HIFU Vs Pro-Calefaction

Since your email is not made visible in your profile, I would think that the sender has picked you up from another site.

I looked for that with google, and it seems he is promoting a "cure". I am skeptical.

I read enough that it set off my scam radar.

Have you guys ever heard of him ? Is there many scams on PC ? I would imagine as its a very emotional and stress related occurence. Has anyone heard of the pro califcation?

I have updated my profile :)

While I can't comment if Ben Ong is a scam artist (and his web site does have that "look", but it also has a lot of accurate information, helpful suggestions, etc.) and he does sell supplements and a book -- but so do other reputable supplement providers. I can, however, offer a bit of information on HIFU vs. his "Pro-Calefaction" (I have no idea where he got that name) from my own research after being diagnosed with PC. I was trying to find a focal, non-invasive option to a RP, and HIFU and Trans-Urethral Prostate Hyperthermia were the only two, non-radiation, focal methodologies I found.

HIFU has been approved and used in Europe and Canada for over 15 years, and has an established and well reported efficacy data. It has also been tested in the USA at some of the big med centers (NYU Langone Medical Center) and will probably be FDA approved "soon" (my translation = within a year to "we'll all be dead by then"). It involves high frequency radio waves, introduced trans-rectally to overheat and kill the cancer cells, while not harming the normal cells. It is a two day procedure at the Toronto, Canada hospital I spoke to about it. You do leave with a catheter, for about a week.

TUHP is a similar alternative treatment, using the similar theory that overheating the cancer cells causes them to die. It's methodology is introduced via the urethra and is given 2 times over the course of a week, along with other homeopathic, immune building treatments. There are at least a half-dozed clinics in Germany that do this for PC (you must, however, "fit" their criteria, which is chiefly that the PC is localized within the capsule -- although I have heard of cases that were more advanced). I was, however, not able to find any solid statistical information, trial results, or similar data, as I could with HIFU.

I am not a medical professional (but my younger brother is a doctor and he wanted me to "just have the RP, and get it out") but I wanted to look at the alternatives. I frankly like the TUPH idea, but I need more information than I have now. I decided against HIFU, for the same reason I eliminated all the radiation approaches (if after radiation, the PC comes back -- you can't re-radiate, and you have a scarred mess that most good surgeons wouldn't touch, so then RP is no longer an option either) when the aftermath of HIFU was similarly described. It may be that TUPH does that same thing, and would therefore not be a good long term choice either -- but I have not been able to confirm that so far. While I have surgery tentatively scheduled, I am still hoping to find a less dramatic path.

Diagnosed Nov 2012; PSA 5.0; Gleason 7 (3,4); 4/12 cores

While I was doing my research, I started getting emails from a facility that did HIFU. They even went so far as to send a partially completed application for a mortgage to a bank they worked with on my home for medical expenses. They didn't know I was in an apartment.

When it became clear my insurance did not cover it, and I was not a cash cow, they lost interest very quickly.

Smelled like a scam to me. Treated it like one.

Inchoation said...
I feel you, C_Dillon. I was told about HiFu during my initial dx appointment. I studied all the alternatives as that is what I would've preferred. I really wanted to do Gerson therapy but with the supposed "aggressive" cancer per my biopsy, it didn't seem worth the gamble. You, too, are a Gleason 7 just like was told to me.

Finally, I settled on the "scorched earth" philosophy. I weighed out side effects/quality of life vs. potentially having no more life at all. I'd always told myself if I ever got sick that radiation and chemo were out for me as I'm a big proponent of the body healing itself with dietary and exercise changes as well as better stress management techniques.

HiFu was exciting to me because it was off the beaten path but I didn't feel comfortable gambling on a newer technique with much less data behind it. You have been told similar things I was... Follow up radiation was a possibility if surgery didn't work but it wasn't going to work the other way around. Radiation seeding was the other thing kind of pushed upon me by my uro. I actually talked to the radiation surgeon and I never felt comfortable that he could "cure" me. I asked him point blank... Do you think you can cure a guy with my numbers? ... "I'd be optimistic." was his reply. I asked him wouldn't you be optimistic with every patient every time and he seemed irritated by the question. If he didn't feel really positive that he could fix me then I didn't want to go down the road with him and I'd already decided radiation wasn't the way for me leaving me with Gerson type treatment options, AS, or surgery. Keep telling me I may die if I just do nothing and I jumped at the chance to have surgery.

Best of luck with your decision...it's one of the most difficult parts of the journey. Finding peace regarding your best treatment option is what every man wants. Hoping that peace finds you and stays joined at your hip, soon.

As for scams, guys like us are prime candidates to get scammed considering they're going right after some of our identity as a man and life itself. We all want to believe.

So how did your surgery work out for you? Did you have robotic or open? What was your experience?

C_Dillon said...

Inchoation said...
I feel you, C_Dillon. I was told about HiFu during my initial dx appointment. I studied all the alternatives as that is what I would've preferred. I really wanted to do Gerson therapy but with the supposed "aggressive" cancer per my biopsy, it didn't seem worth the gamble. You, too, are a Gleason 7 just like was told to me.

Finally, I settled on the "scorched earth" philosophy. I weighed out side effects/quality of life vs. potentially having no more life at all. I'd always told myself if I ever got sick that radiation and chemo were out for me as I'm a big proponent of the body healing itself with dietary and exercise changes as well as better stress management techniques.

HiFu was exciting to me because it was off the beaten path but I didn't feel comfortable gambling on a newer technique with much less data behind it. You have been told similar things I was... Follow up radiation was a possibility if surgery didn't work but it wasn't going to work the other way around. Radiation seeding was the other thing kind of pushed upon me by my uro. I actually talked to the radiation surgeon and I never felt comfortable that he could "cure" me. I asked him point blank... Do you think you can cure a guy with my numbers? ... "I'd be optimistic." was his reply. I asked him wouldn't you be optimistic with every patient every time and he seemed irritated by the question. If he didn't feel really positive that he could fix me then I didn't want to go down the road with him and I'd already decided radiation wasn't the way for me leaving me with Gerson type treatment options, AS, or surgery. Keep telling me I may die if I just do nothing and I jumped at the chance to have surgery.

Best of luck with your decision...it's one of the most difficult parts of the journey. Finding peace regarding your best treatment option is what every man wants. Hoping that peace finds you and stays joined at your hip, soon.

As for scams, guys like us are prime candidates to get scammed considering they're going right after some of our identity as a man and life itself. We all want to believe.

So how did your surgery work out for you? Did you have robotic or open? What was your experience?

I had robot assisted Davinci (nerve sparing) not sure why that isn't showing at bottom of my postings?

Everything is a matter of perception, but my perception is it was a smashing success. Both nerve bundles were spared and referred to as "very robust" and who doesn't like hearing that? :) I had nearly full continence control at 10 weeks save for hitting a golf ball, and that's improving each time out. I was able to have usable erections from post surgery on. I'm about 50% in that regard. I took Cialis for one month but am averse to drugs so stopped and take certain nerve regenerating supplements. Surgeon said in 2-3 months I should be back to what I was prior to surgery which was very good. Not close to that but feel extremely hopeful and confident I'll return almost as good as new. It is odd having dry orgasms but there's upside to that.

My pathology was clean which I deemed far more important than the news of nerves being spared and the flawless nature of the procedure.

I'm 4 months out from catheter removal and feel very much the same energy levels and in some ways more now that cancer and prostatitis are no longer factors for me. I suffered some bad prostatitis which was the only reason I was clued into cancer. I would've had surgery just to stop the chronic prostatitis it seemed I developed. That would've been more life altering than the side effects from surgery. Lots of bonuses with doing surgery. Do I wish I still had my wally walnut gland? Absolutely, but not if it wasn't going to be 100% and it wasn't, so I'm glad it's gone.

If I had to do it all over again given the same choices being through this...I would choose this again. There is nothing else I would've felt enough confidence in to do instead, or I'd have chosen that.

Hoping you get your peace about having surgery, or you find an alternative that brings it to you.