| A diagnosis of prostate cancer can be | | | | available. Most treatments, however, seem to |
| devastating. Many sufferers respond by | | | | rely primarily on dietary supplements and/or |
| seeking out alternative Complementary and | | | | mind-body activities such as mediation, yoga, |
| Alternative Medicines (CAM) Treatments. Why? | | | | and various forms of stress control. No |
| | | | matter what method you select, you will have |
| 1. Prostate cancer can be quite painful, and | | | | to choose whether to use alternative methods |
| with mainstream prostate cancer treatment you | | | | as a compliment to or a substitute for |
| sometimes need too choose your priority - | | | | mainstream treatments. Using alternative |
| maximum pain control or maximum treatment | | | | treatment to substitute for conventional |
| effectiveness. Moreover, treatments such as | | | | treatment can be lethal, of course, but even |
| chemotherapy are often difficult to bear | | | | supplementary treatment options can be |
| apart from the pain. but also can often add | | | | dangerous if herbal medicine, dietary |
| additional discomforts and distresses. | | | | supplements, etc. interact with or interfere |
| | | | with the function of cancer drugs. One |
| 2. Prostate cancer treatment is not cheap. | | | | notable example is St. John's Wort, which |
| And the longer you survive, the more | | | | interacts with chemotherapy drugs. |
| expensive it gets. Some families simply | | | | Accordingly, any alternative prostate cancer |
| cannot withstand the financial burden. | | | | treatment should be undertaken only with the |
| | | | guidance and consent of your doctor. |
| 3. Success is not certain. Mainstream doctors | | | | |
| will not promise miracle cures or give | | | | Some of these dietary supplements include saw |
| guarantees, two of the hallmarks of some of | | | | palmetto, garlic, Vitamins C, D, and E, and |
| the less reputable alternative cancer | | | | various forms of antioxidants. Mind-body |
| treatment practitioners. | | | | activities desinge to reduce stress and |
| | | | thereby strengthen the immune system are also |
| Alternative prostate cancer treatment methods | | | | popular. primarily due to the increased |
| cover a wide spectrum of treatments and | | | | emphasis in recent decades of the power of |
| philosophies. Various unproven therapies are | | | | the mind to affect the immune system. |