What is Prostate Cancer?

Prostate cancer occurs when cells within the prostate grow uncontrollably, creating small tumors.  The term “cancer” refers to a condition in which the regulation of cell growth is lost and cells grow uncontrollably.  Most cells in the body are constantly dividing, maturing and then dying in a tightly controlled process.  Unlike normal cells, the growth of cancer cells is no longer well-regulated.  Instead of dying as they should, cancer cells outlive normal cells and continue to form new, abnormal cells.

Abnormal cell growths are called tumors.  The term “primary tumor” refers to the original tumor; secondary tumors are caused when the original cancer spreads to other locations in the body.  Prostate cancer typically is comprised of multiple very small, primary tumors within the prostate.  At this stage, the disease is often curable (rates of 90% or better) with standard interventions such as surgery or radiation that aim to remove or kill all cancerous cells in the prostate.  Unfortunately, at this stage the cancer produces few or no symptoms and can be difficult to detect.

What is Metastatic Prostate Cancer?

If untreated and allowed to grow, the cells from these tumors can spread in a process called metastasis.  In this process, prostate cancer cells are transported through the lymphatic system and the bloodstream to other parts of the body, where they lodge and grow secondary tumors.  Once the cancer has spread beyond the prostate, cure rates drop dramatically.

In most cases, prostate cancer is a relatively slow-growing cancer, which means that it typically takes a number of years for the disease to become large enough to be detectable, and even longer to spread beyond the prostate.  This is good news. However, a small percentage of patients experience more rapidly growing, aggressive forms of prostate cancer.  Unfortunately, it is difficult to know for sure which prostate cancers will grow slowly and which will grow aggressively – complicating treatment decisions.

The spread of cancer outside the prostate can be detected by the presence of prostate cancer cells in areas surrounding the prostate such as the seminal vesicle, lymph nodes in the groin area, the rectum and bones.  When prostate cancer spreads to another site, such as bone, the new tumor is still considered to be prostate cancer, not bone cancer.

How Common is Prostate Cancer?

It is the most common non-skin cancer in America, affecting 1 in 6 men. A non-smoking man is more likely to develop prostate cancer than he is to develop colon, bladder, melanoma, lymphoma and kidney cancers combined. In fact, a man is 35% more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer than a woman is to be diagnosed with breast cancer.

In 2009, more than 192,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer, and more than 27,000 men will die from the disease. One new case occurs every 2.7 minutes and a man dies from prostate cancer every 19 minutes.

It is estimated that there are more than 2 million American men currently living with prostate cancer.

African American men have a greater risk of contracting prostate cancer and it is thought to be much more aggressive when they do have it.  They are more than twice as likely to die from the disease than caucasian men. 

How curable is prostate cancer?

As with all cancers, "cure" rates for prostate cancer describe the percentage of patients likely remaining disease-free for a specific time. In general, the earlier the cancer is caught, the more likely it is for the patient to remain disease-free.

Because approximately 90% of all prostate cancers are detected in the local and regional stages, the cure rate for prostate cancer is very high—nearly 100% of men diagnosed and treated at this stage will be disease-free after five years. By contrast, in the 1970s, only 67% of men diagnosed with local or regional prostate cancer were disease-free after five years.

Yet being diagnosed with prostate cancer can be a life-altering experience. It requires making some very difficult decisions about treatments that can affect not only the life of the man diagnosed, but also the lives of his family members in significant ways for many years to come.

Though there is really no way to know for sure if you will get prostate cancer, it is still important to pay attention to your body and know what is normal for you.  When you recognize a difference, you can bring it to your doctor’s or other health care provider’s attention as it may be a warning sign.  Learning more and paying attention to your body is the best way to prevent any illness, especially cancers.

What Can I Do to Decrease My Chances of Contracting It? 

[     Eat more fresh fruit and veggies: by feeding your body the nutrients it needs on a regular basis you are increasing the availability of your body to have the building blocks it needs to continue to improve an every changing/flowing/growing system.  By doing this, you also increase the amount of fiber taken in (see #3).  While you’re eating more fruit and veggies, make sure to eat a ‘rainbow’ assortment of colors.  Each color has its own nutritive properties.  By getting a variety of colors you are getting a variety of the nutrients that your body needs.  You are also increasing the amounts of anti-oxidants available for your body to use which helps fight oxidative processes including inflammation, sclerosis, and AGING!!

[     Keep it moving!: According to naturopathic though, and Traditional Chinese Medicine, cancers are caused by a lack of movement leading to stagnation of fluids, energy, nutrient flow.  This can cause a buildup of waste products to a particular area.  This can lead to things like starvation of the tissues, mutations, irritations.  By keeping fresh blood, lymph, and nutrients flowing into the body and waste products out of the body, you decrease the chances of these negative effects occurring

[     Get the Waste Out: the prostate is situated close to the intestines.  If waste products sit in the body too long, you increase the chance of having waste material recirculate through the body and cause more damage before it has an opportunity to leave the body.  By increasing the daily fiber intake, you can keep your system cleaner and ready to do more of what it needs to do.

[     Stay positive:  It’s been shown that a positive attitude can take you a long way.  Negative emotions don’t just occur in the head, but can also manifest themselves in other locations throughout the body.  By staying positive, releasing old hurts/wounds, forgiving those that have wronged you, etc, you allow yourself to mentally and physically heal.It’s been shown that a positive attitude can take you a long way.Negative emotions don’t just occur in the head, but can also manifest themselves in other locations throughout the body.By staying positive, releasing old hurts/wounds, forgiving those that have wronged you, etc, you allow yourself to mentally and physically heal.

[     Eat GOOD fats: increasing the amounts of Omega 3 and mono-/polyunsaturated fats increases cellular membrane fluidity which increases the function of each of your cells.  This in turn leads to an increase in the functioning of the body over all. 

[     Reduce your intake of meats and animal products: If you remember back to the times when your parents or grandparents prepared you meals, you will remember that they didn’t always have meat to eat.  It would often be just enough meat to use as “seasoning”, give the food a certain flavor and if you were the lucky one, you’d get a piece of meat in a bite of your food.  By decreasing animal product intake (and increasing plant product intake) you decrease the amounts of saturated and unhealthy fats and the associated inflammation and oxidation reactions.

For more specific information on ways that you can prevent, be tested for, and treat cancers, contact your naturopathic physician or other healthcare provider

Information compiled in part by K. Dan Hunter

True Vitality Naturopathic Medical Care
480.415.9622
info@DrTursha.com