Prostate Cancer - A Preventable Loss
It's New Years Eve day and I find myself out in the middle of nowhere, visiting the home of a patient I have known for more than 12 years. Dave has become a friend over the past decade. We have shared family stories and observations about the world. Today is different. Dave is now bedridden, paralyzed and dying of his prostate cancer.
For so many years, I knew he was a time bomb, waiting to explode. But Dave had other ideas. He believed that if he took exotic herbs and weird oils, he could avoid recommended treatments for his rising PSA. Then when he started having problems from his recurrent prostate cancer, he finally allowed us to start hormone injections- though only for a short time before he turned back to his "magic" herbal therapies from the jungles of someplace far away. Now he is at the end of his life. A few years ago, with his insurance changes, I switched from doctor to friend. With my encouragement, Dave has allowed his new team of doctors at the university to treat him aggressively. But with time, that too has failed.
As I entered his living room converted to bedroom, Dave lay there thin, pale and green. Really green. "So why are you green?" I asked. "Oh," he replied, "that's the green light that is taking the pain away. That with these new anti-oxidant herbs I bought from Texas. Not only does it take the pain away, it makes the cancer shrink. I'm on a study, so it only cost me $695 dollars every two months." I didn't have the heart to tell Dave that real studies don't charge patients. If anything, it is the other way around. I was sure it was another scam. "So what are you doing with that computer in your lap?" I asked. "Oh, I am trying to figure out how to make my house payments so I don't get foreclosed," Dave responds. "Hey, by the way, the radiation doctor, who is so great, has been trying to get me to have radiation for these spots that hurt so much from the cancer. I am worried about side effects. What do you think? Excuse me while I dab some anti-oxidant cream on these spots on my head."
So classic. Treatments that are proven to prolong life and at least reduce his pain and improve his quality-of-life are questioned, challenged and delayed. Dave and I sit and discuss the pros and cons, short and long-term scenarios of each. He still is reluctant, even when there is nothing to lose. When it comes to "natural" herbs, oils and special cancer-killing diets, there is no questioning, no challenging. Whatever it takes, whatever the cost. This has become a recurring theme for so many patients I have known in the last 19 years. Patients will gladly part with huge sums of money to pay for unproven "alternative" treatments that are "guaranteed" by the inventor to work. I knew of one man who even mortgaged his home to pay for immune system boosting urine injections because he was so certain that this treatment would rid him of cancer, avoiding the need for surgery or radiation. The patient was devastated when a follow-up biopsy showed the cancer was still there, only larger.
Sadly, I have yet to see one of these alternative therapies that are successful. Yet they exist. And desperate people, afraid of the disease and apparently the treatments, will continue to make these hucksters wealthy. Playing on the ultimate vulnerability, these quacks take patient's money, rob the gullible of any opportunity for the proven treatments to work, and often steal their lives. While these crooks are out on their new yachts, the patients are at home wondering why it didn't work.
Meanwhile the cancer grows, and Dave lies in his bed, bathed in green light, still waiting for the magic to happen. "You have a happy new year too, Dave."
Related Topics: Alternative vs. Conventional Medicine, Are Herbal Supplements Safe?
For so many years, I knew he was a time bomb, waiting to explode. But Dave had other ideas. He believed that if he took exotic herbs and weird oils, he could avoid recommended treatments for his rising PSA. Then when he started having problems from his recurrent prostate cancer, he finally allowed us to start hormone injections- though only for a short time before he turned back to his "magic" herbal therapies from the jungles of someplace far away. Now he is at the end of his life. A few years ago, with his insurance changes, I switched from doctor to friend. With my encouragement, Dave has allowed his new team of doctors at the university to treat him aggressively. But with time, that too has failed.
As I entered his living room converted to bedroom, Dave lay there thin, pale and green. Really green. "So why are you green?" I asked. "Oh," he replied, "that's the green light that is taking the pain away. That with these new anti-oxidant herbs I bought from Texas. Not only does it take the pain away, it makes the cancer shrink. I'm on a study, so it only cost me $695 dollars every two months." I didn't have the heart to tell Dave that real studies don't charge patients. If anything, it is the other way around. I was sure it was another scam. "So what are you doing with that computer in your lap?" I asked. "Oh, I am trying to figure out how to make my house payments so I don't get foreclosed," Dave responds. "Hey, by the way, the radiation doctor, who is so great, has been trying to get me to have radiation for these spots that hurt so much from the cancer. I am worried about side effects. What do you think? Excuse me while I dab some anti-oxidant cream on these spots on my head."
So classic. Treatments that are proven to prolong life and at least reduce his pain and improve his quality-of-life are questioned, challenged and delayed. Dave and I sit and discuss the pros and cons, short and long-term scenarios of each. He still is reluctant, even when there is nothing to lose. When it comes to "natural" herbs, oils and special cancer-killing diets, there is no questioning, no challenging. Whatever it takes, whatever the cost. This has become a recurring theme for so many patients I have known in the last 19 years. Patients will gladly part with huge sums of money to pay for unproven "alternative" treatments that are "guaranteed" by the inventor to work. I knew of one man who even mortgaged his home to pay for immune system boosting urine injections because he was so certain that this treatment would rid him of cancer, avoiding the need for surgery or radiation. The patient was devastated when a follow-up biopsy showed the cancer was still there, only larger.
Sadly, I have yet to see one of these alternative therapies that are successful. Yet they exist. And desperate people, afraid of the disease and apparently the treatments, will continue to make these hucksters wealthy. Playing on the ultimate vulnerability, these quacks take patient's money, rob the gullible of any opportunity for the proven treatments to work, and often steal their lives. While these crooks are out on their new yachts, the patients are at home wondering why it didn't work.
Meanwhile the cancer grows, and Dave lies in his bed, bathed in green light, still waiting for the magic to happen. "You have a happy new year too, Dave."
Related Topics: Alternative vs. Conventional Medicine, Are Herbal Supplements Safe?
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17 Comments:
Excellent article. As a Registered Dietitian, I see this sort of thing all the time. Sad.
The only "quacks" are the medical establishment, who have raped, pillaged and plundered the health care sysytem, leaving it to what it is today; a system that less people can afford. Now thatthey can't do whatever they want, they themselves turn quickly to the almighty dollar, offering more expensive and elective treatments to the aging baby boomers.
As far as not finding an alternative remedy that has worked..ever..well you can't find what you are not looking for.
"Never deprive people of hope, it may be the only thing they have."
I tell my friends that if these things worked the ones selling them would be billionaires. If such things really worked they would have tremendous demand by all intelligent consumers making the sellers wealthy beyond belief. They do not work and are just bought up by the few ignorant but desperate folks that do not know any better. The sellers then get rich on the backs of these folks who distrust the medical system.
The only thing that I have to say about this whole affair is, that it is a sad story.
It is my view that the allmighty dollar IS in play here. If a large pharmaceutical company came up with a CURE for cancer, then where would the profit come from? Continuing care---with numerous, years of drugs that provide a steady stream of income ultimately weighs in heavier than a one time shot that would cure the disease, thus eliminating that steady stream of income.
Who is really to blame here? And this doctor that is speaking, where does he think that drugs come from---plants--and herbs, that is where! The big pharma companies even have the doctors fooled. That is a sad story also!
Bobby
The only thing that I have to say about this whole affair is, is that it is a sad story.
It is my view that the allmighty dollar IS in play here. If a large pharmaceutical company came up with a CURE for cancer, then where would the profit come from? Continuing care---with numerous, years long drugs that provide a steady stream of income ultimately weighs in heavier than a one time shot that would cure the disease, thus eliminating that steady stream.
No, the shareholder would not go for that!
Bobby
I like the article and have a relation with similar "issues". It is sad however that the article is ended in an offensive tone if Dave is a friend!
My husband at 52, had a radical prostectomy. Then, at the time, they found it went further and he had to have radiation. It is 6 years now and all the effects that were caused by the surgery and the radiation make me wonder, after I read all the information, if the medical profession is any different than taking the herbs. There are cures out there, but insurance pays for what he had done, but no one explains the long lasting effects, except to say it is the only way if you want to live. He is grateful to be alive, but we both know the chances of it coming back and we know all that he has missed in the past 6 years. There are treatments, but there are no cures. Reading the article made me very sad and I know the hope doctors give people in the beginning.
As others have said it is a sad story of how someone can believe all that is written in a largely unregulated area of medicine. While the doctor's do not have the "magic pill" for everything it is very important for us to take owership of our bodies and have routine check ups, including PSA and DRE.
As serious as prostate cancer sounds, how do you account for medicos who almost invariably play down rising PSA's and "assure"
patients (especially older men) that PC grows slowly, that biopsies are probably uncalled for, that no need exists to hurry decisions? Then, if worse than "watchful-waiting" PC shows up, they (almost invariably) appear surprised, almost as if such a thing never happened before, and that you are sadly just a victim of bad luck.
After 2 PSA's slightly above "normal" 4.1 my primary care physician suggested I might want to wait and see because only one biopsy out of 12 returned positive for adenocarcinoma. Basically because there was no history of prostate Ca in my family. I insisted on having the surgery at 55. I called my family after the surgery to inform my cousins that was indeed now a history of prostate cancer in our family only to be informed that my 79 year old uncle was rushed to the hospital 5 days after my surgery bleeding from his penis where upon further investigation they found prostate cancer and bladder tumors. So even if a lot of prostate cancer isn't aggressive, can you afford to take that chance???????
tadreb comment,
I was diagnosed with prostate cancer in June of 2000. I was 56 years at the time. One of seven biopsy needles determined to have cancer, PSA 7.4, Gleason score 6. No palpable tumor.
My urologist, a new surgeon with several hundred surgeries suggested I look at proton beam radiation treatment at Loma Linda University. I looked into LLU Proton Radiation treatment, and decided to have it done. My major medical insurance paid for the treatment. It's also approved for Medicare, AETNA, Blue Cross and other insured patients.
Since I had the proton beam radiation treatment my PSA has remained at 0.4. I have had minimal side effects. I have not taken any other medical treatment. This early treatment compares well with surgery by Johns Hopkins Medical School, radiation seed implants. I would recommend early treatment for prostate cancer at LLU.
While I was at LLU I met patients who were getting clean up proton radiation for brain tumor surgery, lung cancer, retinal treatment for macular degeneration.
LLU gives good medical treatment with excellent patient and family support services.
I was diagnosed with prostate cancer at 58 years old. I just had my check up on 1/20/06 and have been cancer free for 2 years. It is a long story of self serving doctors and a insurance company that in my opinion is nothing but a whore. I did my own research and after a year I decided to go to the Dattoli cancer center in Sarasota, FL. Best decision I ever made, I have NO side effects and have quality of life and never missed a day of work.
Very sad. There are no magic bullets or easy answers here from either side of the coin (medical or non traditional treatments)
when it comes to any disease issues and it is no wonder. Doctors for one
are not what they used to be and so there is a desperate wanting and need for alternative solutions. Thats not to say that there aren't still a few really good doctors out there but try and find them. Now a days you can't go to a doctor like we used to do when we were younger and have them really care about you and help you to the best of their abililty. In fact they used to come to you. Now in the so called more modern
world they (doctors) will conveniently shuffle you off and send you to these so called specialist when either they can't find the answers or don't want the responsibilty.
There is a specialist for everything it seems these days and they are both
out of reach and control cost wise particularly if you have little or no insurance.
In a the name of any
good doctors defense I have to say its appalling but true that they are also unfortunately subjuct and relegated to the higher power of the Pharmacutical and
medical community, FDA and FDC
etc. and are limited in many more ways than you might think to be able to offer anything that is
remotely considered by these higher powers outside the box so to speak of what is supposedly exceptable medical practice.
There is a lot of miss information
out there today but there is also
a lot of truth. You have to
often sift through it all and
make the best judgement for
yourself that you can or leave it
up to someone else which is usually
the case. Its all driven by money. Yes, there are answers out there and believe it or not there are even many cures. Many of which have litterally been suppressed by the just previously mentioned
giant establishments. Consider this. Imagine taking even only one illness such as diabetes and putting a cure out there for it today. One thats easy
to take, readily available, practical and affordable. People do not realize what that would mean in terms of money and the profits that would be lost by all involved from the huge Pharmacutical and medical corporations all the way down to the doctors etc. We are talking for this one illness/ disease alone litterally trillions of dollars. Dollars that are generated in the name of supposedly helping a person with this disease but in actuality either prolonging it and
or making it worse with impractical advice and medicines etc. just to generate more money and profits. There are people are out there today that will kill you for a plug nickel. Most people know this. Read the news. Isn't it a wonderful world we live in today. So what makes anyone think that when there is this kind of money at stake that they are going to really care about you. The only time they will
care is perhaps if and
when it happens to them.
What go's around comes around and there is going to be a lot of guilty people on both sides that are going to have to pay the piper one day. My theory here is the same as it is with politics and that is for people to finally wake up, come together and take a stand and to take the money and huge profits out of politics and medicine. You might say there will be no one left... I disagree. The ones left standing will be the ones that really do care and want to make a better difference in peoples lives. Just imagine if everyone from both sides stopped blaming the other
claiming they are right and everyone else is wrong. Just imagine if both sides sought to sift out the miss information and came together to bring us real answers and real solutions rather than just taking all our hard
earned money for themselves. Would it not be a better place, a better world and a better America?
For now we have to be our own doctors and try to live a clean life, to eat healthy, excercise, not smoke, take drugs and drink and
stay stress free to try and stay
healthy and in control of our
own lives to try and avoid all the entrapments and hypocrity out there. Obviously not an easy
feat or under taking to do especially in these times.
Good luck.
- RP-
It is sad to see that it has come to a battle of one side or the other, when in fact it is neither. Traditional medicine causes so much colateral damage that at times the cure truly is worse than the disease. Yet many times adjuvant medicine is not effective against a disease when it is applied to the disease at an advanced stage. I have observed that both modalities have a place in the treatment of patients. Some herbs and suppliments aid the traditional treatments have a better kill rate. Others strengthen the immune system to mitigate the side effects of traditional treatments, allowing a complete treatment to be administered to completion without interruption.
Wake up! It is NOT a war between two modalities it IS a war to determine when and where to apply each to effect a long term "healthy" outcome. Right now the only winner is the disease as statistics of the cdiseases mortality rate continues to grow.
THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A "SEX ADDICT". IF YOU ARE HAVING SEX WITH YOURSELF, YOU ARE NOT A SEX ADDICT; IF YOU ARE HAVING SEX WITH A CONSENTUAL PERSON, YOU ARE NOT A SEX ADDICT; DON'T BE FOOLED BY THE PURITANS THAT STILL EXIST IN THIS SOCIETY. YOU SHOULD NEVER (AT ANY POINT IN YOUR LIFE) HATE SEX. IT IS THE GREATEST GIFT THAT HUMANS HAVE EVER GOTTEN, AND IT IS FREE.
There is a battle going on! Its them against us. Its good vs evil. Its morals vs immorality. Its knowledge vs poor information. Its medicines that treat only symptoms primarily which cause more symptoms creating the need for more medicine (thats assuming you don't die first) vs a more cost effective logical holistic natural approach that addresses the real cause of the illness and weakened immune system. Don't let anyone fool you... its about the bottom line - money and profits (them raking it all in) vs you pouring it all out. Theres a whole lot of things going on and there are no easy answers or solutions. There is disparity in previous post that it is not a battle between one side or the other because as stated if there could be agreement to use both approaches ie., traditional vs so called non traditional methods in a fashion that would achieve a best result to help or cure an illness it is not being done. Atleast on a large enough scale. Now why do you suppose that is? As a Nation we are being programmed to be sicker in the name of profits. Everything from the foods and how they are allowed to be produced and advertised to the FDA, FDC, medical communities etc that exacerbate the problem even further with their closed mindeness, poor care and dangerous drugs etc. All that said, no matter what side your on or you favor there sometimes unfortunately just is no answer or cure... its in Gods hands.
Here I am looking for a meeting, needing the fellowship of people who do understand things, and I come across the comments of this mis-informed individual:
>>THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A "SEX ADDICT". IF YOU ARE HAVING SEX WITH YOURSELF, YOU ARE NOT A SEX ADDICT; IF YOU ARE HAVING SEX WITH A CONSENTUAL PERSON, YOU ARE NOT A SEX ADDICT; DON'T BE FOOLED BY THE PURITANS THAT STILL EXIST IN THIS SOCIETY. YOU SHOULD NEVER (AT ANY POINT IN YOUR LIFE) HATE SEX. IT IS THE GREATEST GIFT THAT HUMANS HAVE EVER GOTTEN, AND IT IS FREE.<<
Not to really take too much issue with this, but a sex addict is not someone who hates sex. A person who's life has become unmanageable due to their out of control sexual behavior is not, by definition someone who hates sex. Believing in the path to recover doesn't mean, necessarily, abstaining from sexual contact. In a way, it's similar to someone who binge-eats to bury uncomfortable feelings. that person will still need to eat again in their life, so it's more a matter of learning how to surrender the "out of control" aspect of the behavior.
Anyways, an addiction to sex actually isn't ABOUT sex, as paradoxical as that may seem. Any addictive behavior or addiction to a substance really stems from a very poor self-image and has developed largely as a coping mechanism to survive. That it later becomes the source of the problems in the person's life is not what happens to everyone.
For me personally, I know what drives my urges to act out, which, by the way, do not encompass all of my sexual behavior. I feel compelled to act out when I'm not feeling up to facing something difficult in my life, and that makes the next time that much easier. and then the pattern builds on itself. This PATTERN of behavior is just about identical with ALL addictions and addictive behaviors.
I apologize if this post if off topic. I just felt I needed to respond to the other misinformed individual and his/her comments.
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