Androgen deprivation therapy, often combined with newer hormonal drugs or chemotherapy, is the backbone of treatment for late-stage or metastatic prostate cancer. But a practice called integrative medicine, which combines conventional cancer therapies with complementary and holistic treatments, is increasingly being used to manage the disease.
Integrative medicine isn’t the same as alternative medicine, in which you’d use therapies like acupuncture, supplements, and meditation instead of conventional therapies. “Integrative is in addition to,” says Nathan Handley, MD, the director of the integrative cancer recovery program at the Marcus Institute at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. “We don’t really use the word ‘alternative’ anymore. The real focus is on collaborative approaches and doing everything that we can, and that we ideally have evidence to support.”
While complementary therapies won’t necessarily slow your cancer, they work alongside your treatments to relieve symptoms like hot flashes, fatigue, and weight loss.
Acupuncture
The traditional Chinese medicine practice of placing thin needles into various pressure points on the body has been around for thousands of years. In prostate cancer, acupuncture may be helpful for relieving hot flashes, which are a possible side effect of hormone therapy.
Acupuncture may also relieve chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, as well as nerve damage called peripheral neuropathy.
Although acupuncture is generally safe, avoid it if you have a low platelet or white blood cell count because it might increase the risk of bleeding or infection.
Nutrition
Good nutrition is an important part of managing cancer. One reason is that a well-balanced diet helps with weight control. Obesity is linked to an increased risk of both getting prostate cancer and dying of it.
Donald Abrams, MD, an integrative oncologist at the UCSF Osher Center for Integrative Health and a professor emeritus of medicine at the University of California in San Francisco, recommends that men with prostate cancer eat a plant-based, antioxidant-rich, anti-inflammatory diet filled with real, whole foods. These include fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and seeds.
Research backs this advice. One study of 2,062 men with prostate cancer found that those who ate the highest amount of plant-based foods over a six-year period had a 47 percent lower risk of disease progression, compared with those who ate the least amount of plant-based foods.
It’s also important to know what to limit or avoid in your diet. Saturated fats found in red meat and processed foods can worsen a prostate cancer prognosis. A study of more than 4,800 men with nonmetastatic prostate cancer found that diets rich in saturated fat were associated with a greater risk of death. Conversely, diets that focused on monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats (found in plant-based foods) were linked to increased survival.
Exercise
Staying active is always important, but especially so when you have prostate cancer. Research has found that exercise is associated with a 30 percent lower risk of death from prostate cancer and a 40 percent risk reduction of death from any cause for the most physically active prostate cancer survivors versus the least active.
Dr. Abrams recommends combining aerobic exercises like jogging or biking with resistance training to strengthen muscles and bones (which hormone therapy can weaken by lowering testosterone levels).
Mindfulness-Based Practices
Mindfulness describes a variety of techniques that focus the mind to promote relaxation and reduce stress. Dr. Handley recommends an eight-week program called mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) or mindfulness-based cancer recovery. These evidence-based programs reduce the severity of symptoms like pain and hot flashes by changing your reaction to them, he says. “I would say MBSR is the gold standard when it comes to a mindfulness-based approach.”
Yoga combines exercise with deep breathing to strengthen the body and relax the mind. In a small study of 29 men with newly diagnosed prostate cancer, a six-week yoga program led to reduced levels of fatigue and stress, increased quality of life, and decreased inflammation.
How to Safely Try Integrative Therapies for Metastatic Prostate Cancer
If you’re interested in trying integrative medicine, your cancer center is the place to start. It’s increasingly common for these centers to have an integrative oncology specialist on staff, says Handley.
If you don’t have access to one of these specialists and your oncologist isn’t familiar with complementary therapies, you can search for a naturopathic provider in your area on KNOW (Knowledge in Integrative Oncology Website).
Check with your oncologist before you try any supplement or complementary therapy, to make sure that it’s safe and won’t interfere with your cancer treatment. For example, radiation therapy and some chemotherapy drugs kill cancer by creating harmful molecules called free radicals that damage the cancer’s DNA. Antioxidants like vitamins A, C, and E counteract that process, so Abrams recommends that his patients stop taking these supplements until they’ve finished treatment.
The Takeaway
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Integrative medicine includes practices like acupuncture, nutrition, exercise, and mindfulness to complement standard prostate cancer treatments by easing symptoms and boosting quality of life.
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These therapies are not an alternative but are used in conjunction with conventional therapies to support your overall treatment plan.
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Always consult with your oncologist before starting any new integrative therapy, to ensure its safety alongside your current treatments.
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthyexperts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions
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