The Immune Recovery Clinic of the Immune Recovery Foundation
Prostate Cancer
The Prostate Cancer Program at IRC is a multi-faceted approach to a complex disease. Prostate cancer in its early stage is usually hormonally driven, hence the use of anti-hormone therapy, which is often successful if the stage is truly “early.” Usually this is combined with surgery. Unfortunately, at the time of detection, the cancer has often metastisized outside the prostate and may be a mix of hormone sensitive and non-hormone sensitive cells. These latter cells will not respond to anti-hormone treatment and may grow at a more aggressive rate. Conventional therapy then requires radiation and chemotherapy. This stage is too late for surgery to be completely effective. The IRC program for chronic diseases can be individualized for prostate cancer patients. In addition, tumor bulk reduction may be recommended through the use of intra arterial therapy (IAT), where deemed appropriate.
Cancer, as with most chronic diseases, is usually “allowed” to exist and progress due to a failure of the immune system to perform its immune surveillance role. The initial immune failure may have been due to a combination of several factors, such as viral attack, heavy metal poisoning, environmental toxins among others. One factor, often overlooked, is diet. Excessive consumption of calories, particularly fats, increases the potential to develop prostate and other cancers. Diet can also suppress the immune system, as can stress. These causative factors can “punch holes” in the immune system, causing it to fail to adequately respond when aberrant cells spontaneously arise. When a small colony of cancer cells have become established they begin to protect themselves with a variety of mechanisms which include further suppression of the immune system (cancer-induced suppression), or immune tolerance of the tumor.
The IRC program is primarily directed toward correction and restoration of the immune function, which by its own nature will begin an attack on the tumor. This program can be supplemented by use of natural products and other agents with anti-cancer activity. The program is an individually designed four weeks intensive protocol which includes: