Prostate Cancer Screening 2010: The Truth

If it weren't for a high (6.5) PSA reading, my urologist wouldn't have asked me to undergo a biopsy test, and he wouldn't have found 3 sites in my prostate with cancer cells in them.  PSA testing is likely going to help me to live longer.  As I'm only 55, it's perhaps likely that my lifespan will be shortened if I fail to get treatment. 

My urologist told me the same thing, and I'll bet your urologist also highly recommended surgery. However, when I did my own investigation on prostate cancer and the possible treatments, I came to the conclusion that my urologist was not giving me the best information. The urologist understated the risk of impotence and incontinance. The urologist failed to mention that when the prostate is removed by surgery, they also remove about 1" long section of the urethra and the internal spincter. The urologist failed to mention a treatment that I think is far superior to surgery or radiation, and that treatment is high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) which is not currently available in the USA, but is available in Canada, Europe, Mexico, and South America.

The urologist overstated the success rate of surgery and radiation treatments. If you are still alive 5 years after your cancer diagnosis, then they count you as a success, even if you die of prostate cancer 5 years and 1 month after your diagnosis. I belong to a prostate cancer support group; most of the members have had surgery or radiation treatments, and most of them saw their prostate cancer return within 10 years.

The vast majority of prostate cancers are slow growing and won't kill you, but there is no test that can you if have the slow growing or the fast growing prostate cancer. A study released last year showed that 1% of the men who had surgery or radiation treatment died of prostate cancer, and that 2% of the men died of prostate cancer that didn't receive any treatment.

Another study showed that drinking 8oz of pomegranate juice each day slowed the growth of the prostate cancer by 80%. There are many other foods, vitamins, and herbs have been shown in studies to be effective in fighting cancer.

There are many resources (books, Internet, people) out there with much information about prostate cancer, and how to fight it, including many alternative treatments that doctors won't (can't) tell you about. I used to believe that having blind trust in my doctor was a smart thing, but I don't believe that anymore.