Lisa A. Price - Prostate Cancer: Thriving Through Treatment to Recovery

Contents

i Prostate Cancer

Thriving Through Treatment to Recovery

Lisa A. Price, ND

ii Visit our website at www.springerpub.com

Demos Health is an imprint of Springer Publishing Company, LLC.

ISBN: 9780826148551

ebook ISBN: 9780826148568

Acquisitions Editor: Beth Barry

Compositor: diacriTech

2019 by Lisa A. Price

Food photographs: Copyright Nicole Barnes Goenner

Active lifestyle photographs: Copyright Nia A. Price-Nascimento

All rights reserved. This book is protected by copyright. No part of it may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Medical information provided by Demos Health, in the absence of a visit with a health care professional, must be considered as an educational service only. This book is not designed to replace a physicians independent judgment about the appropriateness or risks of a procedure or therapy for a given patient. Our purpose is to provide you with information that will help you make your own health care decisions.

The information and opinions provided here are believed to be accurate and sound, based on the best judgment available to the authors, editors, and publisher, but readers who fail to consult appropriate health authorities assume the risk of injuries. The publisher is not responsible for errors or omissions. The editors and publisher welcome any reader to report to the publisher any discrepancies or inaccuracies noticed.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Price, Lisa A., author.

Title: Prostate cancer : thriving through treatment to recovery / Lisa A. Price, ND.

Description: New York : Demos Health, [2019] | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2018058247| ISBN 9780826148551 (alk. paper) | ISBN 9780826148568 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: ProstateCancerTreatment.

Classification: LCC RC280.P7 P637 2019 | DDC 616.99/463dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018058247

Publishers Note: New and used products purchased from third-party sellers are not guaranteed for quality, authenticity, or access to any included digital components.

Printed in the United States of America.

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iii CONTENTS

iv For my wonderful husband and children; to family, old and new, who support

each others endeavors.

This guide is dedicated to all my cancer patients, their families, oncologists

and healthcare team members.

Thanks to the photographers: Food photos, Nicole Barnes Goenner; active

lifestyle photos, Nia A. Price-Nascimento.

v PREFACE

If truth be told, there is no one magic bullet when it comes to perfect health, treatment, or cures. This is particularly pertinent regarding cancer treatment. While conventional therapies are vital, they result in side effects that can greatly affect quality of life and self-identity, and impact recovery and remission. Patients are often told that diet, exercise, and other activities wont make a difference in the development or intensity of these symptoms. Nothing could be further from the truth, and peer-reviewed research supports this. It is therefore of utmost importance that all patients use safe and comprehensive planning during cancer treatment through recovery for best outcomes.

That is where this companion guide comes into play. This book is a culmination of my observations of best therapies as a clinician and as a research scientist in complementary and integrative cancer care. I am motivated to share them with you because a holistic approach makes such a positive difference in the lives of patients undergoing cancer treatment through recovery. Besides my own observations, many scientific studies support the effects of specific culinary nutrition, exercise, and mind-body therapies for patients undergoing treatment for prostate cancer.

This book will help you understand the various treatments for prostate cancer and how they work. I also review the effects of treatment on your immune system and your nutritional status. A diagnosis of cancer often comes with a predictable amount of trauma that can lead to some emotional distress, and I address issues that may result and actions to help mitigate.

Overall, the book moves from explanations of what is happening to solutions. These are divided into three sections: cookbook (nutrition), exercise, and mind body therapy, each tailored specifically to benefits for prostate cancer patients.

It is my hope that patients engage in a holistic plan that they can incorporate for their lifetime. I highly recommend that you find a qualified and licensed provider to help guide you. If you are having trouble finding a healthcare provider in complementary cancer care with vi expertise in culinary nutrition, please feel free to contact me at www.drlisapricend.com for an online consult.

May you all be on your path to healing and wellness with hope and strength.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank my parents for catalyzing a deep desire for knowledge, encouraging my curiosity, and for being wonderful examples. Glen, Nia, and Cypress, thank you for understanding my need for time. Finally, to my conventional and naturopathic colleagues, thank you for your endless dedication in supporting all our patients. Thank you, Nicole and Nia, for stepping up to the plate.

Introduction

Never believe that a few caring people cant change the world. For, indeed, thats all who ever have.

Margaret Mead

Several years ago, a stage IV prostate cancer patient, who I will call Stan, came to me for complementary care. I have been fortunate to work in cancer centers that are progressive and honor the importance of safe alternative therapies in conjunction with conventional medicine. Stan was receiving the best treatment from the best oncology team, and even went out of state to another prestigious cancer treatment facility for a second opinion. The first and second opinions matched. Both facilitys oncologists noted that statistics for his diagnosis were not favorable for long-term survival; therefore, it was highly unlikely his cancer would ever reach the much desired NED (No Evidence of Disease) status. Stan and his wife were not deterred. They persisted, following the prescribed conventional treatment plan as well as complying with the complementary plan I supplied. My plan included safe supplementation, dietary support, behavioral modifications, mindbody therapies, and exercise. Stan, I should mention, is also deeply spiritual and insatiably curious, as is his wife.

As the weeks and months progressed, Stan kept to the treatment protocols, and made it through therapy with very few side effects. In and of itself, having only a small amount of side effects during treatment was an enormous achievement.

The time for him to be scanned came, and the results showed NED. He was elated, and his oncology team was baffled. Statistically, this was not supposed to happen. Because this was not normal, his case was sent to several tumor boards to determine what to do next. As a result, Stan was assessed frequently in the initial months and succeeding months after another scan, and he retained his NED status.