Do you wonder too?

Today I went to see an Orthopedic Dr for pain that I'm having in my right hand fingers and right forearm.   Even though my cancer was in my prostate region, and the pain is in limbs a long way from there, and I fully believe that I've eliminated the prostate cancer from my system,  that still small doubt creeps in and says "What if your cancer has metastasized to your bones?

Is this the way it will be going forward, always wondering.... Is it the cancer or something else?

I'm currently scheduled for an MRI to verify the Dr's theory that there's a pinched, or otherwise compromised nerve in my spine/neck area that is causing the pain.  All of the symptoms point to that region. More to come later.

Be blessed,
Tom

Why you should ask for an MRI to look for cancer!!

There have been cases where multiple biopsies were performed, and they STILL didn't manage to find the cancer that was there.

Some other links on the use of MRIs to assess cancer:

http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=breastbimr

https://ccr.cancer.gov/urologic-oncology-branch?qt-lab_branch_patient_tabs=7#qt-lab_branch_patient_tabs

http://www.epostersonline.com/focther2011/?q=node/1597

http://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/prostate-cancer-now-detectable-241575

http://www.uab.edu/news/focus-on-patient-care/item/5439-new-hope-for-potential-prostate-cancer-patients

https://health.ucsd.edu/news/releases/Pages/2014-08-12-mri-guided-prostate-biopsy.aspx

I personally had an MRI performed to determine whether my Prostate Cancer has metastasized outside of the prostate. I'm glad to say that the finding was the it was local to the prostate!!

What's the deal with the PSA test?

Guys, read this, especially if you've had a Radical Prostatectomy

A new study published in European Urology indicates that genomic study can predict rapid metastatic disease in node-negative, high-risk men managed by radical prostatectomy without adjuvant therapy.

Although rapid metastasis in men treated with radical prostatectomy is relatively uncommon, using tumor genomics to identify these men who have a highly lethal form of metastatic disease is an important advance.

http://genomedx.com/press-releases/study-published-european-urology-shows-decipher-prostate-cancer-classifier-predictive-rapid-metastasis-high-risk-men-prostate-surgery/ 

New findings on the effects of Omega fatty acids on prostate cancer tissue

A recently published study further supports the idea that fatty acids can fight prostate cancer.

Mar 18, 2015:  How fatty acids can fight prostate cancer
 

Summary:

A mechanism by which omega-3 fatty acids inhibit the growth and spread of prostate cancer cells has been found by researchers. The findings, which are at odds with a 2013 study asserting that omega-3s increase the risk of prostate cancer, point the way to more effective anti-cancer drugs.

Source:

Washington State University. "How fatty acids can fight prostate cancer." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 18 March 2015. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/03/150318074521.htm>.

Previous studies:

Nov 18, 2013:    "Low-fat fish oil changes cancer tissue in prostate cancer, study shows."

Summary: 

Men with prostate cancer who ate a low-fat diet and took fish oil supplements had lower levels of pro-inflammatory substances in their blood and a lower cell cycle progression score, a measure used to predict cancer recurrence, than men who ate a typical Western diet, researchers found.

Source:

University of California - Los Angeles Health Sciences. "Low-fat fish oil changes cancer tissue in prostate cancer, study shows." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 18 November 2013. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/11/131118133048.htm>.

Oct 26, 2011: "You are what you eat: Low fat diet with fish oil slows growth of human prostate cancer cells, study suggests."

Summary:

A low-fat diet with fish oil supplements eaten for four to six weeks prior to prostate removal slowed down the growth of prostate cancer cells -- the number of rapidly dividing cells -- in human prostate cancer tissue compared to a traditional, high-fat Western diet, according to a new study.

Source:  University of California - Los Angeles Health Sciences. "You are what you eat: Low fat diet with fish oil slows growth of human prostate cancer cells, study suggests." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 26 October 2011. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111025135931.htm>.

We're now live on Twitter!

Please follow me at @NoPC4Tom

Be blessed,
Tom

Immunotherapy, medical vs natural

There's something I just can't understand.

When big pharma touts a new drug that helps the immune system fight off cancer, everybody gets excited, it gets tons of media coverage, and people are "waiting in line" to try it. But when someone mentions that a natural oil, which has been used for medicinal purposes for thousands of years, with no known side effects, that helps the body's immune system fight off cancer by functioning properly, they're dismissed, or worse yet, criticized for taking "too much risk".

Have we really given up hope on the amazing bodies that God designed, and the natural materials he put on earth to provide for and sustain us? I have not!

If you want a quick, possibly temporary fix from the medical community, most likely with additional side effects, there are plenty to choose from. If you prefer a longer term fix provided by helping your body to do what God designed it to do naturally, invest a little time in figuring out how you can modify and supplement your lifestyle to get the results that you desire.

Be blessed,
Tom

Scientific explanation of how Essential Oils do what they do

If you're interested in the scientific explanation of how Essential Oils (EOs) do what they do, this article does a great job of explaining it.  Here are a few excerpts I took from the article:

• The current review indicates that EOs and their constituents act by multiple pathways and mechanisms involving apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, antimetastatic and antiangiogenic, increased levels of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS/RNS), DNA repair modulation, and others to demonstrate their antiproliferative activity in the cancer cell.
• Among plant derived compounds, essential oils (EOs) from aromatic plants have been reported to possess anticancer properties [10, 11]. EOs have also been reported to improve the quality of life of the cancer patients by lowering the level of their agony [12].
• The lipophilic nature of these EOs enables them to easily cross the membranes of the cells and reach inside the cell. EOs are described as strong antioxidants [10, 17] and antimicrobial [18] and are in use for the management of severe diseases like cardiovascular [19], diabetes [20], Alzheimer's [21], cancer [22], and others.
•  EOs from different plants have been reported to have anticancer potential against mouth, breast, lung, prostate, liver cancer, colon cancer, and brain cancer and even in leukemia [23–28].
•  Antioxidant activity of EOs has been reported to be helpful in the scavenging of free radicals generated in the diseased state, leading to the cancer prevention
• EOs have potential to induce damages at the DNA level that drives the cancer cells towards cell death. This activity is especially harmful in cancer cells, while no such damage is encountered in the normal cells; this provides added advantage of using these EOs
• One of the peculiar properties of the EOs is that though being cytotoxic to cancer cells, these induce proliferation of the normal cells [88]. 
• Therefore, EOs inhibit the cancer cell progression and thereby showing anticancer properties.
•  EO constituents are potent in cancer prevention and treatment.

 I could have, and wanted to, include about 20 more points about how great Essential Oils but I'll let you read the article itself to get the bigger picture.  I hope you find something here that will prove helpful in your treatment, as applicable, or in your assistance to someone else that may be experiencing cancer.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4070586/

Have a blessed day,
Tom

Links to research on natural cancer treatments

Here are some links and terms that I've found helpful during my research of natural treatments for Cancer. I've highlighted some items that caught my attention, but please read these documents in their entirety when making your own decisions. Not all of the links are about prostate cancer and also include data on breast cancer, ovarian cancer, bladder cancer, and others.

By the way, it’s also encouraging to see that the medical community is also starting to realize that the body can heal itself (aka immunotherapy).  The problem is that they propose accomplishing that with drugs (which always seem to have nasty side effects).

http://home.ccr.cancer.gov/connections/2014/Vol8_No1/intheclinic.asp

http://www.cancer.gov/researchandfunding/progress/immunotherapy-using-immune-system-to-treat-cancer

What is Cancer?

Per the National Cancer Institute

Cancer is the name given to a collection of related diseases. In all types of cancer, some of the body’s cells begin to divide without stopping and spread into surrounding tissues.

Cancer can start almost anywhere in the human body, which is made up of trillions of cells. 

Normally, human cells grow and divide to form new cells as the body needs them. When cells grow old or become damaged, they die, and new cells take their place.

When cancer develops, however, this orderly process breaks down. As cells become more and more abnormal, old or damaged cells survive when they should die, and new cells form when they are not needed. These extra cells can divide without stopping and may form growths called tumors.

Many cancers form solid tumors, which are masses of tissue. Cancers of the blood, such as leukemias, generally do not form solid tumors.

Cancerous tumors are malignant, which means they can spread into, or invade, nearby tissues. In addition, as these tumors grow, some cancer cells can break off and travel to distant places in the body through the blood or the lymph system and form new tumors far from the original tumor.

Apoptosis:

The death of cells that occurs as a normal and controlled part of an organism's growth or development.

Frankincense

Also known as olibanum,1 comes from the Boswellia genus trees, particularly Boswellia sacra and Boswellia carteri. The milky white sap is extracted from the tree bark, allowed to harden into a gum resin for several days, and then scraped off in tear-shaped droplets.

Apoptosis in human cancer cells. - a great explanation of why the body doesn't just flush out cancer cells

Anticancer activity of essential oils and their chemical components - a review (Published Nov, 2014)

Essential oils are widely used in pharmaceutical, sanitary, cosmetic, agriculture and food industries for their bactericidal, virucidal, fungicidal, antiparasitical and insecticidal properties. Their anticancer activity is well documented. Over a hundred essential oils from more than twenty plant families have been tested on more than twenty types of cancers in last past ten years. This review is focused on the activity of essential oils and their components on various types of cancers. For some of them the mechanisms involved in their anticancer activities have been carried out.

Characterization of 3alpha-acetyl-11-keto-alpha-boswellic acid, a pentacyclic triterpenoid inducing apoptosis in vitro and in vivo  (Abstract, published 2009)

3Alpha-acetyl-11-keto-alpha-boswellic acid (3alpha-acetoxy-11-oxo-olean-12-en-24-oic acid, 1) was synthesized by a radical-type reaction using bromine and 3alpha-acetyl-alpha-boswellic acid isolated from the oleo-gum-resin of Boswellia carterii. 1D and 2D NMR (COSY, HMBC, ROESY) at 500 MHz were used for shift assignments and structure verification. The compound investigated is present in a herbal preparation extracted from Boswellia serrata oleo-gum-resin, it inhibits the growth of chemotherapy-resistant human PC-3 prostate cancer cells in vitro and induces apoptosis as shown by activation of caspase 3 and the induction of DNA fragmentation. In addition, compound 1 is active IN VIVO as shown by inhibition of proliferation and induction of apoptosis in PC-3 prostate cancer cells xenotransplanted onto the chick chorioallantoic membrane.

Frankincense oil derived from Boswellia carteri induces tumor cell specific cytotoxicity (Research Article, published Mar, 2009)

Frankincense oil appears to distinguish cancerous from normal bladder cells and suppress cancer cell viability.

Myrhh, fragrant resin with ancient heritage, may bear anti-cancer agents Press Release, published Dec, 2001

The myrrh compound appears to kill cancer cells by inactivating a specific protein, called Bcl-2, which is overproduced by cancer cells, particularly in the breast and prostate, the researcher says. Overproduction of this protein is believed to promote the growth of cancer cells and make cells more resistant to chemotherapy.

Boswellia sacra essential oil induces tumor cell-specific apoptosis and suppresses tumor aggressiveness in cultured human breast cancer cells (Abstract, published Dec, 2011)

CONCLUSIONS:

Similar to our previous observations in human bladder cancer cells, Boswellia sacra essential oil induces breast cancer cell-specific cytotoxicity. Suppression of cellular network formation and disruption of spheroid development of breast cancer cells by Boswellia sacra essential oil suggest that the essential oil may be effective for advanced breast cancer. Consistently, the essential oil represses signaling pathways and cell cycle regulators that have been proposed as therapeutic targets for breast cancer. Future pre-clinical and clinical studies are urgently needed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of Boswellia sacra essential oil as a therapeutic agent for treating breast cancer.

Frankincense oil derived from Boswellia carteri induces tumor cell specific cytotoxicity (published Mar, 2009)

CONCLUSION:

Frankincense oil appears to distinguish cancerous from normal bladder cells and suppress cancer cell viability. Microarray and bioinformatics analysis proposed multiple pathways that can be activated by frankincense oil to induce bladder cancer cell death. Frankincense oil might represent an alternative intravesical agent for bladder cancer treatment.

Acetyl-keto-beta-boswellic acid induces apoptosis through a death receptor 5-mediated pathway in prostate cancer cells (Abstract, published Feb, 2008)

Acetyl-keto-beta-boswellic acid (AKBA), a triterpenoid isolated from Boswellia carterri Birdw and Boswellia serrata, has been found to inhibit tumor cell growth and to induce apoptosis. The apoptotic effects and the mechanisms of action of AKBA were studied in LNCaP and PC-3 human prostate cancer cells. AKBA induced apoptosis in both cell lines at concentrations above 10 microg/mL. AKBA-induced apoptosis was correlated with the activation of caspase-3 and caspase-8 as well as with poly(ADP)ribose polymerase (PARP) cleavage. The activation of caspase-8 was correlated with increased levels of death receptor (DR) 5 but not of Fas or DR4. AKBA-induced apoptosis, caspase-8 activation, and PARP cleavage were inhibited by knocking down DR5 using a small hairpin RNA. AKBA treatment increased the levels of CAAT/enhancer binding protein homologous protein (CHOP) and activated a DR5 promoter reporter but did not activate a DR5 promoter reporter with the mutant CHOP binding site. These results suggest that AKBA induces apoptosis in prostate cancer cells through a DR5-mediated pathway, which probably involves the induced expression of CHOP.

Molecular targets for green tea in prostate cancer prevention. (Abstract, published Jul, 2003)

In cell-culture systems that employ human PCa cells DU145 (androgen insensitive) and LNCaP (androgen sensitive), we found that the major polyphenolic constituent (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) of green tea induces 1) apoptosis, 2) cell-growth inhibition, and 3) cyclin kinase inhibitor WAF-1/p21-mediated cell-cycle dysregulation.

My Prostate Cancer story

Hello,

My name is Tom Sexton, and this is my story of being diagnosed with, and how I’m dealing with, Prostate Cancer. I've always been relatively healthy, working out fairly often, but not consistently, not eating "too" badly, and occasionally taking my vitamins. On August 8th, 2014 I was diagnosed with Prostate Cancer, (adenocarcinoma).
 

I hope that my experience can benefit, and maybe even inspire others to put your faith in God and what your body can achieve naturally.  Genesis 1:27 says "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them".  This scripture strengthens my belief that cancer is a condition that man has brought upon himself, and that our bodies, if allowed and assisted can actually repair themselves.


I am BEATING Prostate Cancer with faith and a lifestyle change, not surviving an organ removal, radiation, or some other form of medical treatment until the cancer comes back!! By changing my lifestyle, I plan to permanently remove Prostate Cancer from my list of concerns.

If you're wondering what caused me to take my Prostate Cancer treatment "into my own hands", here were some of my findings on the long term survival rate of prostate cancer patients:

Per WebMD:

Nearly 100% of men with low- to intermediate-grade prostate cancer ( the most common types) can expect to live at least five years after the initial diagnosis. According to the American Cancer Society, 91% of men diagnosed with prostate cancer survive at least 10 years and 76% survive 15 years. Since many men who get prostate cancer are already elderly, they are more likely to die from causes other than the cancer.

More than 90% of the time prostate cancer is discovered while it is either confined to the prostate gland or has spread beyond the prostate only to a small degree, referred to as regional spread.

Among the less than 10% of men whose prostate cancers have already spread to distant parts of the body at the time of diagnosis, about 31% are expected to survive at least five years.

My key takeaway here was the lack of a "survival rate" in these statistics. Of course, the "can expect to live at least 5 years after the initial diagnosis" didn't exactly give me a warm fuzzy feeling either.

A search for 'mortality rates for prostate cancer' finds the following on Cancer.org, dated 1/30/2015.

According to the most recent data, when including all stages of prostate cancer:

• The relative 5-year survival rate is almost 100%
• The relative 10-year survival rate is 99%
• The 15-year relative survival rate is 94%

I'm currently 47, with a 5 year old son that I'd like to grow up with (no comments from the peanut gallery), and a wife that I'd like to spend a LOT more time with.  These statistics didn't provide the solution I was looking for.

My History

My PSA has been in the 2's for several years (see pic below), but had jumped up to 4.07 on May 20. 2014, so we did a biopsy. On Oct 10, my PSA reading was 4.29. My biopsy included 12 cores, and revealed that my cancer is rated T1C, with a Gleason Score of (3+3=6) with 6 cores containing cancer. 

The cores were as follows:

Left side:

90%, 40%, 30%, 5%

Right side:

5%, 5%

My urologist indicated that it was a low grade, non-aggressive cancer, so I had some time to think about solutions, although he immediately recommended a radical prostatectomy (Da Vinci method), as I am young and would recover quickly, and “most likely” not have any side effects.

Although I've spoken with several people who are happy with the results of the Da Vinci surgery, I wasn't comfortable with the potential side effects (incontinence and impotence). I investigated many other recommended "solutions" (radiation, seeds, ablation, etc) also and still wasn't happy with the potential side effects.

I was also concerned that my Dr's way of determining whether the cancer had metastasized (ie spread) was to judge the "stickiness" of the nerve bundles as the surgeon pulled the nerves away from the prostate during the procedure. On that note, I got him to agree to prescribe a DCE-MRI (Digital Contrast Enhanced MRI). The MRI reading indicated that the cancer was local to the prostate.

I did a lot of research, and soon discovered that a growing community of folks believe, and have demonstrated that the body can heal itself, including cancer, if it's given the right assistance and conditions.

My wife and I had recently started using Essential Oils, and I learned that Frankincense and Myrrh are natural cancer fighters. About that time, I started supplementing my diet with external applications and internal consumptions of Frankincense, Myrrh, Wild Orange, and Grapefruit Oils.

My treatment for Prostate Cancer has been as follows:

• Fervent daily prayer for healing!
• In the morning with a small glass of the shake mentioned below:
  4 drops of each: Frankincense, Myrrh, Grapefruit and Wild Orange Essential Oils.
  I plan to cut back to 2 drops once I've determined that the cancer is gone.
• With each meal:  (all Vitamins from Nutrilite) Multivitamin + Omega3 supplement + Calcium + Vitamin D + Saw Palmetto + encapsulated EOs (Frankincense, Wild Orange, Lemongrass, Thyme + some others)
• Right before bedtime in a glass of juice:
  4 drops of each: Frankincense, Myrrh, Grapefruit and Wild Orange Essential Oils.
  I plan to cut back to 2 drops once I've determined that the cancer is gone.
• Strenuous exercise 4-5 times a week
• After exercising, I consume a protein shake including Nutrilite Chocolate Protein powder, 1 Clementine orange, 1 banana, 1/2 cup frozen blueberries, 1/2 cup strawberries, 1 XS Strawberry +  Burn energy drink  + a handful of spinach leaves + a handful of kale leaves.

During the first several months I also consumed Haelan 951 daily for about a month.  I'd take 4 ounces twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. This juice provides 5 anti-cancer compounds (Isoflavones, Protease Inhibitors, Saponins, Phytosterols, and Phytic Acid) that I feel are helping my body.

What I haven't done:

• Totally cut out sugar. I do limit my sweets, but have not cut back on natural sugar from fruits.
• Totally cut out red meat. I occasionally have red meat, including the occasional juicy steak.
• Totally cut out alcohol. I like a glass of red wine occasionally, and according to some research, the resveratrol is actually healthy.
• I didn't make drastic dietary changes, but did cut back on Diet Cokes.

I'm now in much better shape than I've ever been, I feel great and have lots of energy, and as of Feb 17th, my PSA has dropped to 1.68!

My PSA history is as follows:

2007:  2.55

2009:  3.1

2010 : 2.4

2011:  2.68 (this is where it started creeping up)

2012:  3.8 in Jan, 2.5 in Oct

2013:  2.86 in May, 3.8 in Nov

2014:  4.07 in May, (this lead to biopsy in Aug, which confirmed the cancer)

2014:  4.29 in Oct

 

2015:  Feb 17th    1.68!!!
2015:  Jun             2.11
2015:  Oct             1.72


The 4.07 in 2014 is barely above the "acceptable" range for my age group, but the gradual climb since 2013 prompted my Urologist to recommend the biopsy.  And I'm glad he did!

My next PSA test is in April, with a Dr visit afterwards to discuss the findings.  

I'm not claiming that any one of these things will "cure" cancer, but as I've read in many other cases, it's my belief that changing your lifestyle can allow your body to cure itself, and return to the way that God designed us (Genesis 1:27) [ ... in His own image].

I urge you to pray hard to see what God wants you to do, do your own research (contact me if you like at nopc@thomaste.com ), and know that there is growing evidence that the side effects of modern medicine and procedures can be totally avoided.


DISCLAIMER:  None of the information provided here is meant to be medical advice.  I've documented other sources of information that I've found, and my direct experiences, but do NOT guarantee that what I've accomplished will work for you.