Alternative Prostate Cancer Treatment
Options
With Curative Intent and Low Sexual Side Effects
Hyperthermia combined with
Low-Dose-Radiation:
A very effective Prostate Cancer Treatment with Low or no
Sexual Side Effects.
One of the main concerns of men and women, is How
about sex after prostate cancer treatment?"
The response rate or success of Hyperthermia combined with
low-dose-radiation on the treatment of Prostate Cancer is about 95% for
early stages. Only 9% of our patients reported Erectile Dysfunction
that leads to impotence, while prostate cancer patients treated with
conventional radiation therapy have an incidence of Erectile Dysfunction
of about 30 to 60 %.
See below a scientific paper presented by
James Bicher MD, founder and Director of Valley Cancer Institute /
Bicher Cancer Institute, on
Hyperfractionated Thermoradiotheray (HTRT) Causes Less Sexual
Dysfunction, in the international 2010 STM, Society for
Thermal Medicine, meeting.
The following tables are the latest results on Prostate Cancer Treatment
options with
curative intent, from 2004 to February 2010. at the Valley Cancer institute
under the direction of
Dr. James I. Bicher. These effective results had
been consistent on Prostate Cancer Treatment, with the application of Hyperthermia and
low dose radiation therapies, since the creation of the institute in
1884.
As a wife of one of our patients said in the
video testimonial below: "With
conventional Prostate Cancer Treatment you can have Impotence,
Incontinence, and Diarrhea. Who wants to
have those when you don't need it!" They were able to
have a normal sexual life after prostate cancer treatment!
This modality/option of cancer treatment, named
Thermoradiotherapy, has been improved and enhanced by the use of a very
localized radiation therapy in the form of IMRT (Intensity modulated
Radiation Therapy) which focuses the low radiation dose only to the
cancer tumor area, protecting the healthy tissue, and makes it an
important option on Prostate Cancer Treatment.
Picture of a PSA Report
after 14 weeks of Hyperthermia Treatment combined with low-dose-radiation.
Press Release: US News & WORLD
REPORT, Magazine: Prostate cancer prospectsAlternative
cancer treatment, alternative breast cancer treatment, alternative prostate cancer
treatment. Article
published in the US News magazine, November 19th, 2006, written by
Valley Cancer Institute medical staff, Dr Ralph S. Wolfstein
AFTER READING YOUR REPORT "PROState Patients Painful
Choices" [October 16], I feel compelled to inform you of our results. Using radiation
combined with hyperthermia (heat) we have not only achieved a better cure rate than either
surgery or radiation alone but not a single patient has developed erection difficulty.
Indeed, two thirds of the patients report significant increase in both sexual functions
and libido. Since the threat of impotence often deters men from accepting treatment,
elimination of that prospect will significantly lower the mortality rate for prostate
cancer.
From being confused, scared, and angry, to being
prostate cancer free! A moving and real testimonial, from a courageous
men who did not accepted his primary doctor options' of surgery, high
dose radiation, and/or chemotherapy. Instead, he fully took
responsibility of his health, and become an informed person, by looking
and researching in the internet for a better-low sexual side effects
prostate cancer treatment alternative.
Look at his PSA tumor marker before and after treatment at the bottom of
this page.
Watch Parts II and III in our You Tube channel:
http://www.youtube.com/alternativecancertre
Watch this amazing testimony from one of our
prostate cancer patients, who went from the "cutting, poisoning and
burning..." treatment options from his primary doctor, to "the gentle
heat hyperthermia treatment..." that got him cured! He drove back
home for 5 days, when he finished his treatment! Hyperthermia do not
makes you sick, but you get better and better during the progress of the
treatment, until your treatment is finished.
"Who wants the side
effects of impotence, incontinence, and diarrhea when you don't have to!",
the wife of this patient said...
On this video testimony you will find a very REAL
story of one of our "graduated" patients, who after being offered the
standard cancer treatment care of surgery, high radiation dose, and
chemotherapy, him and his wife decided to look for something without the
permanent side effects of that options.
This is the transcript of the above video testimony,
for you to read and enjoy!:
CDC:
I have the previous interview patients who are living like you, but I
always meet them where they are living. It’s a pity, because I like to
talk to people like you. Could you please tell us, how did you find us?
How did you find Valley Cancer Institute?
Patient:
Well, basically, through a friend. We had a friend that was looking for
a treatment for his wife and he talked to Dr. Wolfstein, and happened to
mention that he had a friend that had my prostate cancer, and Dr.
Wolfstein said, “He should call me, because I think we can help him”.
So, that’s basically how we found the institute.
CDC:
And, when you were diagnosed, what did you do? Did you go to your
primary doctor for?
Patient:
Yes, when we first found out that my PSA had risen, it was
through my, through a regular physical. I had a PSA and it was quite
high. It was in October and it was a 7.8, October of 08. So at that
time, he suggested that we contact an urologist and have it checked out.
CDC:
I see. We have the pleasure to have your wife here, too. I know that
this is a little personal, but what was your reaction when you knew that
your husband had prostate cancer?
Mrs. S:
Well, he had always been so healthy. We had no idea that he had cancer.
We were both shocked. So I started, we talked to the doctors and got
their opinions as to what they thought was should do, and then I went on
the internet and I started examining and all of that. Then after we
talked to Dr. Wolfstein, then he told me where to look on the internet
and I looked up the website and I got the information from that. I
started examining hyperthermia on the website, and we never had
considered alternative medicine before, because we were very traditional
people in our medicines. We didn’t go into health foods. We didn’t look
into any of those things. We knew people who did and we weren’t against
it, but it just wasn’t what we had done. But we heard about all the side
effects that come from the traditional medicines and neither one of us
liked any of those side effects. So we thought this sounded very
interesting.
CDC:
And then that’s what primarily decided you to come here? Did they say
the effect of hyperthermia was what made you decide to come here?
Patient:
Yes. We thought this would be a very interesting, the use of radiation
as well as hyperthermia. It would be a low dose, so it would take a
longer period of time, but it would not be, like my wife said, as many
side effects. So that’s really primarily why we decided on the institute
here.
CDC:
And it was the very first time that you heard about hyperthermia when
you came to our website?
Mrs. S:
Yeah. I had never heard it. I had heard of it, but just kind of off for
other people. I never considered it for ourselves, but like
a Patient
said, the combining of both the hyperthermia with the low dose radiation
sounded very intriguing. It sounded like maybe this, and it’s being used
in Germany and in Europe.
CDC:And you knew that?
Mrs. S:
Well, not until I started looking into it, not until Dr. Wolfstein told
me about it. I researched it in Europe to see what they were doing there
and I know that the FDA keeps people from getting things as readily here
as in Europe. So I figured, hey, if it’s there and it’s valuable. I need
to look into it.
CDC:
So you said that it was very intriguing, but were you, did
you also do some research on the treatment results of hyperthermia?
Mrs. S:
Yes. That was what was convincing, because we didn’t want
(the sexual) side effects,
but we wanted a cure.
CDC:Of course!
Mrs. S:
You know,
it wasn’t just the side effects that made us choose
this.
CDC:
So you, from the very beginning, you found our place. Did you go through
the alternatives that your primary doctor gave you? What did they offer
you?
Patient:
We actually visited probably four to five different things that we could
do that would be available to us. One was surgery and one was, of
course, the radiation, and then there was a chemotherapy, which we
decided against. So, there were a number of things that was open to us,
but after investigating them all, we decided that they all had very
strong side effects that we would like, not like to have. So anyway
that’s really one of the primary reasons we decided on the institute
here.
Mrs. S:
He had scheduled surgery. He was scheduled for surgery about four days
after we visited here. So, we had to cancel the surgery, but
we had a
friend who did have the surgery and nine months later the cancer came
back, plus he has to live with the side effects for the rest of his
life. We figured, boy, we’ve got to give something else a try.
CDC:
That’s very interesting. Now that you have been through the treatment,
how can you describe, if you had to talk to someone who never heard
about hyperthermia, how is the treatment? Was it comfortable? Was it
hard to take?
Patient:
No, the treatment actually is painless. The radiation is painless. The
people in radiation are very thorough. The hyperthermia takes 45 minutes
and it’s done through a heat treat that does no pain to it. So there’s
no pain to the treatment at all. It just takes time and, of course, if
you have the time, it’s very good.
CDC:
Because I hear from other patients and other people, they say when you
go through the standard care of treatment, which usually is
chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery, after the procedure itself, you
don’t feel very well. So, the contrast with hyperthermia, how do you
feel as the treatment progressed week by week?
Patient:
Actually, I had no illness at all; except it does make you a little more
tired by the end of the day, but that was, actually, the only thing I
ever noticed.
CDC:
That’s fantastic. You just finished the treatment a week ago, last week.
Patient:
Yes.
CDC:Do you have any side effects?
Patient:No, not at all.
CDC:
That’s fantastic. You mentioned already that you didn’t’ do any special
diet. You were just regular people.
Patient:
And, actually, we have never done any special diet. We’re
kind of traditional people that, this is the first time we’ve done
anything different other than the traditional way of doing things.
CDC:Do you know if I have any other questions?
Patient:
Anything I’d like to ask?
Mrs. S:One thing is that the side effects from prostate cancer,
the treatment
that the traditional medicine uses, are, you can be impotent, you can be
incontinent, you can have constantly diarrhea for the rest of your life,
and who wants to live with that if you don’t’ have to? Everything is
working just great, so we’re really glad, plus it’s gone.
Patient:
Yeah, we’re very happy.
CDC:
That’s very interesting. When you, you said at the beginning that the
hyperthermia sounds, I don’t remember exactly the word that you used,
but very interesting. Did you still have doubts about this kind of
treatment or after the research that you did, you saw that it was done
in Germany, the resources you had gave you confidence?
Mrs. S:
When we first came here, we were still a little skeptical, but we
figured it doesn’t hurt to try and see what happened. Then when we came
here we started talking to people and all the good results people have
had, it built up our confidence in it, and then, of course, getting the PSA results through the months, that continued making us say, “Hey,
look! It’s going down!” So that’s really been proven to be the best
thing we could have done.
CDC:
Alright. Do you think you can describe how do you feel physically and
emotionally now after the treatment is done, compared to when you were
diagnosed?
Patient:
Well, I’d have to say I was quite upset when I first found out that I
had Prostate Cancer. That’s something that I knew a lot of men had
gotten after they up in age. I’m 76 now and my father had it. Of course,
he never had been treated. Since we have a family of longevity, I
thought at 76 that we should do something about this, because I think
I’m in good physical health, so I think we should do something about it
that would be positive. This fit the bill just fine. At the end of the
treatment, I’m very happy. I couldn’t be happier.
CDC:
All right. Thank you so much for answering these questions. The main
reason we are doing that is because some other people will see what you
have to say and maybe we can help them.
This is a
PSA report, (a tumor marker that measures the cancer activity on the prostate area), of
one actual patient at the time of the posting, 05-25-10.
PSA is an indication of the cancer activity in the prostate. High levels
of PSA in the blood, means there is a cancer activity in the prostate.
The graph, circled on red, shows how the
PSA dropped from about 8 to 10 before the
treatment, to 0.6 (normal) after 14 weeks of treatment
Hyperfractionated Thermoradiotheray (HTRT) Causes Less Sexual
Dysfunction than External Beam Radiation Therapy (EBRT) in
Definitive Treatment of Prostate Cancer
James
I, Bicher, M.D., Ralph S. Wolfstein, M.D.
Valley Cancer Institute, Los
Angeles, California
Treatment
modalities for early stage prostate cancer (surgery, EBRT or brachytherapy) have
a similar degree of effectiveness (over 90% 5-year survival), thus, preservation
of sexual function becomes an important criteria for modality selection.
We have compared
the results of published data (1) (2) (3) on the percentage of erectile
dysfunction (ED) in patients treated successfully with EBRT with that of 5-year
survivors in our institution following hyperfractionated thermoradiotherapy
(HTRT). As previously described the HTRT technique consists of decreasing daily
doses of EBRT combined with daily hyperthermia treatments delivered using a
Labthermics Ultrasound Machine.
Published results
report an incidence of erectile dysfunction between 30 to 60 per cent following
EBRT. In our series of 22 patients treated, only 2 reported ED leading to
impotence, amounting to 10% of 5-year survivors. In most cases patients and
their spouses reported increased sexual activity.
Conclusion: Hyperfractionated
radiotherapy seems to cause less complications of sexual dysfunction than
external beam radiation therapy. We consider the institution of randomized
trials to study this concept warranted.
1 Siglin et al- Int
J. Radiation Onc.. Biol. Physics 76;31-35 2010
2 Sanda et al- N.
Engl J. Med 358 1250-1261 2008
3 Pinkawa et al EUR
UROL 55 217-236 2009
4 Bicher et al-German
Journal of Onc. 33:116-122 2006
The following is a paper presented by Dr. James Bicher at an ICHS (International
Clinical Hyperthermia Society) meeting.
THERMORADIOTHERAPY FOR PROSTATE
CANCER
James I. Bicher, M.D., Ralph S. Wolfstein, M.D., Boris
Burmistrovich, M.D., Tressia Keen, M.N.
Valley Cancer Institute, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.Alternative cancer treatment, alternative breast cancer
treatment, alternative prostate cancer treatment.
SUMMARYAlternative cancer
treatment, alternative breast cancer treatment, alternative prostate cancer treatment.
From the period since 1992 until 2008,
47 patients
with primary prostate cancer were treated at the Valley Cancer Institute. This group was
treated with local hyperthermia and low radiation
dose therapy (IMRT in the last year).
Thirty of them had disease in a comparably early
stage, with local and/or regional involvement but no disseminated metastatic disease. In
this group of patients we experienced a complete response (CR) rate of 100%. There was one
local recurrence and no metastatic dissemination. All these patients experienced a
decrease in PSA results, disappearance or significant improvement of local symptoms and
preservation or improvement of sexual function.Alternative
cancer treatment, alternative breast cancer treatment, alternative prostate cancer
treatment.
Another group of seven patients presented with
disease in advanced stage. In this group we experienced local response rate: 80% complete
response (CR), and 20% partial response (PR). However all these patients presented with or
developed later distant metastatic disease. A decrease in the PSA was observed in 40% of
these patients, and local symptoms improved significantly or disappeared in all cases.
However, this entire group has expired.Alternative
cancer treatment, alternative breast cancer treatment, alternative prostate cancer
treatment.
During the course of therapy patients experienced no
major side-effects, except minor symptoms of bowel irritation and some degree of skin
reaction in the perineal region.Alternative cancer
treatment, alternative breast cancer treatment, alternative prostate cancer treatment.
This study confirms the value of hyperthermia in
conjunction with radiation therapy to control locally advanced prostate cancer, especially
in its early stages.Alternative cancer treatment,
alternative breast cancer treatment, alternative prostate cancer treatment.
Thermoradiotherapy proves to be useful in later
stages to improve local symptomatology, especially pain and urinary retention, without
significant side-effects.Alternative cancer
treatment, alternative breast cancer treatment, alternative prostate cancer treatment.
IntroductionAlternative
cancer treatment, alternative breast cancer treatment, alternative prostate cancer
treatment.
Results of radiotherapy for prostatic carcinoma have been excellent
with mostly acceptable side effects (1,2,3). Can they be improved with the addition of
hyperthermia? Published comparison studies on tumors at other sites show a thermal
enhancement ratio (TER) of 1.88 with no increase in toxicity, except for occasional
thermal burns. It has been our general impression that toxicity may actually be less with
the addition of hyperthermia than might be anticipated from the same dose of radiation
alone.
Herein our preliminary results using thermoradiotherapy for prostate
cancer are presented.
Method and MaterialsAlternative
cancer treatment, alternative breast cancer treatment, alternative prostate cancer
treatment.
Twenty seven patients with prostatic cancer were treated with
thermoradiotherapy between 1/92 and 10/00. These men ranged in age from 56 to 78. Eight
patients had disease probably confined to the prostate gland. Five had invasion beyond the
gland and/or metastatic disease. Radiotherapy was delivered through opposing anterior and
posterior portals, 90 cGy to each daily using a MV linear accelerator. The pelvis received
45 Gy and the prostate was boosted to 65 Gy in 8 weeks on average.
Hyperthermia was delivered within one hour before or after each
radiotherapy fraction using ultrasound or 300 MHz Microwave equipment alternately.
Ultrasound was directed to the gland and mid pelvis, microwave to the prostate.
ResultsAlternative cancer
treatment, alternative breast cancer treatment, alternative prostate cancer treatment.
Twenty of the twenty seven patients treated had disease in a
comparably early stage, with local and /or regional involvement but no disseminated
metastatic disease. In this group of patients we experienced a complete response (CR) rate
of 100%. There was no local recurrence or metastatic dissemination. All these patients
experienced a decrease in PSA results, disappearance or significant improvement of local
symptoms and preservation or improvement of sexual function (see table).
Another group of five patients presented with more advanced disease.
In this group we experienced a local response rate as follows: 80% complete response (CR),
and 20% partial response (PR). However all these patient presented with or developed later
distant metastatic disease. A decrease in the PSA was observed in 40% of these patients,
and local symptoms improved significantly or disappeared in all cases. All 5 of these
patients eventually expired.
During the course of therapy patients experienced no major
side-effects, except minor symptoms of bowel irritation and some degree of skin reaction
in the perineal region.Alternative cancer treatment,
alternative breast cancer treatment, alternative prostate cancer treatment.
Alternative cancer treatment, alternative breast
cancer treatment, alternative prostate cancer treatment.
LOCAL PROSTATE CANCER PATIENTS
TREATED WITH RADIATION ! 65 Gy ! + HYPERTHERMIA
( PERIOD FROM 1992 TO 2000 )
TOTAL # OF
TREATED PATIENTS: 47
EARLY
DISEASE: 20
# (%)
ADVANCED
DISEASE: 7
# (%)
COMPLETE RESPONSE
20 (100)
4 (80)
PARTIAL RESPONSE
0 (0)
3 (20)
LOCAL RECURRENCE
1 (5)
0 (0)
DISTANT METASTASIS
1 (5)
7 (100)
SEXUAL FUNCTION
Increase
13 (66)
NO FOLLOW
UP
Decrease
0 (0)
-
No change
7 (33)
-
PSA AFTER
TREATMENT (FOLLOW UP UNTIL 2000 OR UNTIL PATIENT EXPIRED)
Increase
0 (0)
4 (60)
Decrease
20 (100)
0 (0)
No change
0
0)
3 (40)
PATIENTS ALIVE AT PRESENT TIME
(LENGTH OF FOLLOW UP: 1 TO 3 YEARS)
20 (100)
0 (0)
SYMPTOMS IMPROVED AFTER
TREATMENT
COMPLETE
18 (91)
7 (100)
PARTIAL
2 (9)
0 (0)
DiscussionAlternative
cancer treatment, alternative breast cancer treatment, alternative prostate cancer
treatment.
This study confirms the value of hyperthermia in conjunction with
radiation therapy to control locally advanced prostate cancer, especially in its early
stages. Thermoradiotherapy proves to be useful in later stages to improve local
symptomatology, especially pain and urinary retention, without significant side-effects.
Tumor grade has also not shown any correlation. It was of interest that the one patient
who had distant metastasis was the only patient who failed to have complete local tumor
regression.
Survival has been short in all five patients with advanced disease,
but 2 deaths were unrelated to cancer. Survival of the others cannot, of course, be
predicted; however, the improvement in their sex lives is striking. Radiotherapy has never
been reported to improve sexual function. A recent report on 53 men given radiotherapy for
prostate cancer found 77% had decreased sexual desire as well as function.
ReferencesAlternative
cancer treatment, alternative breast cancer treatment, alternative prostate cancer
treatment.
1. Beiler, D.E.; Wright, D.J.; Reddy, G.N.
"Radical external radiotherapy for prostatic carcinoma". International
Journal of Radiation Biological Physics. 7: 885-890; 1981.Alternative cancer treatment, alternative breast cancer treatment, alternative
prostate cancer treatment.
2. Hahn, P.; Baral, E.; Cheang,M.; Math, M.; Kostyra,
J.; Roelss, R. "Long -term outcome of radical radiation therapy for prostatic
carcinoma: 1967 - 1987" . International Journal of Radiation Biological Physics.
34: 41-47; 1996.
3. Harisiadis, D.; Veeneng, R.J.; Senyzyn, J.J.;
Puchner, P.J.; Tretter, P; Romas, N.A.; j Chang, C.H.j.; Lattiment, J.K.; Tannenbaum, M.
"Carcinoma of the prostate: Treatment with external radiotherapy". Cancer 41:
2131-2142; 1978.
4. Bicher, H.I.; Wolfstein, R.S. "Clinical use of
regional hyperthermia". In: Bicher, H.I. Consensus on Hyperthermia for the 1990's :
1-20; New York: Plenum Press; 1990.Alternative
cancer treatment, alternative breast cancer treatment, alternative prostate cancer
treatment.
5. Helgason, A.R.; Fredrikson, M.; Adolfsson, J.;
Steineck, G.. "Decreased sexual capacity after external radiation therapy for
prostate cancer impairs quality of life". International Journal of Radiation
Biological Physics 32: 33-39; 1995.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Call for more information: (310)398-0013,
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