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Is prostate cancer screening USELESS?

Screen Pattern 

I have very important information today that could prevent quite a bit of pain and heartache for any man whose doctor screens for prostate cancer by testing prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels.

Last week, William Campbell Douglass, M.D., wrote in his “Daily Dose” e-letter: “Prostate cancer screening is USELESS.” Typically strong words from an alternative healthcare pioneer who regards the description “firebrand” as a complement.

Dr. Douglass has never been what you might call a big fan of PSA screening (can you tell?). So when he recently came across a critical study that sheds new light on this testing procedure, he wasted no time in getting the word out.

Slashing & burning Researchers at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City designed their study to determine if year-to-year fluctuations in PSA levels would reveal a single PSA test result to be unreliable on its own. Over a 4-year period, researchers collected five blood samples each from 972 men whose median age was 62 years. More than 20 percent of the subjects were found to have PSA levels high enough that many doctors would have recommended a biopsy. Half of those men, however, had follow-up tests with normal PSA levels.

The Sloan-Kettering team concluded (as reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association) that an isolated PSA screening with an elevated level should be followed with an additional screening several weeks later before proceeding with further testing or a biopsy.

Why is this significant? If you’re a man who’s had a prostate cancer biopsy, you don’t have to ask. This procedure is not only painful, but common biopsy side effects can also include bleeding and infection. This is just part of what Dr. Douglass calls “the mainstream’s slash-and-burn approach to prostate cancer,” which he says is employed far earlier than necessary, and the results of this study confirm that claim.

In addition, this research backs up another study I told you about in the e-Alert “Under the Knife, Under the Gun” (7/23/02) in which doctors at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (FHCRC) in Seattle estimated that PSA screening may result in an over-diagnosis rate of more than 40 percent.

Proacting So let’s say you’re a man of 55. Your doctor takes a blood sample, runs a PSA test, and informs you that your PSA level is elevated. If you’re convinced that the Sloan-Kettering study was reliable, then you tell your doctor that you’ll be back for another test in a few weeks. And although you’re not jumping to the conclusion that you have prostate cancer, the question weighs on your mind: If it is cancer, is there anything proactive I could be doing in the meantime?”

The answer: Yes.

In the e-Alert “Screen Test” (9/10/02) I told you about another FHCRC study that demonstrated how men in the early stages of prostate cancer who reduce their calcium intake may significantly lower the chances of the cancer progressing to an advanced stage.

This is an important point because a man who takes a vitamin supplement that contains calcium may already be getting plenty of calcium from dietary sources such as dairy products, dark leafy green vegetables, and fortified cereal and bread products. The study wasn’t able to recommend an ideal calcium intake level, but strongly encouraged calcium moderation for those with prostate cancer.

The study also revealed:

 

  • An association between a high calorie diet and significantly increased risk of advanced prostate cancer
  • An association between saturated and monounsaturated fat intake and increased risk of advanced prostate cancer
  • NO association between polyunsaturated fat and omega-3 fatty acid intake and increased risk of prostate cancer

Also, A Stanford University study concluded that men with low blood levels of selenium are four to five times more likely to develop prostate cancer than men with normal levels of the mineral. Brazil nuts have a very high selenium level, with tuna, flounder, sole, oysters and turkey providing good levels as well.

Get the Dose  If you’d like to read Dr. Douglass’ full e-letter about PSA screening – titled “False Signals” (7/18/03) – just go to www.realhealthnews.com, and look for the box with this header: “Real Health Daily Dose e-letter.” You can also search the archives for other health topics, and sign up to receive the Daily Dose for free.

My thanks to Dr. Douglass for getting out this urgent information for all of those men who no longer have to feel they’re at the mercy of their PSA numbers.

and another thing  When you’re not used to spending an afternoon driving to the hoop for one massive slam dunk after another, you’re probably going to feel a little pain later in the evening.

Okay – the “massive slam dunks” were pure fantasy. But after playing some basketball with a friend last week, my shoulder felt like it was on fire a few hours later. When I mentioned the pain to my sister, she suggested that I take arnica, which she uses to relieve her bursitis.

It rang a bell, so I checked the HSI web site and found this information from the June 2001 Members Alert:

 

“Arnica. Used both internally and externally as a homeopathic remedy, arnica has an excellent reputation as an anti-inflammatory topical ointment for bruises and sprains. It has been used for hundreds of years to soothe aching muscles and reduce pain and inflammation associated with sprains and bruises. It’s one of the oldest and most important drug plants. Aside from these applications, the German Commission E (the herbal regulatory agency for Germany) has approved arnica for inflammation caused by insect bites and for superficial phlebitis (vein inflammation).”

Long story short: I went out that evening, found an arnica product, and gave it a try. The results were amazing. The pain was completely gone the next morning.

So for you late blooming basketball stars, weekend warriors, or for anyone who overdoes the physical activity resulting in aches and pains, you might find relief with a little arnica. One word of caution, however: I found a source that claims arnica can stimulate blood circulation and may raise blood pressure. So to be absolutely safe, check with your doctor before using it.

To Your Good Health,

Jenny Thompson

Health Sciences Institute

 

Sources:

 

“False Signals” William Campbell Douglass, M.D., Daily Dose e-letter, 7/18/03, realhealthnews.com

“Variation of Serum Prostate-Specific Antigen Levels” Journal of the American Medical Association, Vol. 289, No. 20, 5/28/03, jama.ama-assn.org

“Study Recommends 2nd Test Before a Prostate Biopsy” Mary Duenwald, The New York Times, 5/28/03, nytimes.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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