Noteworthy Special Cancer Treatments

Today there are some remarkable Cancer and Prostate Cancer treatments and research happening throughout the world. If you are looking for an alternative process to cure your Cancer some of these may be the place to start. 

Please feel free to add any new options you find as they become available.

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1)  Vitamin C... plus Vitamin C with Artemisinin

 

Over the years much has been written about vitamin C (ascorbic acid). Some say it’s great for everything from the common cold to cancer, while others are equally adamant that there’s little proof it does anything. Speaking from my own experience, I’ve found 1 to 2 gram doses of enteric coated vitamin C has worked wonders for preventing or reducing cold symptoms, yet even in higher doses of up to 6 grams has had little effect on my prostate cancer. Then too when I eat a lot of whole foods high in vitamin C such as kale, broccoli, berries, oranges, papaya and tomatoes I stay healthier and get sick less often. So at some level I feel vitamin C is supporting my immune system.

Looking at research, results regarding vitamin C and prostate cancer are not surprising. There is a 1979 study with 150 advanced cancer patients who orally took 10 grams of vitamin-C daily. Throughout the study, when comparing to the control group, no beneficial changes were observed in symptoms or survival. In 1985 these results were essentially replicated with another study of 100 advanced colorectal cancer patients. The study used an oral dose of 10 grams per day. Once again no differences were found between those taking the oral vitamin C and the control group, regarding progression of the cancer, or of survival. So why do cold symptoms improve but with much larger doses of vitamin C no results are seen for cancer? A 2004 study shines some light on what may be happening. They found that no matter how much vitamin C one takes orally, there’s an upper limit as to how much becomes available to circulate within the blood. Once that maximum limit is reached, the rest is simply flushed out of the body providing little benefit. This study also found that only intravenous administration of vitamin C could produce high enough blood plasma levels to have anti-tumor effects.

Since then, more research has been done that has confirmed these findings. A 2005 study showed that high IV doses of vitamin C selectively killed cancer cells through protein dependent hydrogen peroxide extracellular generation. Researchers believe this action targeted the cancer’s DNA and DNA repair proteins causing its demise. At the same time they confirmed that healthy cells were left unaffected. Another study in 2008 confirmed these results, showing that IV vitamin C therapy is toxic to cancer cells through hydrogen peroxide dependent cytotoxicity, while not harming healthy cells. And in 2012 there was a study of 45 patients with eight different cancer types, including prostate cancer, that showed a positive response with the use of vitamin C to inflammation and tumor markers in 75% of their patients. Some of the best results were seen in prostate and breast cancer patients. In plain language, three quarters of these cancer patients improved using high dose IV vitamin C. They also noted that the earlier in development the cancer was treated, thebetter the results.

So bottom line, popping vitamin C pills most likely will not reward you with many prostate cancer results, but vitamin C IV’s will. Sad to say, as another testament to our current medical system, vitamin C IV treatments are not covered by insurance and they’ll run around $200 to $300 or more per application.

Now Add Artemisinin

What if we could take that 75% in positive results and increase it to 90% or say 98%? How incredible that would be! There is a way by combining vitamin C and artemisinin together in the IV process. Artemisinin comes from an ancient plant known as Sweet Annie or Artemisia annua. Since the 1960’s the Chinese have been using artemisinin to treat malaria. Looking at malaria treatment history, artemisinin has been shown to be relatively safe and non-toxic with limited side effects especially when used under the care of a doctor or naturopath who understands its properties, appropriate dosing, and side effects. The most important consideration is to not use artemisinin at any time when undergoing radiation treatments or within 60 days afterward. This could cause it to attack both cancer and healthy cells.

Now the good news; in research work done by the University of Washington with breast cancer, artemisinin was found to kill nearly all cancer cells within just 16 hours. It does this by starting a chemical reaction with the iron found in the cancer cells that causes free radicals to be produced which then kill the cancer. And cancer cells naturally have an abundance of iron, much more than healthy cells. Because of their unique makeup they need the iron to replicate their DNA . The resulting cytotoxic effects are specific to cancer cells because of their greatly increased iron.

But what if this process could be made even more effective? It was thought that if cancer cells could be loaded up with more iron, artemisinin could be even more effective. Unfortunately, this would be like pouring gasoline on a fire. The additional iron without immediate artemisinin would cause cancer’s rapid growth. To create the same effect without the risk, a way was found to attach the iron-carrying glycoprotein transferrin to the artemisinin. Since cancer cells are always looking for iron and have an overabundance of transferring receptors on their cell surfaces compared with healthy cells, the artemisinin-transferrin combination is madly sucked up by the cancer. In this case transferrin is the Trojan horse and artemisinin, the soldiers. Together they have been shown to be extremely effective. Whereas artemisinin on its own may be 100 times more effective at treating cancer than other approved drugs, the combination of artemisinin-transferrin is thousandsof times more so.

Research has been slow in looking at artemisinin as a natural product for cancer treatment because it is not U.S. patentable and has been on the market as a malaria drug for over 30 years. You may buy it as a supplement though I’d suggest only using it under supervision of a medical practitioner who clearly understands it processes and procedures. There are 3 different yet similar derivatives from the same plant. Artesunate is the most active, but has the shortest useful life in the body. Artemether in oil form has the longest treatment life, but it’s also the most toxic. Artemisinin appears to be the best of the bunch with good results and a reasonable treatment life. There are reports of some people taking as much as 500mg orally per day with good success. Though others suggest taking only 150mg per day for a 150-pound adult, because they have witnessed more response to lower doses. It is also important to take artemisinin just before bed on an empty stomach. It takes artemisinin around three hours to get into the blood and this provides the highest concentration available when cancer cells are naturally dividing, and are more open to receiving the artemisinin. One naturopath suggests the supplement Artemix is an appropriate oral product. Each capsule contains 50mg artesunate, 50mg artemisinin and 40mg artemether. For an approximate 160-pound man, this naturopath recommends a dose of 2 capsules in the morning an hour before meals, and 2 capsules in the evening before bed, on an empty stomach. Be sure to check with your own doctor for their recommendations. It’s important here to note that the use of artemisinin is not officially approved for cancer treatment in the U.S. Though it is approved to treat malaria, it is still considered experimental for cancer at best. And right now there are a number of drug suppliers trying to come up with synthetic versions of artemisinin they may patent for cancer treatment.

There’s not a lot published regarding artemisinin and cancer results. Two studies have confirmed the effectiveness of artemisinin and transferrin along with their specific targeting ability with cancer cells. Another report described results with several European men taking oral artemisinin who showed dramatic reduction in their PSAs. One man’s PSA dropped from 12 to 0.38 in a very short time. Another’s PSA dropped from 7.8 to 1.9 in 3 weeks, and a third dropped his PSA from 3 down to 0.45 in just 6 weeks. Finally there is a 2010 research study that confirms artemisinin kills multiple prostate cancer lines.

One additional way to pump up the positive effects of artemisinin may be to add a short chain fatty acid, sodium butyrate, to the process. Butyrate is a natural non-toxic substance produced by gut bacteria, and even found in butter. It helps the gut generate protective mucus, is an energy source for gut wall cells, and provides antifungal properties. Researchers have also found it reduces inflammation by acting to repair intestinal permeability.

Regarding cancer, lab studies have found butyrate represses genes that are activated by cancer cells. This inhibits cancer cell growth and increases cell differentiation resulting in cancer’s demise. The really interesting part is what happens when butyrate and artemisinin are combined together. Researchers at the University of Washington discovered that these two substances work synergistically as a far more powerful anti-cancer agent than when used independently. Little further research on the butyrate/artemisinin combination is available, and no human trials have been completed. No butyrate human dosage has been suggested. If you are interested in pursuing this further, I suggest discussing sodium butyrate with you naturopath of functional-medicine doctor.  

So now we’re back to where we started combining, vitamin C and artemisinin with IV treatment for prostate cancer. Based on results so far, it appears to be a viable approach that needs further exploration. I know it is something I will look into further and I believe both of these treatments separately, and combined, deserve further research; they are just begging to be put on our list for immediate attention.

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2) Transurethral Hyperthermia

             This process uses localized heat from radio waves to kill cancerous tissue in the prostate. A catheter with a very tiny radio wave transmitter (emitter) is inserted through the penis thereby placing the emitter at the center of the prostate gland. Antenna patches (electrodes) are placed outside the body on the skin surrounding the emitter’s location. When operating these components create an electromagnetic field. The emitter broadcasts short waves that pass harmlessly through healthy tissue, but quickly heat up cancerous cells because of the their different composition. This heat causes the cancer cells to die. After the treatment(s) the body flushes away dead cancer cells and repairs the prostate with new healthy cells.

            In a Study published by Friedrich R. Douwes, M.D. and Shari Lieberman, Ph.D, C.N.S, F.A.C.N., published June, 2002, in Alternative & Complementary Therapies, they state that early stage prostate cancer patients have had a 100% complete remission of their prostate cancer; and late stage patients have had a 31.6% complete remission and a 20.5% partial positive response using the transurethral hyperthermia process. Based on my own direct questions, Dr Douwes has said that approximately 15% of his patients will have a slight PSA relapse that shows there is a small amount of prostate cancer returning, and these patients will need additional transurethral hyperthermia treatment(s). Per Dr. Douwes, there is no 100% in medicine. The good news is that this treatment may be repeated as often as necessary. Of course each new treatment comes with a completely new set of costs.

             Special Note: In the future it would be a client-smart and an appropriate treatment protocol for clinics offering alternative cancer treatments to provide additional treatments for short-term, less than 2-year relapses, at a free or special reduced rate. I believe this would provide greater credibility to the overall program, and the particular healing modality. As it stands, the patient is now bearing the burden of all-financial and health risks. In the interest of promoting true healing rather than business revenue, any program believing in its results would be wise to do whatever it takes to show their process works, with their patients experiencing every possible success.

            Though available from clinics in Europe, Mexico and possibly Australia, this exact process does not appear available in the United States. Regardless of treatment results, because the process is not an insurance approved procedure in the US, there are no insurance companies covering the cost. In relation to other prostate cancer treatments such as a prostatectomy ranging between $9,000 and $12,000 the cost for the transurethral hyperthermia at approximately $7,000 to $8,500 is somewhat reasonable, though you will be footing the entire bill for treatment and travel. What may offset these out-of-pocket costs are the potential hazards of major surgery, recovery time, the risk of death, incontinence, erectile dysfunction, impotence, damage to surrounding organs and tissues, and more, resulting from currently approved treatments. Moreover the approved prostate cancer treatments in the United States come as well with no guarantee. Many times the cancer will continue to grow even after one of the approved conventional treatments due to corrupted surgical tissue margins left behind, or cancerous cells that have migrated as a result of the treatment. In addition cancer cells may evolve to become unaffected by approved treatments. When you go down this approved path it is not uncommon to require additional medical care with more drastic treatments.  Sometimes it’s the result of the surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy that will be the causal or contributing factor to the death of a patient rather than the original prostate cancer.

            Desiring to heal my prostate cancer without taking unnecessary risks, I decided to travel to Germany in April of 2013 for the transurethral hyperthermia treatment at Klinik St. Georg. This is my story… the Treatment, Process, and Results to date.

            I’d like to start by saying travel half way around the world from Seattle to Germany for a prostate cancer treatment; when you have only Internet research and limited contact with a clinic where English is a second language; can be a daunting task. Before deciding on this treatment I did extensive research including contacting previous patients of Klinik St. Georg. Located within the US, Australia, and Indonesia these previous patients all had reasonable stories of success. Their ongoing PSA test results were in the <1 to 2 range and they were off medication. Deciding to go for the treatment, my wife and I needed a way to ease into the process. On April 6, 2013 we boarded a Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship from New Orleans, LA and took a 15 night trans-Atlantic cruise to Rome, Italy. Now that’s easing in! The trip was a fabulous lifetime experience, though healthy gluten free, dairy free, low sugar food was a challenge. We would highly recommend the cruise for relaxation and top quality service. From Rome we took another short week traveling via Eurail through Italy, Switzerland (Zermatt is the best), Austria (loved Salzburg), and Germany.

            The reason we picked Klinik St George is because of Dr Douwes. In addition to being a qualified medical oncologist, he is President of the German Society for Oncology; for 20 years has been the Medical Director of St Georg Hospital; and is a leading expert in hyperthermia treatment. I had pictured having meaningful discussions regarding prostate cancer while gaining new insights from Dr Douwes. Unfortunately he was far too busy running the clinic, the hospital, and attending meetings. Our time together was relegated to less than 43 minutes at the end of the treatment. In retrospect I believe his lack of presence throughout my treatment had a negative impact on the process.

             Sunday, April 28^th, we arrived in Bad Aidling, Germany (just outside Munich) at the Klinik St. George (Rosenheimer Strasse 6-8). The entrance to the clinic is a bit hard to find, down a long driveway between shops.

We asked several people upon our arrival in Bad Aidling for help finding the clinic. The clinic was actually closed on Sunday. As it is part of a hospital, the open areas were the nursing station on the third floor, and the dining room. Good news, we were in time for dinner and the nurse’s station had detailed directions for us to check in to our lodging.

My lodging fees were prepaid in the treatment package. My wife’s room and meals were add-on fees totaling 68 Euros per day. We received 3 meals each day. The food was excellent. Having use of the Internet during our stay was an extra 30 Euros. Well worth it. It was a good connection and we used it often. Our private room was also on the third floor of the hospital, ‘L’ shaped, including a private bath with shower, small table for dining with chairs, television, closets, and two single hospital style beds. It wasn’t cozy, but it was clean, warm and comfortable. Dinner consisted of lots of dairy cheeses, sliced meats, fruit, salad, a small cake, tea, coffee, cappuccino, juice and water. Typical for Germany. The next day I was able to give the cook a list of food allergies. Thereafter she did an excellent job tailoring a special meal plan to fit my needs. We were always happy and thankful for the meals.

            Early Monday morning started by completing paperwork, then on to a meeting and initial exam with a doctor that spoke reasonable English. I was also given two prescriptions to begin taking immediately; Ciprobete 250mg, 2/D for 5 days and Dilac 50mg, 2/D for 10 days. By 10:00am I was being fitted for a 25 gram Vitamin-C infusion. The infusion port would remain attached to my arm for the remainder of my stay. When not in use it had an elastic sleeve covering that keep it and me safe and comfortable. While hooked up to the initial infusion apparatus I walked across the hall to receive an ultrasound test to determine among other things the size of my prostate, and then down the hall to provide a urine sample. During my stay I was given one infusion each day. Monday, Wednesday and Friday were for Vitamin-C; Tuesday and Thursday were for Procain/Basen. Each time the process lasted for about one and a half to two hours. During Vitamin-C infusions I was able to walk around, talk with family and friends, go to my room, or sit in one of the comfortable nursing station infusion chairs and read. The process was painless and comfortable.

            Special Note: The urine test at initial check-in is to determine if any current infection in the urine exists. If an infection were found, the patient would be not allowed to proceed with the hyperthermia treatment. In our case with a tight travel schedule this could have spelled disaster. It would be best to have a urine test to check for infection before traveling to the clinic, and to plan some flexibility in travel plans just in case.

            After this first day’s infusion my wife and I were free to have lunch and explore Bad Aidling. Though small, there are fun shops and a wonderful large park to walk. One day we came across a traveling fair with many booths to explore. During free time you could also take a train to another town to get a better feel for the area.

            Tuesdays and Thursdays were more clinic oriented, as these are the days for the transurethral hyperthermia treatments. After breakfast at 9:00am I went to the room for the first hyperthermia treatment. About the size of a standard hospital room, it had two very comfortable padded chairs facing a wall with cabinets and long counter. Two patients may receive treatments at the same time, as was my case sharing the treatment room with another patient from Germany. Upon entering the room a nurse told us to remove our shoes, pants and underwear, leaving on socks and shirt. As I remained standing she gave me a quick shot in my right hip, saying it was to prevent swelling, then directed me to sit in the chair. She then placed three self-sticking pads on my skin around my lower belly and abdomen. The nurse also hooked up the Procaine/Basen infusion for the day. At 9:15am another doctor came in and began to hook me up for the hyperthermia treatment. Interestingly he was casually dressed without the typical white coat we have come to expect. His process started with coating my penis with a red antiseptic fluid. He then used a needleless syringe filled with lubricating painkiller; pushing it into my urethra through the tip of the penis. This momentarily hurt during application but was manageable. Next he inserted the catheter that hurt a bit less. Upon inserting the catheter he used an air bulb to inflate a small balloon at the other end of the catheter inside my bladder to lock the positioning in place. This you couldn’t feel. He then hooked up a urine collection bag along with the rest of the electrical leads to a computer/machine to monitor the treatment. The process sounds creepier than it actually is. Very quick and efficient, it’s a whole lot less creepy than thinking of robotic surgery or proton beam radiation slicing through your body. Finally the doctor showed me the nurse/doctor call button, and the emergency shut off button. Both doctor and nurse spoke reasonable English.

            At 9:35am the power to the machine was turned on. Shortly thereafter, and upon hooking up the other patient, the doctor and nurse left the room. Gradually I began to feel a heat sensation within in my penis. Building gradually, it initially was a comfortable feeling. At around 10:00am the heat sensation was still increasing. My mind translated the feeling of heat into a feeling of pain. On a scale of 1-10 it felt like a 5+, which had me worried. The more I mulled over the situation the more nervous I became. I began to feel clammy and a bit feint. I pressed the call button, and the nurse and doctor came in immediately. They checked everything, assuring me it was working properly. They lowered the position of my chair from sitting to reclining. After discussing my discomfort with the feelings of heat and pain, they brought in a liquid painkiller for me to take. In a few minutes this began to take affect. I felt much more comfortable. The rest of the time I read which helped to take my mind of the feeling of heat and the boredom of the treatment. Towards the end of the three-hour treatment the feeling of heat was once again beginning to build and felt increasingly uncomfortable. When the machine was finally turned off I felt immediate relief. Then I was disconnected from the machine and IV and the catheter was removed. At the end of the treatment I was given a second shot in the other hip to protect from swelling. As an aside, the German patient being treated in the next chair had a much easier time. To him the treatment only felt reasonable warm. Another patient from Australia we had come to know during our week’s say echoed this ease of treatment. He said his treatments were only mildly uncomfortable with a slightly warm sensation.

            It is important to note that the transurethral hyperthermia treatments are for a period of three hours each on the two days of hyperthermia treatment. During that time the emission of radio waves is computer controlled to reach temperatures of 48º C during the 1^st hour, 50º C during the 2^nd hour, and finally 52º C for the last hour. It was later explained that the amount heat felt is directly related to the amount of cancer cells being affected through the process.

            Tuesday afternoon at about 3:30pm I was still feeling a burning sensation (rated at a 3-4) inside my penis when sitting. When I would urinate the pain would momentarily jump to a 5-7. I decided to seek further help regarding this sensation. Just before our trip I had packed some oxycodone for a particularly difficult root canal a few days prior to the cruise. The good news was, I had some left. I asked our clinic contact if I could take it to relieve my symptoms. After consulting with the doctor she said yes. It helped a lot. She also said everyone experiences the treatment differently. More important, with knowledge of my first experience, they would give me a painkiller at the start of the second treatment

            Wednesday we were up at 7:30am and went to the dining room for breakfast. I enjoyed muesli cereal with soymilk, fruit and tomato juice, while my wife had eggs, cold cuts cereal and a cappuccino. At 9:15 we went to the nurses station where I was hooked up to another 25 gram Vitamin C infusion. I took this back to our room and relaxed watching TV during the process. The entire time it was pain fee and comfortable. The rest of the day we were free to explore. We traveled with some new friends from the clinic in their rental car to a nearby replica of Versailles. It was breathtakingly beautiful; also good to be out and about, away from the clinic for part of the day. Later while relaxing at the clinic we met several patients being treated with varying hyperthermia processes for all manner of cancers. Some of these patients had already outlived their pronouncements of pending death by standard medical doctors. They appeared to have excellent success in their healing process. As I went through the day the urination pain was still strong but lessoned with each time. In the evening I took one more oxycodone and slept well throughout the night.

            By 9:15am Thursday I found myself back in the transurethral hyperthermia treatment room. We went through the same hookup process and this time the insertion of the catheter was easier. In addition to the Procaine/Basen infusion I was also given a second smaller IV bag of painkiller.

After the first two hours of treatment the feeling of heat once again began to noticeably increase. I checked with the patient next to me. He was having no trouble at all. During this sensation of heat it was difficult to read, or think about anything else. In addition to the heat I constantly felt an urgency to urinate but couldn’t. It was kind of a full feeling. I called the nurse and asked if there was anything that could be done for the burning sensation. She checked with the attending doctor, and then brought additional oral painkiller. It somewhat helped. The last 30 minutes were the most difficult. My butt hurt from sitting too long in one position, my penis hurt from the sensation of heat. Finally I heard the slight click of the timer as the machine shut down. There was an immediate reduction in the feeling of heat, followed by relief. The nurse came into the room and began disconnecting me from the apparatus. First she disconnected the IV bag and capped the connection to my arm. She then removed the three sensor pads attached around my body; finally she disconnected and pulled out the catheter. This was momentarily painful but also a major relief. As in the previous time she asked me to stand slowly and gave me a second shot of anti-swelling medication in the other hip. I could dress and leave the room. It was now 12:40pm.

            Returning to our room was a bit painful as my hip was hurting from the shots, and my penis was still hurting. In our room I went to urinate and the pain was about a 5 during first stream then decreasing. There was also some minimal blood in the urine. Something I had been told to expect. It soon went away. At 4:30 our clinic contact came by just to check on how I was doing. We felt that was thoughtful and appreciated the connect. Additionally she provided some helpful travel information that we would use in the coming days.

            Friday I had my final Vitamin C infusion, and the attachment to my arm was finally removed. That part felt great. After the infusion we had our 43-minute meeting with Dr Douwes; sort of a wrap up regarding the treatment along with a future care plan.

This was the first time he was available for a discussion. He started by saying; congratulations you are now cancer free. Then he qualified his statement. He said the cancer in my prostate was killed by the treatment but because of my previous biopsy he could not guarantee that some of the prostate cancer cells had not spread. He explained that with a biopsy the needles inserted into the prostate create a wound. As the wound heals, growth hormone in the wound feeds the cancer cells and creates a growth channel for them to reach the outside of the prostate. Because of the danger of spreading the cancer in this manner, he hasn’t done biopsies for over 10 years. Now relies solely on Choline Scans to determine prostate cancer. Since I had the biopsy in Seattle, he recommended I take finasteride and bicalutimide for a period of 3-4 months just to be sure any remaining cancer was completely handled. Additionally he said to continue with my current supplements plus stop eating sugars, reduce Omega-6 consumption, take saw palmetto and betasistasol, and use a natural progesterone cream because my tests showed it low.

            We spent the rest of that day exploring the area. Later that night I took a long hot shower. (Maybe shouldn’t have.) It felt great, but by late evening I noticed my feet/ankles beginning to swell. Since it didn’t seem to bother me, I decided to wait till morning to seek assistance if necessary. Saturday morning came. It was time to checkout and my feet were still swollen. I went to the nurse’s office and saw the staff doctor. After examination he said it was simply a result of the IV’s I had during the week. He gave me a diuretic saying it would handle the swelling. Also since I was to be flying back to the US on Sunday, he gave me a syringe of heparin to use just before the flight as a protection against deep vein thrombosis. Needless to say I spent much of Saturday looking for restrooms to pee. Using the heparin was simple enough per the doctor’s directions, and the flight home was comfortable. In retrospect I suggest anyone receiving this type of treatment allow a comfortable week to readjust before flying.

            Once home I started on the finasteride and bicalutimide. On May 7^th I emailed the clinic stating I had a constant general burning sensation in my penis along with an upset and acidic feeling in my stomach. The discomfort/pain level inside the penis was a 3 to 4. The burning feeling appeared to be somewhat increasing over time. They emailed back on May 8^th saying what I was experiencing was completely normal considering the treatment and medications, and to re-contact them if it persisted beyond ten days. On May 19^th I emailed saying there was still some blood in my urine. On May 24^th the clinic emailed saying to start taking Tamsulosin 0.4mg (flomax) along with Tranexamic Acid to stop the bleeding. It quickly resolved the blood in the urine issue. During this time I had also noticed a severe pain building in my right side, both front and back. Some quick research told me this could be a dangerous side effect of the bicalutimide so I emailed the clinic in Germany, described my symptoms and asked if I should stop taking the bicalutimide while continuing with the finasteride. On May 28^th they said to stop taking the bicalutimide.

            On July 3, 2013, after a period of healing and normalization, my PSA test came back at 1.0 with a 16 percent free. I sent the clinic the results on July 8th and they emailed back saying the 1.0 was normal at this time and the next PSA test should be in September. On August 18^th I emailed the clinic asking if I could stop the finasteride after 112 days of continuous usage due to ever increasing side effects. During our clinic meeting Dr Douwes had previously said to take the finasteride for a period of 4 to 5 months. August 28^th, 10 days later, I received a response saying, “It is OK now to stop the hormone therapy. Please continue to monitor your PSA and send results.” On October 11^th I sent an email to the clinic with new PSA results of 2.2 with an 18.2 percent free, expressing my concern over the increase. On October 29^th, 18 days later, I received a response from the clinic saying the PSA increase was because I had not taken the Finasteride and the bicalutimide until December of 2013. (This was confusing because I had taken the finasteride for the approximate time as directed, and they had removed me from the bicalutimide due to side effects. They also offered no other substitution for the bicalutimide.) Their email went on further to say I should go back on both until the end of the 2013 year. On November 22^nd I had my PSA checked again and it had risen to 2.9 with a 21.4 percent free. With the rapid increase in my PSA I began once again to take finasteride. On November 27^th I received an email from the clinic suggesting I could take a compounded crème of Progesteron 10.0, Estriol 1.0, Ethinylestadiol 0.5, and liposomal gel ad 100 g in place of the bicalutimide. They said it was available from a pharmacy in Frankfurt. Unfortunately there was no way to have the cream shipped to me with medical regulation in the US. Now still on the finasteride since November, I had my PSA rechecked on March 7, 2014. It came in at 1.6 with a 15.6 percent free.

            The theory behind taking finasteride after hyperthermia is that it will inhibit the enzyme which converts testosterone to dihydrotesterone (DHT), the primary androgen involved in normal and abnormal prostate growth. Through this inhibition it causes a reduction in any remaining prostate cancer growth by starving out the prostate cancer, thereby letting the body’s own immune system take care of any prostate cancer cells left over from the transurethral hyperthermia treatment. Studies on finasteride show it is somewhat effective in cases of low-grade prostate cancer. It is also important to note, Finasteride has the interesting affect of reducing PSA values without necessarily reducing the cancer. In fact, it is commonly understood that PSA test results taken during finasteride administration should be doubled for a true reading. It does not affect the percent free values in the same manner.

            With all that said, I now face the dilemma of a Finasteride PSA value of 1.6, that is really a non-Finasteride of around 3.2, along with a percent free of 15.6%. Considering my highest real PSA value was 4.27 and my PSA upon arrival at the clinic in Germany measured at 3.6, the Finasteride PSA of 3.2 is not so great. Combine this with the low 15.6% percent free score (you really want this to be over 25) and I believe it is safe to say my prostate cancer was only minimally affected by the transurethral hyperthermia treatment. At the very least, I’ve had a resurgence of my cancer very soon after treatment. Our friend from Australia, who received the same transurethral hyperthermia treatment during our stay, is also having a concerning increase in his PSA since returning to Australia. It's recently risen to 4.23 just below his all time high of 4.8. Certainly not the results one would expect with less than a year away from treatment at Klinik St Georg. So the burning question becomes, what do I do now?

            I could arrange travel back to Germany for a re-treatment. On the plus side I really wanted this treatment to work. My research shows it has worked for others, and I believe Dr Douwes and his staff are sincere, caring, knowledgeable medical professionals, who thoroughly believe in their treatment plan. Considering flights, lodging, and clinic expenses the cost of re-treatment could come to another $11,000 to $12,000. On the down side there is the difficulty in communications I’ve personally experienced with Klinik St Georg. It often took a week or two to receive a response to my emails, and some questions simply were never answered. I will say different email respondents at the clinic were much quicker than others. I could never email Dr. Douwes directly. I was told the clinic’s process would be for someone else to receive my emails. They would then translate them into German, get them to Dr. Douwes, await his response, translate them back into English, and finally email me the results. From the beginning it was clear that pending on who first received my email at the clinic, much could be lost in translation. This lack of reasonably timed communication didn’t give me a warm, cared-for feeling. In addition, if I returned to Klinik St. Georg I would be looking at possibly the same treatment that in my recent past has had little positive effect. Now I have to ask myself, what makes me think the results would be better the second time around.

            Then too, there are other treatments available. It is now nearing the end of March 2014. I have just taken myself off the Finasteride because of cumulative side effects, and lack of results. Concurrent with dropping the Finasteride, I have started a treatment course with a fermented soy supplement Haelan 951. It has been around over 20 years and has some promising results with many forms of cancer. It is also assuredly the single nastiest tasting concoction I’ve ever sampled. Fortunately with the addition of Stevia and Monk Fruit it becomes more palatable. The real test of Haelan 951 will be with my new PSA approximately 3 months from now. (More on this treatment process to follow.)

            I’ve also started to explore SPDT as another possible treatment. Using light and sound along with a sensitizer it targets cancer cells causing their death while leaving healthy cells untouched. Initial single term treatment with SPDT is roughly the same cost as transurethral hyperthermia when done at the Dove Clinic in England. It’s also available in the US at the Indiana Center for Advanced Medicine, in Mexico at Hope For Cancer, and in China. The treatment in Indiana is a three-week package with continuing one-year home treatment program. They send you home with a machine and provide the sensitizer. Their comprehensive 1-year package costs $44,000 focusing on SPDT. The treatment at Hope For Cancer is also a three-week in clinic program with ongoing home treatment. The difference is that Hope For Cancer will most likely include other treatment protocols packaged with SPDT such as hyperthermia, Rigvir, and others. Upon contacting Hope For Cancer they will come up with a comprehensive treatment plan and cost pending on the severity of the cancer. You could expect to pay around $29,000 for treatment at Hope for Cancer when all is said and done. China uses more drug therapy along with their SPDT and the cost most likely would be in these ranges or higher.

            Beyond SPDT there may be other, even newer treatments. Additionally there is still a wealth of potential supplements I have yet to try. I am currently learning about Capsol-T results along with a new test for cancer called the ONCOblot Cancer Test, certainly a lot to think about. The one truth in all of this is that I am not ready to participate in surgery, radiation treatment, or heavy chemotherapy, regardless of the treatment proposed by standard medical practice. I still believe there’s a path to a cure that doesn’t involve risking my life because of the treatment. I just haven’t found it yet. So what’s next? Stay tuned.