Prostate Cancer
DISEASE PREVENTION & ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE / WRITTEN BY DR. CALEB NG, ND
Prostate cancer strikes approximately 1 in 7 men in Canada. These odds are estimated to increase to 1 in 4 within the next 10 years. The good news is that there are many ways to significantly reduce your risk as well as treat the condition.
You want me to ask my doctor to do what?
It goes without saying that early detection is a significant factor in the outcome of prostate cancer. If you have a brother or father who has had an early onset of prostate cancer or if you are over the age of 40 you may want to consider regular prostate exams and blood tests as part of your annual checkup. To find out more about other risk factors visit the Prostate Cancer Research Foundation of Canada website at www.prostatecancer.ca and use their online assessment tool to evaluate your level of risk.
Get the lead out
Long-term exposures to certain toxins such as pesticides and lead-based materials have shown associations with developing prostate cancer. If you have had an occupation such as farming or painting, you may want to seek a Naturopathic physician to determine appropriate methods of detoxification such as chelation or far-infrared saunas to facilitate the removal of these toxins from the body.
Good news for fish-lovers
There are no doubts that consuming fish such as salmon, cod and haddock has many health benefits. In addition to weight control, cholesterol management, lowering risk for heart disease, preventing strokes and dementia and even making smarter babies, you can now add lowering risk for prostate cancer to the list of benefits. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that men with the highest levels of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA, found highest in dairy and red meat) had a 3 times greater risk for developing prostate cancer over those without detectable ALA in their blood. However, those with highest eicosapentanoic acid and docohexanoic acid levels (found highest in fatty fish) had nearly a 50% reduction in the risk of developing advanced prostate cancer.
The potential of vitamin C
High dose vitamin C has been a controversial therapy for the treatment of cancer, but deserves mention in light of recent findings. Last year in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, 3 well-documented cases of advanced cancers had interesting outcomes. Patients receiving high-dose intravenous vitamin C therapy had unexpectedly long survival times. These cases, in addition to lab findings that show interesting anti-cancer mechanisms, give reason for further investigation of vitamin C as a potential treatment for cancer.
Dr. Ng is a Naturopathic Physician and co-founder of the Mountainview Wellness Centre (www.mountainview-wellness.ca). He specializes in Anti-aging Medicine, Chelation Therapy, Prolotherapy, Thyroid Conditions, Gastro-Intestinal Disease and Men’s Health. For appointments call 604-538-8837.
