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Re: Report back on my recent procedure

Terry,

I was so sorry to read about your recent GS9 diagnosis. I initially hesitated to write because your knowledge base is so extensive on this subject. Still, I thought if I could help, then I should go ahead and try. So, I want to talk to you about two things.

First of all, back on January 20th 2012, you wrote the following in response to my forum request for information on Lupron’s lingering effects:

"One of the points made very strongly, by men whose views I admire was that Proscar had changed the structure of the cells in some cases making them appear to be less well differentiated and therefore being given a higher Gleason Grade. Dr Gleason himself said that his system should not be applied to material from men who had been given Proscar.

So, MY PERSONAL VIEW is that grading of material recovered after ADT MAY differ from material recovered from the same gland prior to ADT and I would personally not rely on those results.

Of course, in MY view this also means that if the ‘aggressive’ tumours diagnosed might have been incorrectly graded, the less aggressive ones might also be incorrectly graded. In other words the apparent reduction in the number of men diagnosed in the Proscar arm may have been a function of under-grading because of the change in cellular structure".

So, I was wondering if you thought about whether or not your past ADT use might be giving you a falsely aggressive Gleason score? Was this possibility discussed with your Dr., and did you give consideration to contacting Dr. Gleason himself for his view on the subject?

Secondly, I had a reader contact me as part of the YANA mentor program and ask me, among other things, for my thoughts on Donald J Porter's baking soda protocol. My response to him was as follows:

I found the protocol for that on the computer. On the surface, it seems very encouraging, even great. Still, I agree that a healthy skepticism is in order. For example, the information on his website was dated 2011. He claims it has worked for hundreds of others, but if that is the case, then why hasn't the information spread like wildfire among the PCa community? After all, there are many men out there desperate for a cure. The reality, though, is that two years have passed for word to get out and yet, I have not seen a single post on this subject on the YANA forum. In fact, might I suggest that you place this subject on the YANA forum and see what kind of feedback you get from Terry and the others. I would certainly be interested in reading what they have to say. In the meantime, I will hold off. To do so does not seem to carry with it any risks. After all, the man behind all this had stage 4 cancer and still managed to be cured. So, this doesn't seem to be the type of treatment that has a window of opportunity that may close if you don't take advantage of it sooner rather than later.

Frankly, it seems like snake oil to me, except for the fact that he's not charging for the information. Instead, it is right there on his website for anyone to take advantage of. So, what I was thinking is that if I was a Gleason 9, then I probably would try it since I would have almost nothing* to lose and just possibly, however remote, everything to gain.

*I say almost nothing because there are some minor side effects that he talks about and makes some adjustments for.

Okay, that's it. My thoughts (and I'm sure the thoughts of all of the readership) are with you --- our "fearless leader."

Be well,
Alan M in the USA

Re: Report back on my recent procedure

Thanks for your post Alan - your wise and balanced words are always welcome.

You say in part I was wondering if you thought about whether or not your past ADT use might be giving you a falsely aggressive Gleason score? and indeed i have had the same thought occur to me, especially in the light of the recent study showing that the 'high grade' men in the Proscar study have not fared as badly as other high grade men.

I am preparing anote for my doctors asking a number of questions (this to keep down the time in our appointments and the points I want to make regarding the GS9 histology are these:

1. When ADT was first introduced as a neo-adjuvant therapy for surgery, a number of well known doctors (inlcuding as my memory serves me, no less a person than Patrick Walsh) declined to operate on men who had ADT on the grounds that in those pre-Da Vinci days the structure of the cells in the gland made it difficult for them to idetntify tumours and to ensure that their margins were safe.

2. Then came the Proscar study to which you allude and the statements regarding the possibiity of changed cellular stuctures. It is a nice coincidence that the secondary study was only published last week which on the face of it seems to show no greater risk for any of the Proscar men.

3. Yet another study published two weeks ago suggested that in many (or perhaps most) cases Gleason Scores tended NOT to advance over the years.

4. Given these broad brush insights into some fo the oddities of the Gleason Scoring system, is there a possibioity that my previous ADT sessions altered the structures of the cells - after all there is no direct evidence that these are behaving like the aggressive GS9 cells that are so dangerous. On the contrary, the apprently indolent way in which the cells have grown point to them more ikely being GS6 or 7a still.

I don't know how he will react to this - hopefully it will not be seen as a challenge, but a seeking after knowledge at the feet of the guru.

As to the baking soda protocol. I recall looking that up some months ago but found nothing to convince me that there was any real value in it or that it was any different from all the other protocols that are bandied around. Interestingly enough there are four men on the Yana site who used, or considered using the protocol. Two live in foreign climes. The men are:

STEVE TAYLOR
KEN G
LEE SUN
STEVE K

There was also a post on this Forum in June this year sodium bicarbonate maple syryp /high alkaline diet but that did not attract any direct responses.

Again my thanks for your post

Terry in Australia

AS for intermediate risk PCa in middle age men. Attention Terry!!

Hi Terry,
The last time we crossed swords, I said I would be back in five years. Unfortunately given your change of circumstance ( yes I have been watching), perhaps it is timely to have this discussion now.

I was very sad to read of your disease progression with metastasis now being clearly evident, and of course you now having to be dealt with them using conventional medicine.

In light of your now verified progression and knowing what is ahead of you (GS 5+4), are you still willing to sing the praises of AS for middle age men with potentially curable intermediate risk PCa?

As always I wish you good passage on your journey.

John

Re: Report back on my recent procedure

Terry,

I looked up Androcur and I see that beside acting as an antiandrogen is has properties which will lessen any hot flashes you might encounter, so I hope you sail through your treatment.

Jack

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