In my practice, I see every type of cancer. That being said, the trend toward seeing certain cancers is quite obvious. Unfortunately, of the top cancers among Canadians, cancer of the prostate is one that many of my male patients come in to see me about. Depending on what point in a prostate diagnosis a patient comes into my office with, my approach to treatment and care will vary. Regardless of where a patient is at however, there is no doubt I will introduce integrative cancer care to his plan.
With the benefits of what integrative cancer care has to offer in patients with prostate cancer, the majority (if not all) of my patients see significant improvements. So aside from whether a patient is currently engaged in some form of conventional cancer therapy, or already finished a current prostate cancer regimen, I will always discuss the benefits of integrative cancer medicine with him. Given the clinical experience and history of treating people with prostate cancer, at this point in my career, it’s completely clear that those who engage in integrative cancer care (the combination of conventional and complimentary medicine) do much better over the short and long term with their prostate cancer diagnoses.
When working with a prostate cancer patient here at Cornerstone Naturopathic Inc., there are always a few considerations to keep in mind. Firstly, when it comes to incorporating an integrative cancer approach, it’s not only about treating the disease that counts, but as importantly, it’s about recognizing and treating the patient’s health too. Cancer is the disease process, however it’s the individual person who also needs attention and care. Secondly, within the integrative cancer care model, there’s a clinical balance between taking the leading role in treatment versus intervening as a secondary support. This means that I am often helping conventional therapies work better, reducing treatment side effects, and providing the means for patients to integrate the best medicines (natural or otherwise) that will help them the most. Lastly, and as importantly, my patients look to me for answers. This means that patients want advice on whether conventional treatment is relevant, or whether complimentary care alone is the way to go. Unless blatantly obvious, I always help to reinforce the benefits of conventional prostate cancer care, while simultaneously ensuring I can provide the best integrative support for their needs.
What do the above considerations mean when it comes to actually supporting a patient with integrative prostate cancer care? It means using well researched and useful therapies that work. It means ensuring that complimentary care doesn’t negatively interact with conventional treatments. It means enhancing the impact on reducing cancer of the prostate for a patient. It means supporting the immune system and overall health of a patient. It means providing the most unbiased treatment advice that makes sure the patient and his health is the priority. It means offering many therapies, medicines and supports that standard cancer care does not offer. And in the end, integrative cancer care means a healthier, more educated, vibrant patient, smaller risks with treatments and cancer reoccurrences, and a realistic short and long term plan that best suits a patients needs.