Using Prostate Cancer Herbs

Over the past decade, there has been an explosion of interest for nontraditional therapies for almost every disease, including prostate cancer.  Herbs relate to our fascination with Eastern and homeopathic therapies. More traditional physicians and institutions are beginning to realize there may be a valid role for some of these herbal remedies for prostate cancer patients. Some prostate cancer herbs and spices may augment the effects of radiotherapy and chemotherapy or aid in reducing the severity of these traditional therapies’ side effects.

Among the herbs for prostate cancer, the most commonly used is saw palmetto.  Saw palmetto has not shown to have any effect on prostate cancer cells, however, it may provide some symptomatic relief by increasing urine flow.  Saw palmetto gained popularity because of its beneficial effects for men with benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH).  In tests with men who had BPH, it was found to increase urine flow, decrease urinary obstruction, and decrease the number of times a man has to get up in the middle of the night.

In various surveys, the number of men who use herbal remedies for prostate cancer is significant, ranging from 10% to 22%   One study showed that 12% of men treated by radical prostectomy (surgery) or radiation were also using herbs for their prostate cancer, and a questionnaire returned by men being treated at major urology treatment centers in the United States revealed that 16% of men were using herbal remedies for their prostate.

Several studies of alternative therapies have shown that men, who are relatively young and those who have more education, more money and more advanced disease than others, are more likely to use these herbal remedies for their prostate cancer.  A San Francisco study compared the use of alternative therapies by ethnic group, and found that herbs for prostate cancer were used almost equally by ethnicity:

Herbs are seed plants whose stem wither after each growing season.  Herbal remedies for prostate health are especially attractive to men with prostate cancer, in that they are widely used in China, where there is a low incidence of prostate cancer.  The herbs therefore, many men assume, must have some cause-and-effect relationship with prostate cancer.  Herbs are also generally considered to be natural, and thus pure and safe, but this is not always the case.  Experts point out that a quarter of all existing medications, including digitalis and morphine, are derived from plants. Herbs for prostate health are also popular because the ingredients are available in health food stores and on the Internet without prescription.  However, many consumers do not realize that as long as the prostate herbs are not advertised to treat a specific disease, typically, no regulation or clinical testing of the herbal prostate compounds are required.

Complications from Prostate Cancer Herbs

There could be serious consequences with following alternative or natural treatments.  A natural approach is not always better than surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy for prostate cancer.  Herbs, or natural products, simply mean their compounds were derived from plants or animals; however natural products are not necessarily better for you simply because they are natural.

Doctors have serious concerns because many of these natural or herbal remedies for prostate cancer are unproven, and after waiting for the success of a therapy of herbs, prostate cancer patients often discover the disease continued to thrive unabated, and they are left to salvage potentially serious and dangerous situations.  If you are looking at herbal remedies for your prostate cancer, consider the following 3 concerns:

1. The herbs for prostate cancer may not work, and the cancer continues to grow.  If you are fortunate to have been diagnosed while the disease is still confined to the prostate, relying only on herbal remedies for prostate cancer may allow the cancer time spread beyond the gland, and therefore, reduce or eliminate the chance of a cure using traditional therapies.
2. Another problem is that the herbal prostate treatment itself may actually be dangerous and cause you harm.  Some herbs have serious side effects such as increasing your risk for dangerous blood clots and liver failure.
3. Some herbs can diminish the effects of chemotherapy and some other drugs. The majority of men using alternative therapies, including herbs, for their prostate cancer often do not inform their doctors, not realizing that the prostate cancer herbs interact with other medications.

The last point is a particular problem for doctors. Men who use herbal therapy for their prostate cancer are likely to be simultaneously using other forms of alternative medicine. A major problem in evaluating the effectiveness of herbal therapies for treating prostate cancer is that most men do not take just one herb.  Many who take saw palmetto, for example, also take pygeum, which comes from the bark of a tree in Africa, where it has been used to treat urinary problems. Evaluation becomes even more difficult when men are using combination of herbs, such as rasagenthi lehyam, one of the herbal remedies for prostate cancer from India, which contains 38 botanicals and 8 inorganic compounds.

Side Effects from Prostate Cancer Herbs

Herbal remedies for prostate cancers, like traditional treatments, are not exempt from side effects.  The risk of having complications from prostate cancer herbs is increased by the fact that there is virtually no regulation of the manufacturing or content of these herbal preparations.  Here are some examples of herbs for prostate health and some of their possible side effects.

Since there are many of these new herbal treatments coming out, making claims of effectiveness without any scientific support or research, it is essential to learn all that you can about these herbs for the prostate before you begin taking them.  As with all cancer treatments, it is very important that if you take prostate cancer herbs, you do so under the supervision of your cancer care team. Otherwise you may risk doing more harm to your body with the herbs than the prostate cancer itself.