supplement use during PCa Radiotherapy

[SimMartin]

I read various things around what to take and what not to take when having radiotherapy to the prostate.

I have for some time taken BioCurcumin (BCM-95) - (curcuminoids 860 mg) for my post polio muscle pain and vit D and K2

I recently read that this can effect on PSA blood tests (unsure how and to what degree?) but is it a no no during the radiotherapy and or after the actual radiotherapy- I am having 60Gy in 20 sesssion (plus Zoladex) less than some but given my co-morbidities this seemed a good option and some research indicates it maybe as good as less Gy per session but more sessions and total Gy. Anyway that’s what I chose on discussion with my oncologist and team.

So, what’s the general view/advice on supplements - I know antioxidants are to be avoided but what else ?!

[Tall_Allen]

Here's the best info about curcumin and Vitamin D:

prostatecancer.news/2019/04...

prostatecancer.news/2018/07...

The critical period for interference from supplements is the 20 days of radiation.

Exercise is the best thing I know of while getting radiation.

[SimMartin in reply to Tall_Allen]

well that’s rather disturbing seeing as I was in the curcumin complex when I had my PSMA scan showing no spread ! Should we worried now ! As my current treatment plan is based on organ contained and only having radiation to prostate and SVs

I wasn’t taking the curcumin for PCa but post polio muscle pain … no one said anything about stopping prior to scan 🤦🏻‍♂️

[Tall_Allen in reply to SimMartin]

Pylarify isn't a chelation complex like Ga-68-PSMA-11.

[SimMartin in reply to Tall_Allen]

so is my PSMA scan unreliable- that is the question ! ? Enough worries as I start the RT next week.

[Justfor_ in reply to SimMartin]

PSMA and PSA are two different things. Even if Curcumin affected your PSA, which in my personal experimentation did NOT, your PSMA scan could not become unreliable.

[SierraSix in reply to Tall_Allen]

I am scheduled for SBRT in 10 days. It sounds like I should avoid all supplements and exercise a lot? are there any other recommendations to try and ensure a successful treatment? (Breath exercises..etc)?

[Tall_Allen in reply to SierraSix]

Just exercise - it improves tissue oxygenation.

[Cooolone in reply to Tall_Allen]

Would then HBOT be beneficial during or on conjunction with RT? Considering the hypoxic environment has been shown to be associated with a cancer friendly environment.

Does the opposite, hyperoxic environment...? There's been studies to show it helps (HBOT) in regard to radiation toxicity after the fact, but what about during RT delivery? Oxidative vs Antioxidant's...

[Tall_Allen in reply to Cooolone]

Exercise is a lot cheaper and more convenient.

[Cooolone in reply to Tall_Allen]

Lol, of course, but the HBOT has no sweat equity ;)

[ODave]

I had SBRT in Sept of 20. Halfway thru treatment I read about not taking supplements. I talked to the RO and he said yes don’t take anything. They never told me this pre treatment 😑 He said the few days I took them shouldn’t affect it much

[Teufelshunde]

First, like said above, dont worry about PSA and supplements, as we are looking for change over time. Like a scale in your bathroom. If it is off consistently by 5 lbs, it does not matter. You are either losing weight, gaining weight, or staying the same. Keep taking your curcumin, as it is a wonder supplement. I use BioCur like you and NanoCur.

Now on to radiation. See below on Curcumin and Melatonin. I took both during my two months of SRT. I also used a high dose melatonin cream in entire area, just in case.

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

Hope that helps. Good luck.

[SimMartin in reply to Teufelshunde]

thanks for the various info and comments. Of course I am aware of that exercise is held up as THE best counter to both RT and ADT as well as mental health / unfortunately in my case I had polio as a child (just before THAT vaccine was widely available) so I lived with around 40% less muscle than an average man and have been a wheelchair user about 70% of the time for the last decade or so as use a ventilator at night to sleep.

So the exercise I do is extremely Limited but I do my best.

The odd thing is I was pretty well before the PCa discovery and my life whilst different and restricted was not supposed to be shorter due to post polio issues. Obviously I am therefore attempting the best possible treatment within what my body can take at 72.

The supplement issue around the RT seems straightforward more or less. However given I am having 60Gy over 20 sessions and not any nodal treatment as the team are taking the view that as the PSMA scan showed no spread outside the prostate the damage vs risk in my case is worth avoiding extra.

Of course at G9 it’s high risk so if my concern is that being on Curcumin when I had the PSMA scan MAY have interferes with it picking up any spread. Of course it’s never totally accurate but obviously it may influence the ongoing ADT risk balance.

I start the RT in a few days so the treatment plan is set for the RT so kind of unhelpful over thinking things - as a psychologist perhaps that is my personality trait that’s not so helpful with PCa !

[Teufelshunde in reply to SimMartin]

Good luck. With regard to polio, my mom was stricken at age 6. She just passed this summer on her birthday at age 94. For her it was just lower body so had iron braces and crutches. It never stopped her. She would take the el downtown in Chicago to work, learned to drive, raised three kids and loved God. I had a book written about her life since she inspired so many people. It is called The Third Step (that is when her legs stopped working) by Lisa Bell. I always encourage people to go to Amazon, search The Third Step by Lisa Bell and read my forward.

You sound like an overcomer also. It is 1 1/2 years since my 2 months of daily radiation. All is well. Keep going brother. Our prayers are with you.