Questions about prostate cancer?

As my father was diagnosed with PC (75 yo, gleason 8, psa 11, stage T2b)I wanted to help him as he doesn't have any access to the Internet. After 2 months of searching I can now say that I'm quite good informed about the disease, the treatments etc. But I still have some critical questions: what is the turning point, after which this "mild" form of cancer turns into an agressive one and kills the patient? Does it happen after it escapes from the gland and causes metastases? Does it always escape from the capsule and treatment(any treatment) tries to keep it there as long as possible? I would very much appreciate if someone could answer these questions.

Questions about prostate cancer?
Prostate cancer is one of the most "curable" forms of cancer. many men live for years with it. overall there is a disease free survival rate of 70-85% for 5 years and a 45-75% for 10 years. most men diagnosed with prostate cancer are over age 65 and have other health issues. many men will die WITH prostate cancer but not BECAUSE of prostate cancer.


the gleason score correlates closely with the prognosis.


a gleason score over 8 and staging of T3-T4 is considered advanced stage disease.


a gleason score of 8-10 is a moderately invasive cancer and more prone to metastisize. it is also usually faster growing than lower gleason score tumors. but the T2b means that the cancer is contained within the prostate and has not spread-and hopefully with treatment it won't. prostate cancer does not always escape from the capsule or metastisize. it does not suddenly turn aggressive and "kill" the patient.





The treatments are designed to kill the cancer cells. (except surgical removal of the prostate) It's not about trying to keep the cancer encapsulated but getting rid of it. cancer cells are mutations and as such any damage to them from treatments will disable them from reproducing. the healthy cells are effected by the treatments as well but because they are normal cells they can repair themselves and replicate. as the cancer cells die off, the healthy cells reproduce and take their place. usually after treatments, the persons psa will go way down. i don't know what type of treatment your father is having but i do know that they are all very effective. there have been a lot of studies on prostate cancer and it is one of the cancers that is understood better than some others. if the cancer metastisizes then it becomes more serious but as of now, your father does not have any mets-so that is a good thing.


i am a radiation therapist and about half my patients are being treated for prostate cancer with very good results. and by the way they all do not lose their manly manhood! hope this info helps. good-luck to you and your father.
Reply:Cancer occurs when cells of the prostate mutate and begin to multiply out of control. These cells may spread (metastasize) from the prostate to other parts of the body, especially the bones and lymph nodes. Further tests, such as X-rays and bone scans, may be performed to determine whether prostate cancer has spread.


The Gleason score 8 to 10 = undifferentiated.


Undifferentiated prostate cancer, squamous cell carcinoma, and ductal transitional carcinoma respond poorly to the usual control measures. Metastatic cancer has no cure; median life expectancy is 1 to 3 yr, although some patients live for many years.


Please note that I am not a medical professional.


Please see the web pages for more details on PSA and Prostate cancer.
Reply:if he is able to do the reverse hormone blockaide treatment, as long as it has not spread or metastased....then he won't need the radiation.





my dad had this hormone blockaide in 1996 and is still cancer free!!





there is a Doctor in Marina Del Rey , CA that does this treatment


one in Ventrua, CA


another in Beverly Hills or Century City.


and one is San Diego.





Contact the prostate cancer society group, they meet once a month and are "in the know" of the treatments.





and my dad is still has his manly manhood.


radiation would have killed that.





check into the reverse hormone blockaid treatment.





i will list the doctors i know of...later


but DO check into local prostate support group.


those guys know, and they have monthly meetings, and


know what doctors do what.





don't cut! it could spread.


do the hormone blockaid, for 14 months, and then see if psa is down, and remission should accurr.





best of luck blessings, and prayers.
Reply:Try Vitamin C therapy. A few years ago a cancer researcher came out with a paper saying that the best cancer and infection fighter as yet found was Interferon, but, at the time, it cost $15,000 a gram. The good part was that Interferon was a product of the natural breakdown of Vitamin C in your system. The FDA says that the RDA for Vit C is 64 mg a day, just enough to prevent scurvy. Linus Pauling, who got a Nobel Prize for his work with Vit C and a second Nobel Prize for organic chemistry, said 1000 mg a day as a minimum and 2000 mg a day if you are sick. On a personal note, I was sick twice a year, for 2 weeks at a time, for 20 years, and was flat on my back for at least a week each time. To this day the doctors have no idea what the problem was. After I gave up on the doctors I tried Vit C. I took enough to keep from being sick and just below too much to get diarrhea. It followed a bell curve over 2 weeks with a peak at 40,000 mg a day – about 300,000 over the 2 weeks. I was not sick for those 2 weeks and after a couple of years of that I have not been sick since. I did not dissolve my kidneys, as some doctors said would happen. I did not get any calcium build up or stones and did not dissolve my cones or solidify my joints. Try it, but drink a lot of water – Vit C is a natural diuretic.

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