Prostate Cancer A Look Into Alternative Medicine

An interesting development is the growing use of alternative medicine amongst prostate cancer patients. According to a study from the University of California-San Francisco, about a third of all prostate cancer victims in the United States have taken one form of alternative medicine or treatment.

The study was conducted in about 2,582 prostate cancer patients. According to the findings, men who used alternative medicine tend to have more education, higher incomes and more advanced states of prostate cancer. Many were also considerably prone to other types of illnesses.
Alternative Treatments for Prostate Cancer

Alternative medicine could interact with other medicines that the prostate cancer patient is taking. It is imperative that such patients notify their doctors about everything they are consuming to ensure that no adverse reactions occur. Most of the alternative medicines men take include mineral and vitamin supplements, herbs, and antioxidants. Other popular supplements also include saw palmetto and lycopene.

It was not found in the study how prostate cancer patients began using alternative medicine as part of their treatment or how such patients came to know these alternative treatments. There are several alternative treatments out on the market today. However, the real question is whether these treatments actually work. There has been no study on how these alternative therapies actually affect an individual's health.

Many will say that alternative treatments are safe when taken in moderate amounts. However, virtually all of these alternative medicines have never entered into large or long-term clinical trials. Some of these alternative medicines for prostate cancer are based on nutrients that have been studied to prevent cancer when taken regularly in one's diet. These include Vitamin E, selenium and lycopene. While their effects on prostate cancer when taken in increased quantities have never been researched, these supplements are slowly gaining public acceptance.

Because of the lack of true research into the real efficacy of such alternative medicines, it is hard to say if they truly help. However, the real concern is the fact that manufacturers of such alternative medicines are not regulated by any government body. Because of this, there is no way to ascertain the quality of these products. As a result, the quality of these products can not be guaranteed.

Ultimately, a prostate cancer patient should inform his doctor about everything that he takes. Even if a product is harmless when consumed by itself, its interaction with other medicines should be a concern for everyone. Ideally, prostate cancer patients should discuss the possibility of taking additional medicine with their doctors before actually taking them