The prostate is a small gland, found around the urethra, that produces seminal fluid. Cancers of this gland are the third most common cause of cancer-related deaths in men of all ages, and the most common one for men over 75 years. According to the Mayo Clinic, one out of every six men in the United States is diagnosed with prostate cancer each year. However, treatment options have improved in recent years, and a prostate cancer diagnosis does not necessarily spell that the end is near. As is the case with most cancers, early detection is key to a cure, especially if the cancer has had no time to spread to other parts of the body. There are a variety of alternative treatments that patients can consider. The Mayo Clinic cautions, however, these treatments have not been thoroughly studied over the long run, and they should not substitute traditional medical approaches, but rather supplement them.
Shark Cartilage
Sold over the counter in health food stores and pharmacies, shark cartilage works to stop cancerous tumors from forming new blood vessels, thereby slowing down cancer growth. However, this has been shown to work in sharks and has not been proven to work in humans. This alternative treatment is not specific to prostate cancer and can be tried on a variety of other types of cancer as well.
Soy
According to the Linus Pauling Institute, soy has shown some clinical promise in treating prostate cancer in a number of small studies. For example, a study published in a 2004 issue of the journal "Nutrition and Cancer" was conducted over 3 months and involved 20 men. The results showed that soy supplementation slowed down, though did not reverse, prostate tumor growth. Another study, published in the May 2008 issue of the journal "BMC Cancer" seems to confirm this result: 20 men with worsening prostate cancers were each treated with three 8-oz. servings of soy milk per day for 12 months. The men's prostate-specific antigen (PSA) count, which acts as an indicator of cancer progression, increased by 20 percent as compared to 56 percent the previous year.
Saw Palmetto
The Mayo Clinic lists saw palmetto as the only proven alternative treatment for symptoms caused by a noncancerous enlarged prostate, but suggests that prostate cancer patients may also benefits from this herb even though it has not been proven to work in that capacity. Saw palmetto is an effective reliever of urinary issues that often accompany prostate problems. Note, however, that saw palmetto may inhibit PSA blood levels, thus interfering with PSA tests for prostate cancer detection.
