Prostate Cancer and Testosterone

Suzzanne Somers interviews Dr Morgantaler about his research concerning prostate cancer and testosterone. He suggests the intake of testosterone supplementation is actually beneficial to prostate cancer patients, particularly in the early stages of the disease. This flies in the face of modern theory which says the opposite is true. But the current theory is based on 40 year old study done by one doctor with just a few patients examined. It has never been scientifically tested or proved.

Dr Morgantaler’s own contention is further supported by other studies referred to in an excellent book, titled: Outsmart Your Cancer, written by Tanya Harter Pierce, M.A., MFCC. I recently purchased the 2nd edition; my first having been loaned out but not returned, and I can recommend it as being one of the best book reviews I have seen. It diligently examines a variety of nontoxic treatments for cancer and provides ample scientific references. The book is thoroughly researched and brilliantly written. (Click the book image in the left side bar to review it at Amazon)

Hormone Therapy for Prostate Cancer – Scandal

My comments below are based on a very revealing recent article written by Peter Waldman, Bloomberg News, and published in …

http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20121108/BUSINESS13/311080063/Prostate-patients-suffer-money-overwhelms-optimal-therapy?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Business|s

concerning the nefarious activities of USA medical specialists, particularly urologists, more intent on ripping off the medical rebate system than giving prostate cancer patients correct, effective treatment. In part, the article discuses hormone therapy for prostate cancer and it is to this a refer…

* During the 1900’s urologist’s all but stopped using surgical castration surgery in favor of drugs for the hormone therapy for prostate cancer, especially the drugs, Lupron and Zoladex.

* With secret kickbacks from the drug companies amounting to US$5000 for each patient put on the drugs urologists had a very good incentive to change clinical modalities.

* One study showed that two in five patients placed on HORMONE THERAPY for PROSTATE CANCER had no clinical need of it.

* In 2005, when Medicare reduced payments for Lupron and Zoladex by half, so then the use of the drugs by urologists dropped by 44%. A coincidence? I think not.

* Two drug companies supplying Lupron and Zoladex pleaded guilty to government charges and paid a $1 Billion dollars settlement.

* Hundreds of thousands of prostate cancer patients have been chemically castrated using these drugs for no reason other than to satisfy the greed of urologists.

* When the curtain fell on these lucrative HORMONE THERAPY for PROSTATE CANCER scams, urologists conveniently made another change in their treatment protocols by ordering unnecessary exploratory treatments, including a urine culture and abdominal ultrasounds.

* Additionally, where individual urologists had a financial, ownership interest in treatment centres offering CT scan and X-ray equipment, called intensity-modulated radiation therapy, IMRT, these were used in excess, to maximize income streams.

The notes above appear to encapsulate a general theme within the urology profession. You will have heard the saying “Make hay while the sun shines” and that is exactly what has been going on here…. and probably still goes on. And don’t think for one minute these activities are confined to urologists in the USA.

What all this tells me is that it is every man for him-self. We owe it to ourselves, and to our loved ones, not to be bludgeoned into blindly accepting whatever doctors throw our way. We need to ask questions and demand answers. And failure to get satisfactory answers is a trigger for walking out and going elsewhere.

Mind you, unless you do your own study of your particular health issue, not only will you not be able to ask intelligent, probing, questions but you probably won’t be able to assess and qualify the answers either.

In an earlier post I have already stated, quite clearly, that I am dead set against hormone treatment for prostate cancer, and have no intention of complying with my own urologist’s recommendation. This article reinforces my argument against it.

Knowledge is Power. Power to protect yourself against the clinical bias and avarice of unscrupulous doctors.

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Androgen Deprivation Therapy

Opinion

Androgen Deprivation Therapy, ADT.

The theory behind androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer treatment is that by reducing or stopping the production of hormones of varying description; androgen and testosterone for example, the growth of any cancer present can be discouraged, even retarded. Another aim may be to reduce the size of an enlarged prostate gland to facilitate surgery or simply to release pressure, or obstruction, involving the urethra.

Although cancer can be slowed by this method and the procedure may even extend a patients life, it cannot stop the cells growing nor can it prevent ultimate death. The negative side effects of androgen deprivation therapy are considerable, as we will discuss later.

What Your Doctor Will Tell You:

Androgen Deprivation Therapy is commonly used for several phases of prostate cancer. The early phase, particularly where the patient already has health issues preventing the use of surgery or chemotherapy and in the late stage where cancer has spread away from the prostate gland to other parts of the body. ANDROGEN DEPRIVATION THERAPY can also be used when a cancer has returned after surgery to remove the cancer (Metastasis)

Treatments period may be for a short term or over a long period of time and with different drugs being tried.

Two of the most common ‘artificial’ hormone blocking drugs for prostate cancer are named Lupron and Casodex. These chemical drugs will block testosterone receptors so a man’s body cannot use the testosterone his body normally produces, and/or, they will block the actual production of testosterone. A side effect of this is the prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood count will go down. Doctors’ will often imply, quite wrongly, that this reduced count is a sign that the cancer is under control. But it simply means that without testosterone the body is unable to produce adequate PSA.

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