|
Senior Fitness
Exercise & Prostate Cancer
By Jim Evans
DEAR JIM:
At 65, I have recently been diagnosed with early prostate cancer. My doctor has
recommended a "wait and see" attitude until considering any conventional
treatment. At the same time, he has suggested that I reduce the fat in my diet
and begin an exercise program to slow -- or possibly even reverse -- its
progression. I know I'm a little overweight, and I'm not real big on exercise,
but this course of action seems a little too "way out" to me. I'm tempted to
just have the necessary surgery and move on with my life rather than wait for
the other shoe to drop, so to speak.
-- DOUBTING TOM IN TEMECULA
DEAR TOM: I'm sure I don't have to tell you that prostate cancer is the most
common cancer for men -- the second deadliest following lung cancer -- according
to the American Cancer Society and is more prevalent in men over 65. However,
since it is a very slow progressing form of cancer, it is not unusual to delay
conventional surgery or radiation (or hormone) treatment. This period of waiting
is typically called "watchful waiting."
It is also not unusual to seek alternative ways to control prostate cancer,
and your doctor seems to be up to date on the latest research. According to a
study released by the University of California, San Francisco (Journal of
Urology, September 2005), and reiterated by Dr. Dean Ornish, clinical professor
at the university, "Changes in diet and lifestyle that we found in earlier
research could reverse the progression of coronary heart disease may also affect
the progression of prostate cancer."
What changes, in particular? Diet changes were, perhaps, the most inflexible
with an almost total emphasis on vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes and
soy products supplemented by fish oil, selenium, and vitamins C and E. And, of
course, good old-fashioned exercise in the minimal form of at least walking for
30 minutes a day, six days a week was part of the equation. The study also
mandated 60 minutes of stress management daily -- yoga, for example.
Some participants in the study group dropped out because, they said, the diet
and lifestyle changes were too difficult to follow. Too bad, because after the
first year, the PSA average levels for participants who followed the recommended
regimen decreased by 4 percent, and none required any treatment due to prostate
cancer progression. In contrast, the control group, which did not follow the
regimen, showed an average increase of 6 percent in PSA level and several of its
participants required conventional prostate cancer treatment.
So, should you follow your doctor's advice? That's up to you. You should
probably get a second opinion anyway, but it sounds like your current doctor is
pretty progressive and knows the right course of treatment for you -- that is, if
you're not too stubborn to admit it and make the necessary changes in your daily
life. Just because you're 65 doesn't mean you can't teach an old dog (that's
you, my friend) new tricks and learn to live a healthier lifestyle.
|
