Seeking therapies for prostate cancer

Men diagnosed with prostate cancer sometimes turn to unproven remedies in addition to conventional treatment. The first study to examine the prevalence of this practice found that, after diagnosis, 19% try a complementary or alternative therapy for the first time.

The study listed more than 41 treatments, from vitamin E to magnet therapy, and asked more than 400 men which of those remedies they had tried. The most popular alternative remedies were herbal and dietary supplements, such as soy products and vitamin E. More rarely, men tried magnet therapy and homeopathy. In between were mind-and-body options, such as relaxation techniques.

Analyzing the data, researchers found that the men who used alternative therapy were more likely to be educated and married than those who didn’t choose any of the treatments.

Earlier research has shown that a wife often functions as the health care gatekeeper, says lead author Michael A. Diefenbach, pointing out that women are more likely to use complementary and alternative medicine in general.

“So if [you’re married and] you have somebody who puts a vitamin by your breakfast bowl every morning, you’re going to take it,” says Diefenbach, associate professor of health psychology at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia.

Regardless of what alternative a man chooses, Diefenbach says, it’s important to keep the doctor informed to avoid any harmful interactions with conventional treatments.

Researchers don’t know how many men who used an alternative approach to treat an enlarged prostate before their cancer diagnosis continued with the treatment along with conventional therapy. The study is continuing to determine if more men will use an alternative treatment after diagnosis.

“This study was done four months after conventional treatment,” Diefenbach says. “That may be too soon because they are still dealing with the side effects of that treatment.” The study was published in the July issue of the Journal of Urology.