Conventional prostate cancer treatments increase risk of blood clots by 250 percent

Wednesday, July 07, 2010 by: Ethan A. Huff, staff writer
Tags: blood clots, prostate cancer, health news

(NaturalNews) A recent study published in The Lancet Oncology has found that men with prostate cancer are twice as likely as healthy men to suffer a blood clot, and those with the disease who undergo certain conventional treatments are at an even greater risk.

The study involved 76,000 Swedish men who were evaluated based on the number of cases of deep-vein thrombosis (DVT), pulmonary embolism and arterial embolism that occurred. Participants on hormone therapy were twice as likely to suffer a pulmonary embolism and two-and-a-half times more likely to have DVT than those who did not receive the treatment.

Similar results were observed for those receiving curative prostate cancer treatments. Pulmonary embolism risk doubled as a result of the treatment while DVT risk increased by 173 percent.

Scientists cannot explain how having prostate cancer alone increases the likelihood of a patient suffering from a blood clot, but they do know that conventional treatments increase the risk even more. Some even suggest that the treatments themselves are fully responsible for causing clots.

According to reports, up to 50 percent of all patients treated in a hospital are at risk of developing a blood clot in their legs. The clots can spread throughout the body and end up in places like the lungs where they can cause serious damage.

Some symptoms of a leg blood clot include considerable swelling and/or pain in the calf or thigh. There may also be a heat sensation in the leg and it may turn red or purple. Patients should contact their doctors immediately if they suspect a blood clot.

Prostate cancer patients on these therapies may wish to consult with their doctors about alternative treatment options. Though many supposed experts disagree, there are alternative methods to fight prostate cancer that are effective and that don't destroy the rest of the body along with the disease.

Just last December, experts at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research Conference, shared the results of three recent studies on natural ways to treat and prevent cancer, which included a study on hops, another on coffee and another on exercise.

Saw palmetto, walnuts, tomatoes and pomegranates have all been studied and found to fight prostate cancer as well. A diet composed of a variety of nutrient-rich fruits, vegetables, herbs, nuts and healthy oils will work to combat the disease.

Sources for this story include:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_st...