Choosing Supplements for Prostate Cancer Part: 1

PCRI's executive director, Mark Scholz, MD, provides general guidelines for judging the efficacy (the ability to produce the desired result) of vitamins and supplements for prostate cancer.

1:35 There is a lot of interest in supplements for prostate cancer for a few reasons. Compared to other types of cancer, many men with prostate cancer will live with the condition for a long time. This means that they have the opportunity to experiment with different supplements and they will usually be interested in supplements for their general health. The ability to track PSA levels, too, means that men have an objective measure to determine the effect of a supplement on their prostate cancer.

2:44 One example of a popular supplement for prostate cancer was a collection of Chinese herbs called PC-SPES. When it was released, many men with prostate cancer experienced PSA declines. However, people began to noticed estrogenic effects—breast enlargement and blood clots, and the supplement was taken off the market. Despite its failure, PC-SPES does offer hope that alternative medicines can produce objective benefits.

3:50 Many people who have given up on Western medicine will go places like Mexico for herbal concoctions. In most cases, men who seemed to benefit from these treatments also seemed to have estrogenic side effects. This suggests that these supposed natural remedies are actually adulterated with pharmaceutical agents that are the actual active ingredients.

4:48 The first thing to ask yourself when assessing a supplement is to ask whether or not it works for you. For example, glucosamine and chondroitin are two supplements that can alleviate arthritic pain for some people, but not for everyone. It is reasonable to try one of these supplements for a few months, and then determine whether or not you are benefiting.

5:43 Another way to determine the quality of a supplement is to consider the source. Does the person or company selling the substance have a reputation for making quality products? Do they follow good business practices? Is their marketing pitch based on solid scientific evidence?

6:44 Another way to judge whether or not a vitamin or supplement is good for you is to check blood levels. Rather than taking vitamins at random, a physician can check your blood for vitamin levels and determine whether or not you have a particular vitamin deficiency. Vitamin D and vitamin B12 are two common deficiencies, but if you are not deficient, then there is no benefit to taking more.

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