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All cancers MUST be treated by orthodox methods. This page lists some things that may help a positive mental approach to the problem, and nutritional approaches that may help.

I was diagnosed with prostate cancer on 18 June 2009. Accordingly, this page is written from personal experience and a viewpoint which is acutely topical for me. My experience is in italics (ed.)

It is deliberately brief and almost in bullet points (except for my personal experiences). At this kind of time you don't need lots of words.

In the early 1990s I heard David Spiegel from California report a study of the beneficial effects of a support group of advanced breast cancer sufferers. He found that despite a minimum of medical input the ladies survived nearly twice as long than those who were not supported.

I spent my working life as a family doctor. I also practiced hypnotherapy and have many memories of helping people with cancers to have a positive attitude to their problems. I believe that many of them had some physical benefit from this.

Cancer Symptoms

Cancer Symptoms are many and varied, but any unexplained bleeding, especially where you can't see the source (from anus - possibly rectal cancer, vaginal - possibly ovarian cancer or cervical cancer, coughing of blood - possibly lung cancer and so on). should be investigated with cancer as a possible cause. The other main presenting feature is a lump which is new, slowly growing and usually painless.

Anything that doesn't resolve in eight weeks should also be investigated.

Where's the Evidence?

There are many alternative treatments publicised via the internet. Please look at these sites critically.

• There should be proper clinical evidence of effectiveness shown by clinical trials published in reputable peer reviewed journals. If these exist they will almost certainly be prominently visible on the site's front page and not hidden on an inner page labeled "research".
• Testimonials are not adequate.
• Don't be convinced by lots of technical scientific jargon without any clinical evidence. Lots of the sites will expound biochemical theories that sound good but without any real life evidence from patients.
• Check out whether the organisation extolling the virtues of an approach is making money by selling a substance or service. They may have a vested interest in your taking the treatment.
• If the treatment is not available in places like the USA, Canada and Europe find out why not.
• Please check out all sides of the treatment and do not accept either positive or negative claims without proper evidence.
• Finally, if it looks too good to be true, it probably is too good to be true.

What Helps Cancer?

Positive Mental Attitude

Support

The concern and support of the patient's network of friends and family is of great value (see the David Spiegel reference above). The more that the patient feels that others are concerned, the more he or she will feel valued and that will increase the positive mental attitude towards the problem which is so important.

Action Points

1. Join one of the support groups listed below.
   The Macmillan nurse who met me at the consulting room door when I was first given the diagnosis has been a consistently available person to whom I can go with any problems and knowing that she was there and on side, when there was a procession of different medical faces who I only saw once, has helped a great deal through the uncomfortable early days of my cancer diagnosis and treatment.
2. In addition, enlist the help of your social network by telling people about the problem and allowing them to share it with you. Most people will be sympathetic and helpful.
   I can confirm the great value of this. I have been completely open with my many contacts across the world who are being magnificent with their support.

Faith

A strong faith is also a big help. A belief in some form of higher intelligence enables you to enlist the help of that intelligence.

Action Point

1. Whatever faith you have enlist the help of the minister, priest, rabbi, mullah or whatever of your local place of worship and the congregation who will be a real help. A study from the USA has shown that regular churchgoers live on average three years longer than those who don't attend.
   I'm a Christian and can confirm that my relationship with God has been a real help to me. Our congregation at church are being immensely supportive.

Visualisations

These are the third leg of the process and serve two functions. The first is that they give you back some control over the problem and enable you to be doing something positive about it rather than being a powerless victim.

Secondly they enable you to enlist your mental and bodily defences to focus on and, hopefully, control the tumours.

Action Points

1. Get to know as much as you can about the anatomy of the problem so that you can make a mental picture of the position of the tumour and have some idea about it.
   When I had the prostate biopsies I made a deliberate mental note to feel where they were being taken so that I could concentrate my efforts on that area. This can be difficult but is worth the effort. The websites of the relevant patient help organisation can be very helpful with this. For instance that of the British Prostate Cancer Charity was helpful to me in filling in some of the gaps in my knowledge. I admit that my being a doctor was a help in this.


2. Make a mental picture of the tumour(s)that you are comfortable with (this is vital) and concentrate on it at least four times a day.
   At first I pictured my tumour as a medieval city with the drug treatment as a besieging army stopping the bad cells getting out and the necessary testosterone (needed to keep the tumour growing) getting in. This didn't work well (infiltration behind the lines and such like) and I rapidly changed it to wrapping a ping pong ball with duct tape. This I put in a room in my subconscious mind and it is going on all the time. I look in from time to time and check on progress. My symptoms have now gone much more quickly than the treatment could be expected to produce and I'm sure the tumour is shrinking well.
   Another thing that I practice, and this is a bit more difficult, is to make a feeling of warmth in my stomach and to transfer that feeling to the area that I identified with my prostate. I then find that when I do the visualisation that area gets warm. It confirms to me that something (good, I'm convinced) is going on and that I have control back over the tumour.


3. You may find it helpful to buy one of my CDs from No Panic to help. Dr Michael's CDs have the first section as a general relaxation/visualisation technique. The anxiety/panic attacks CD (number 6 in the catalogue section) is the most suitable. Your family may find the carers CD helpful as well.

These things can help to produce a positive mental attitude and give you the best chance for a reasonable life with your cancer. I pray that they help you.

Dietary Things That May Help

There is some evidence that in some cancers dietary changes may help the medical treatments.

Action Point

1. Get to know as much as you can about any dietary changes that have been shown to help your cancer.
   In prostate cancer, for instance, there is evidence that tomatoes (and other red fruits), especially the cooked skins which contain lycopenes are helpful. Ketchup is especially good and I eat lots of it.

Exercise

Macmillan Cancer Support in Great Britain has recently been publicising the benefits of exercise for cancer sufferers. My Macmillan Nurse has told me that daily exercise hard enough to make me breathless if i try to talk for about 30 minutes is going to be beneficial.

Action Point

1. You should build a regime of brisk walking, swimming, cycling or any other fairly active exercise into your daily routine.
   I swim 1000 metres three times a week and walk the other days

My symptoms are now long gone and I stopped the drug that helped them after about 2 months. My PSA which was 80 (maximum normal is 4.5 for a man of my age) was 5.1 in October and was 2.8 in December, 2.31 in February was 1.06 was 1.4 - well within the lab's limits of measurement - in October and is now 0.91. I attribute this improvement to the things mentioned above and the 12 weekly hormone injections. Please be encouraged.

Dr Mike Matthews Editor

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