. They have a tendency to go to the doctor quietly and ask him to take IT away so they can get back to work and to their favored sport activities. They do not stop and ask themselves why the disease came into their life and what lifestyle changes they need to make. My opinion is corroborated by the fact that in the past only about 15% of the research money that went into breast cancer research went into prostate cancer research. Men never developed the voice politically that women did in this matter, even though it now becomes apparent that prostate cancer is more prevalent then breast cancer.

STAY BY YOUR CONVICTION

This is not as easy as it might appear. There is first of all the medical community to consider. Medical, allopathic doctors all have a similar educational background. The pressures coming from university training, medical associations, pharmaceutical companies, and peers, as well as overwork, result frequently in the fervent belief that only the medical model has value. Urologists, radiologists and oncologists argue among themselves as to who's treatment is better.

My experience was that many doctors urged me to action out of conviction. Others, I felt, were motivated more by money or power. In any event, some of the statements made to me, such as threats of imminent death if I would not do this or that, I found downright irresponsible. Someone who has just been told the horrible news of having cancer, needs a lot of love and support and not veiled threats. The gravity of the disease is evident. Of real help are those who hold out hope and stay away from doom and disaster. Once our shaky legs held up against the pressure from the medical world, we have to contend with family and friends. Its amazing how we get to know a different side of our loved ones. They fear for us and want us to do what they think they would have done in a like situation. Surprisingly many want us to follow our doctor's advice and not our own good senses. It helped me to stay in close touch with those professionals, friends and family who supported me overtly in my decisions.

THE STAGES OF HEALING

On January 14, 1998 I had my second ultrasound, expecting a much smaller tumor after so much work. My heart almost stopped when I was told that the tumor was still 9 x 6 mm, exactly the same size as before. I saw myself sinking into a total depression. Why no improvement? How much longer can I keep up my protocol? The next morning I started frantic phone calls to some of my therapists. Surprisingly very few could describe to me what I should expect to see when I am healing. After many phone calls I put together the following picture: a tumor usually has tentacles into healthy tissue. The first stage is that those tentacles withdraw and that the tumor becomes clearly defined. After this the tumor stays the same size for quite a while, while the macrophage - T-lymphocyte - NK cellular defense system kills and carries dead cancer cells out of the body. Usually the tumor gets thus weakened from the inside until one day it completely collapses. I now felt much more positive. When I inquired about the details of the first and second ultrasound my radiologist confirmed that although the tumor still filled the inside of the markers there were no longer any tentacles beyond it. The first stage of healing was evident from the ultrasound pictures. A Feb. 2 ultrasound still showed the tumor at the same size, but it was soft to the touch. On Feb. 13, an ultra sound was taken on my special request, against the doctor's recommendation, and no tumor was visible. Unfortunately this was not the end of the cancer though, as the hyperthermia treatments partially masked the tumor. If it would have been a solid tumor then, according to the doctor's experience, it would have been visible. His only explanation was that the tumor has a transparent quality (watery cysts?), another sign of healing. Prostate cancer takes many years to develop and it also takes longer than other cancers to heal the alternative way. On March 26, after another ultrasound, the tumor was visible again.

MY LOGIC

In chemotherapy, for example each medication has a different response rate, usually around 30%. In order to heighten the chances of success doctors take four or five such chemotherapy compounds to increase the response rate hopefully to 60%. Each agent plays havoc with the immune system, and most cancer patients don't die of cancer, they die of the side effects. In alternative healing, one approaches the whole cancer paradigm from the physical and emotional side to begin with. On the physical side, there is a whole range of things one can do and, like in chemotherapy, each of these therapies has a different response rate. Since each treatment enhances the immune system, more than a dozen treatments can be used at the same time, and their combined effect is even more powerful. When the cancer is healed, the patient is left with better health than before this crisis, because the whole body system was given an overhaul. Today, at age 57, I am in better shape then I was in my mid 30's, thanks to all the therapies I chose. In covering all major aspects of my physical and emotional health, I have done all I could to avoid a recurrence of cancer, or other diseases for that matter. Is there any question as to whether I made the right choice?

THE PROBLEM

Many drugs developed by the pharmaceutical companies are targeted to a very specific disease. While they hopefully kill that disease, they create a plethora of negative side effects that sometimes kill the patient. Often the cure is worse then the disease. Alternative healing sets the whole being right, body, and spirit. Allopathic medicine has not done very much to improve the chances of a patient diagnosed with cancer. Because of this the mere word cancer makes people mortally afraid. One does not even pronounce the word "cancer" out of fear, --- we now say "the big C". This leads many people to give up the moment they hear that they have cancer. The battle is lost right then and there! A patient just listens to what the first doctor has to say and then follows orders like sheep being brought to the slaughter house. If instead he/she would investigate WHY cancer came into HIS or HER life and then start therapies with a positive frame of mind, chances of success would increase enormously.

I believe that, if cancer patients dare take responsibility for their condition and treatment, they need to develop a feeling as to what's right for their body and what's wrong - therapies, supplements, right action and right thinking.

Our forefathers knew special ways of healing but where not well versed in scientific health and disease aspects. Over the last 100 years we amassed a lot of scientific knowledge but pushed aside the wisdom of our forefathers. Now, we must strive for balance were we blend scientific knowledge with ancient healing skills. This involves many physical, mental, as well as emotional aspects.

COMMENTS AND IMPRESSIONS

I used orthodox medical experts extensively to properly evaluate and assess the disease and to check out medical facts and processes. I have dealt with dedicated and friendly doctors but I also had the misfortune to talk with other highly-placed doctors who pronounced judgments and made aggressive statements that instilled fear and terror in me. If I would not have had such a strong constitution and an already broad base of knowledge, I would have collapsed in fear and would have let them do what they insisted on. I had a good working knowledge of alternative health and then further educated myself on prostate cancer. This way I was in a position to stand up to the tremendous pressure from the doctors. I guess "Knowledge is Power". I understand now that real healing of cancer means bringing your whole body into balance, both physically and mentally. Any partial healing not in harmony with nature or a singular and restrictive healing approach using chemicals, only increases the chances for cancer to recur.

I was fortunate to find good doctors and healers. As I learned about my body and illness I benefited much from their help and counsel. If we allow ourselves to be open, we will see that a lot of help comes our way. Today I know so much more about my body and can take care of myself much better. I know that my experience with cancer has enriched my life.

DID I BECOME A PROSTATE CANCER HEALING JUNKIE?

Yes and no. Never in my life have I felt so fortunate to be in a position to free the time and money to totally devote myself to my healing process. The cancer was my wake-up call, I used it as a catalyst to heal my whole body and mind, to make up for years of abusing my body. For those less fortunate, take heart, I believe that prostate cancer can be healed naturally with less than I did, as long as one pays attention to the major principles involved. Each case is different and many protocols will work. Your conviction that you can do it is the most important starting point.

There are many alternative ways of healing. They are not highly advertised as they can not be patented to hold the promise of fat profits for the pharmaceutical corporations. One must do the research and find them. Through my sister I met a woman who was diagnosed with one of the most aggressive breast cancers. The doctors told her that she would be dead in six months if she would not get operated immediately. She decided against this option and followed an alternative healing program. Six months later she was declared free of cancer. We compared our protocols. To begin with none of our treatments were the same. She used completely different methods on a much smaller budget. We then discussed other methods that neither one of us used; there really is an abundance of options for those who make the effort and look. One thing must be kept in mind: the decision to go the alternative route requires total commitment. Half measures are dangerous. We must devote our whole being to this process.

Whatever you do when you hear the fateful pronouncement, don't freeze up. Do get all necessary medical tests for an accurate staging of your disease, take a deep breath and relax. Your disease most likely took many years to develop. Most of the time you have a week or a month to study, inform yourself and ponder, so that you can find the healing path that feels right for you and makes sense. If your physician feels toxic to you, find another one who you feel will give you the support you need.

BOOKS I FOUND HELPFUL

Cancer Salves: A Botanical Approach to Treatment by Dr. Ingrid Naiman, Seventh Ray Press, Fax: 360-779-9677 or 1-888-FAX-HEAL.

Options, the Alternative Cancer Therapy Book by Richard Walters / Avery Publishing group Inc.

Third Opinion by John M. Fink, Avery Publishing Group.

An Alternative Medicine Definitive Guide to Cancer by W. John Diamond, M.D. , Future Medicine Publishing.

Prostate Health in 90 DAYS Without Drugs or Surgery by Larry Clapp, Ph.D., JD, Hay House Inc.

Love, Medicine, and Miracles by Bernie S. Siegel, M.D., Harper Perennial.

Primal Legacy: "Thinking for the 21st Century" by Joseph Costa, Ph.D., Better Life Books, ISBN 1-883333-25-3.

Conversations with God by Neale Donald Walsch / G.P. Putnam's Sons, New York, Volume 1, 2 and 3.

Body and Soul, The Other Side Of Illness by Albert Kreinhedger, Ph.D.

Since the article was written in April 1998, I have continued with much of the above and added the following:

CB(Conscious of Being)-BODYWORK

Accumulation of physical and emotional deposits in body tissue inhibits free development which can lead to injuries of the physical or mental body so that our body cannot self-correct but compensates. This leads to micro-circulation problems which trigger metabolic disturbances which can irritate nerve-pathways which can lead to more serious illnesses. For example problems in our vertebrae can lead to illnesses in our vital organs, etc. The new massage is based on the knowledge of energy pathways. Through manual manipulation the affected tissue is brought back to its original state, which at this point is beyond the body's self healing capabilities. Once repaired, physical and mental healing can proceed much more effectively. The massage concentrates on repair of:

  • Periost (bone-skin) to reestablish intercellular communication
  • Muscles Break up calcium & toxin deposits
  • Stretch and energize fascia & connective tissue
  • Soften hardened muscles

All this will detoxify and stimulate the immune system. Those parts of the body that have been restored can return to a healthy state. I took a total of 23 massages lasting 44 hours all together.

MISTLETOE

Mistletoe (Viscum album) has cytostatic and immunomodulatory properties: It slows growth - inhibits spreading (sometimes completely dissolving tumors), stimulates eliminatory functions, improves sleep, promotes appetite and weight gain, acts as antidepressant. Slight increases in body temperature are a good sign. Rather then being solely directed against cancer cells, mistletoe aims to restore the dynamic equilibrium between cell and organism by stimulating the organizing principle.

PC SPES

On Nov. 25 1998 my PSA went up to 16.8. After 15 month of using all the alternative means of healing that made sense to me, my immune system was stronger than in my thirties but the cancer did not respond, it seemed to have a life of its own as is often the case. I do believe, however, that the spreading of the cancer has thereby been prevented. I now added to my program the herbal combination IMUNOPROS, a version of PC SPES but with added selenium. PC SPES is a mixture of mainly Chinese herbs (Chrysanthemum, Isatis, Licorice, Lucid ganoderma, Pseudo-ginseng, Rubescens, Saw Palmetto, Scute) developed by Dr. Sophie Chen, which has had remarkable results in lowering PSA counts and which is being studied extensively by our medical establishment. It is a phytoestrogen with fewer side effects than chemical hormone blockers. It:

  • has anti-tumor, -viral, -BPH, -inflammatory activity
  • has been found to exert potent cytostatic and cytotoxic activity in prostatic carcinoma
  • down regulates bcl-2 gene
  • promotes apoptosis (natural cell death) of tumor cells
  • makes tumor cells more sensitive to other anti tumor agents
  • suppresses LNCaP prostrate cell growth
  • suppresses androgen receptor (AR).

I took the maximum dose recommended, three times three capsules daily between meals. On Jan. 6, 1999 my PSA had dropped to 5.7.

LASER SURGERY

Since the cancer itself did not seem to respond to the other therapies, I opted for laser surgery which I had investigated last spring as one of several invasive procedures. Since the cancer did not respond to all the other therapies I did so far I felt I needed this intervention. My chances were excellent since so far I had only had immune system boosting therapies. Laser surgery would have been impossible or at least problematic if I would have already had a radical prostatectomy, radiation therapy which usually destroys too much tissue or, chemotherapy which could have seriously damaged my immune system. Germany was the only place I found where this laser surgery would be performed. Sadly, a Mt. Royal Hospital / McGill University urologist informed me that here, and to his knowledge, in all of North America this type of surgery is performed only to reduce the prostate gland but not for cancer. Even the German surgeon was duty bound to recommend a radical prostatectomy as the treatment of choice. He could only discuss laser surgery with me after I refused a radical prostatectomy because of the high probability of serious secondary problems and a 52% chance of later reoccurrence of a much more aggressive cancer. This surgeon has laser operated patients for prostate cancer for 12 years and all his patients live and have a good quality life, not one suffers from incontinence or impotence. I was operated on Jan. 13 and left the hospital to return to my normal life on Jan. 16. The doctor could leave some prostate tissue close to the bladder as it was cancer free but removed the rest, about 80% of the total prostate, as well as other tissue close to the tumor. After this he carbonized and vaporized the surrounding tissue. Before he started with the operation, he gave me a massive infusion of vitamin D-3 (Calcitriol), which according to Stanford University research inhibits the risk of spreading. All of this took 45 minutes. All tests before the operation indicated that no spreading of the cancer beyond the prostate had taken place. I now need to take my regular PSA tests to make sure that the cancer in fact is permanently gone. I am deeply appreciative this urologist who risks his professional life in order to introduce more benign and effective treatments. From all I learned I am convinced that this operation is safer and more effective than a radical prostatectomy, does not compromise the immune system (as does the conventional surgery,) affords the patient a normal quality life. It is sad that urologists and traditional medicine suppress such a promising treatment.

OZONE THERAPY

Dr. Paul Seeger, colleague of Dr. Otto Warburg, discovered in 1938 the inactivation and destruction of the most important enzyme of the respiratory chain within the mitochondria called cytochrome oxidase (cytochrome a/a3) in cancer cells due to poor oxygenation, environmental chemicals, etc.]. This is the enzyme responsible for transferring hydrogen (derived from foods in our diet) to the oxygen delivered to the cell by hemoglobin. As a result the respiratory chain and its associated oxidative phosphorylation grinds to a halt and hydrogen accumulates in the cancer cells forcing the cell to cover its energy demands by switching to the phylogenetically older and less efficient option of fermentation (glycolysis). Once the respiratory chain is blocked the cells switch over to glycolysis. End products such as short chain fatty acids and D(-) lactate then accumulate because of the absence of a metabolic escape route. These same products stimulate cell division, which leads to the proliferation of cells and eventually (with the aid of angiogenesis) to a visible tumor. Ozone is oxidative medicine designed to trigger oxidation. At 20% oxidation it stimulates immune system and at 22% oxidation concentration it activates the P53 gene which kills cancer cells. Drs. Gumlager and Gernat of Frankfurt Germany (SYNCOMP LABS) developed a "Reduced Glutathione" (GSA) which prevents the system to over oxidize, which can have reverse effects and would be damaging. Many people using ozone do not pay attention to this and have poor results from their treatment. Glutathione is the strongest antioxidant and works on an intracellular level, it will help other antioxidants to be absorbed better. (Take glutathione on empty stomach with 12 to 16 oz water so that it bypasses the stomach and gets into the small intestine. When using ozone take glutathione 1/2 hr to 2 hrs after only.) It is advisable to take glutathione two weeks prior to ozone or any other treatment that creates oxidative stress such a chemotherapy. Ozone creates oxidative stress and therefore glutathione and other antioxidants are needed to balance this. During ozone treatments the need for antioxidants goes up but long term it will lessen. If ozone and antioxidants are well balanced, then intracellular oxygen will increase. There exists much literature and opinions as to the best protocol to follow, one can easily get confused. My analysis and personal experience convince me that for prostate cancer the most efficient and practical protocol is the use of ozone via rectal insufflation at about 27 gamma, humidified at 1/4 l/min flow rate for one minute every second day for 10 treatments. After this the system should have gotten a good "kick start" so that I repeat this protocol only several month later.

P.S.

Since the article was written for a presentation at a prostate forum with allopathic medicine heavily represented, I held back on the extent of my psychological and spiritual work. I believe that this work was the most important and was much more extensive than reported in this article. I also give this work credit for having brought peace, happiness and contentment into my life to an extent that I always used to dream of. I also did not mention that the discovery of the cancer, now almost three years ago, crystallized the differences my spouse of 22 years and I had the last 10 years and brought about our separation. Both events happened within one month of each other and the resulting pain was so excruciating that I finally found the courage to confront a lot of issues in my life which, in my opinion, brought on the cancer. Working through those issues was largely responsible for my emotional, spiritual and physical well being today. One attracts people into one's life at the plateau at which one lives. I eventually met a woman with whom I live today in a state of happiness and deep sharing that I did not know was possible. Our strong love and spiritual bond helps both of us to continue our journey towards total healing. I am sure it is now easier for the reader to understand why I called the cancer my friend. The cancer, normally understood to bring an early end to one's life, gave me back my life to the fullest extent.

 

 

 

 

     
   

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