Newly diagnosed prostate cancer patients with disease confined to the capsule have a number of alternative treatments like brachytherapy, ablation, cryoablation, Nanoknife, HIFU or Proton Beam Therapy available to them, not just Active Surveillance, surgery or radiotherapy; these alternatives are more widely available in other countries.
NICE UK misses out effective treatments for early prostate cancer
In May 2019 NICE in the UK concluded that men with low-risk prostate cancer contained in the prostate should be offered one of two treatment options - radiotherapy or surgery - or 'active surveillance'. This falls woefully short of the list of treatments available if patients are prepared to travel.
And even with active surveillance, dietary and exercise approaches, known to delay the need for treatment, were not mentioned.
Specifically, NICE recommended hypofractionated intensity-modulated radiotherapy plus, where appropriate, simultaneous androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for localised disease. No change since 2014 guidelines has been made to the surgical option (robot-assisted radical prostatectomy). While the oncological and functional outcomes are no different to open surgery there is less blood loss and shorter time to catheter removal after robotic surgery.
Based on the STAMPEDE trial results, docetaxel is recommended for metastasis in addition to ADT and can be considered for high risk patients receiving ADT and radiotherapy.
Alternative treatment options for Prostate cancer
i) Active Surveillance action
But men in America and Europe have more prostate cancer treatment options.
Where the cancer is confined, of course one option is Active Surveillance but NICE make no recommendations on improving this. For example, as Professor Robert Thomas showed the world in a Clinical trial, compounds such as pomegranate, broccoli, EGCG (from green tea) and curcumin can slow down the need for surgery by 4 years and reduce PSA levels by 67%. Exercise and diet are hugely beneficial. Other polyphenols like resveratrol are also useful, and tomatoes and lycopene have been shown important by Harvard Medical School researchers. Why are these important factors ignored?
Go to: 12 natural foods that help fight prostate cancer
ii) Alternative treatments for prostate cancer
Thereafter, there are a number of treatments available to Americans and Europeans.
- Surgery – robotic or open - with significant side-effects of impotence and incontinence
- Radiotherapy - but also beware damage to the rectum
- Brachytherapy
- Ablation, or cryoablation
- Nanoknife
- HIFU
- Proton Beam Therapy (See HERE)
All of these can be found discussed in detail on the CANCERactive site and we have patients who have contacted us and found each successful.
Go to: Overview of ablation, cryoablation, HIFU and Nanoknife IRE
Also no mention for PMSA or DHT as a more accurate test than PSA measurement.
Of major concern to men are the dual side-effects of incontinence and impotence. As readers descend the above list, those two side-effects tend to decrease. However in countries where people have to pay for treatment, the costs as you descend the list, increase.
Chris Woollams, founder of CANCERactive and a former Oxgord University Biochemist said, "CANCERactive is a major source of information on serious options for men concerned about orthodox prostate cancer treatment, as are some of the top American Hospital Websites. In Britain we just seem to be falling behind. I have patients going to Louisville for HIFU from the UK; patients in Holland and Australia going for Nanoknife, patients in the USA going for Proton Beam Therapy. All have been treated successfully and with little or no side-effects."
Go to: Prostate cancer overview – symptoms, causes and treatment alternatives