September 2008 September 2008 -- Issue #57 Issue #57

Prostate Cancer Support Helpline 514-694-6412 email: fred.crombie@videotron.ca

Montreal West Island Montreal West Island

Prostate Cancer Support Group

MEETING LOCATION

Sarto Desnoyers Community Centre Sarto Desnoyers Community Centre Sarto Desnoyers Community Centre Sarto Desnoyers Community Centre 1335 Lakeshore Drive, DORVAL1335 Lakeshore Drive, DORVAL1335 Lakeshore Drive, DORVAL1335 Lakeshore Drive, DORVAL

September 25 @ 7:30 PMSeptember 25 @ 7:30 PMSeptember 25 @ 7:30 PMSeptember 25 @ 7:30 PM Dr. Irwin KuzmarovDr. Irwin KuzmarovDr. Irwin KuzmarovDr. Irwin Kuzmarov

Urologist Prostate Cancer ManagementProstate Cancer ManagementProstate Cancer ManagementProstate Cancer Management in an Ambulatory Hospitalin an Ambulatory Hospitalin an Ambulatory Hospitalin an Ambulatory Hospital

Cancer Centre Cancer Centre Cancer Centre Cancer Centre

October 23 @ 7:30 PMOctober 23 @ 7:30 PMOctober 23 @ 7:30 PMOctober 23 @ 7:30 PM Speaker and subjectSpeaker and subjectSpeaker and subjectSpeaker and subject to be announcedto be announcedto be announcedto be announced

COME EARLY AT 7:00 PM TO CHAT COME EARLY AT 7:00 PM TO CHAT COME EARLY AT 7:00 PM TO CHAT COME EARLY AT 7:00 PM TO CHAT

NEXT MEETINGS

EVERYONE IS INVITED

TO ATTEND OUR

PUBLIC MEETINGS

We meet every fourthWe meet every fourthWe meet every fourthWe meet every fourth Thursday of each month exceptThursday of each month exceptThursday of each month exceptThursday of each month except July, August and DecemberJuly, August and DecemberJuly, August and DecemberJuly, August and December

Contributors

Directors Allan Moore, Tom Grant and Charles Curtis at our booth at the McGill Men's Health

Day held on June 13 & 14 at the Carrefour Angrignon shopping centre. Also attending our booth

were Joe Applebaum, Fred Crombie, Gary Frendt, Allen Lehrer, Francesco Moranelli, Monty

Newborn, Les Poloncsak and Ron Sawatzky

WHY GO TO THE MEETINGS? First, if you can’t attend the monthly meetings for any reason, you get terrific

write-ups on the talks in the Newsletters. These are written by Bill Corless. Bill works

from voice recordings, and recently he has been able to obtain the notes of many of the

speakers to flesh out his reports.

But the meetings are special. For some strange reason, the attendees are a gregari-

ous lot and there are a number of very good story tellers. The questions following the

talks reveal degrees of knowledge that must certainly surprise the doctors and practi-

tioners. Everybody seems up and you would never know that at one time they had

been sick.

There is thought that McGill and other medical training institutions choose their

candidates, not only on their marks, but on their ability to interface with people

(bedside manner?) and a good part of their communication skills is humour. Some-

times, during a very serious discourse, our guest will show a cartoon or make a com-

ment, though vaguely relevant, will be very funny. We supply some of the laughs in

the form of stories by past president Joe Applebaum. Joe’s jokes are like wedding

charms, some old, some new, some borrowed and mostly blue. (continued on page 3)

Page 2 Issue 57 September 2008

Montreal West Island Prostate Cancer Support Group

Lecture �otes

From the desk

of Bill Corless

Robin Glance - Nutrition

and Prostate Cancer

May 22, 2008

What to cook up to reduce your risk Robin Glance graduated from the McGill’s School of

Dietetics and Human Nutrition. For the past two years she

has been with the Montreal General Hospital in the De-partment of Radiation Uncology. She has been working

closely with cancer treatment patients during and after

treatments, to counsel these patients on changes to their

diet according to treatment.

Robin entitled her lecture: “Nutrition & Prostate Can-

cer: What to cook up to reduce your risk”. Her lecture out-

line followed, showing that some nutrients in our diets should be limited while others should be increased or

added. For example, fat and cholesterol are necessary

parts of a balanced diet. However excess amounts can be

associated with the development and progression of Pros-

tate Cancer (PC). Cholesterol is the raw material in the

body used for testosterone production. This plays a major

role in development of PC. On the positive side, she sum-marized the topics that could guide our search for healthy

changes in our diet: vitamins and minerals, antioxidants /

phytonutrients, and Omega-3 fatty acids.

Robin gave us some proven methods on limiting fat in

our diets: avoid greasy and fried foods; cook with minimal

amounts of vegetable oil. The generic term "vegetable oil"

when used to label a cooking oil product refers to a blend

of a variety of oils often based on palm, corn, soybean or

sunflower oils. Eat smaller portions of meat, especially red

meat. Choose lower fat milk and dairy products Another nutrient is essential – protein. This is needed

for tissue growth and repair for every cell in your body! It

is easy to find animal sources of protein. However, some

animal protein tends to be high in fat, saturated fat and

cholesterol. Robin was able to give us an answer: plant

protein, which is low in fat and high in protein and can be

found in many important sources e.g. beans and legumes. One of these sources are soy beans which have been

called the Wonder Bean. Soy beans are a great source of

low-fat protein. Soy beans and other soy products contain

antioxidants called isoflavones. These have been shown to

help reduce the growth of prostate tumours. A daily dose

of Soy protein at 25 – 40 gm comes in many forms: soy

beans, soy milk, soy nuts, tofu. Recently, it seems that soy products are becoming more accepted although this has

taken a long time.

Among the many other nutrients that would be posi-

tive to our menus, Robin listed Vitamin D. Its main function

is to increase the body’s production and absorption of cal-

Robin Glance receiving a bouquet of flowers from our Director

Allan Moore

(continued on page 3)

This Newsletter is available in colour via the Internet at: www.procure.ca & www.cpcn.org www.procure.ca & www.cpcn.org www.procure.ca & www.cpcn.org www.procure.ca & www.cpcn.org

Page 3 Issue 57 September 2008

Montreal West Island Prostate Cancer Support Group

At the end of the evening, we gather for coffee, tea or

juice and deadly doughnuts. All the doctors and nutritionists

rail against the doughnuts, but they do taste good.

Below, we give thumbnail sketches of some of the talks,

but there were other very interesting speakers who were also

much appreciated.

Early in the year, we had the dean of Montreal urolo-

gists, Dr. Yosh Taguchi. He came prepared with his Power-

Point presentation. Unfortunately we couldn’t make it work.

This may have been a generational thing- everybody trying

to hook it up was over seventy. Instead, Dr. Taguchi stood

before us for nearly two hours taking us through the history

of prostate cancer medicine. He told us what was tried, what

was unproven, what was new and what we may expect in the

future. All in all, it was very informative and interesting.

Then, we had the elegant Marie-Jose Lord talk to us

about the practical problems of incontinence. Marie-Jose’s

knowledge of the organs of the lower abdomen and their

functions is really impressive. She is a great proponent of the

Kegel exercises and she gave us some new strategies to com-

bat squirts and leaks. We were even told the most efficient

way to, ahem, pass water. Marie- Jose is a super Hockey-

mom. Her son, Marc-Edouard Vlasic, who she followed all

through the minors, now plays for the San Jose Sharks. He is

only twenty, has already completed two years in the NHL,

and has just signed a new contract for many millions.

Later, Dr. Peter Chan gave a seminar on how to reclaim

one’s sex life. Dr. Chan is a urologist who leads the very

popular Men’s Health Day put on by McGill at shopping

centers around town. He advises not to give up on sex but to

work at it. His presentation dealt with the efficacy of the

drugs, Viagra, etc., and the effectiveness of various devices

and medical procedures that are available. He said that

‘equipment’ sold in sex shops can help sometimes and may

be less expensive. The frank discussions that followed in the

question period indicated that the members had real concerns

and great interest in the subject.

For the grand finale, the guest speaker was Dr. Joe

Schwarcz. This has become a tradition and each time we

have to hastily put up more chairs. Using the word perform-

ance in the very best sense of the word, it was a spectacular

performance. Dr. Joe looked into the world of magic and in

particular Harry Houdini. We were told of Houdini’s life

story and the fantastic feats, including death-defying es-

capes, that at one time made him the most famous man in the

world. We were given a little insight into the very secretive

business of magic and to top it all, Dr. Joe performed some

wonderful magic tricks of his own. By Tom Grant

Why go to the meetings? (continued from page 1)

Robin Glance - Nutrition and Prostate Cancer (continued from page 2)

cium, and has been shown to slow the growth of PC in cer-

tain circumstances. Sources of Vitamin D include sunlight

and fatty fish. Given the local weather and the possibility

of inadequate sunlight, she suggested that for some peo-ple the use of 400 – 500 IU Vitamin D supplements. How-

ever too much calcium in the diet can interfere with vita-

min D absorption – limit intake of milk products to 2 per

day.

Vitamin E is an antioxidant which may slow progres-

sion of PC; sources include nuts, leafy green vegetables

and whole grains. Selenium is an antioxidant mineral which may help decrease incidence of PC and is found in

seafood, brazil nuts and whole grains.

Antioxidant/phytonutrients are non-nutrient com-

pounds that serve a role of protecting cells from oxidative

damage. These include:

Lycopenes are found primarily in tomatoes and to-mato products as well as papaya and watermelon. Note

that cooking seems to activate the tomatoes; cooked to-

matoes have higher concentrations.

Sulphurophanes seem to detoxify cancer compounds

which we ingest. Sources include broccoli, cauliflower and

others. The highest concentration source is in broccoli

sprouts. Alliums enhance the disposal of cancer-causing com-

pounds. Garlic and onions are both good sources. Robin

let us in on another secret which is to crush the garlic and

(continued on page 5)

Page 4 Issue 57 September 2008

Montreal West Island Prostate Cancer Support Group

George Grant (continued on page 5)

The recollections of George Grant(age 72 Gleason score

6) of a Da Vinci robot assisted laproscopic prostatectomy

performed by Dr Assad El–Hakim and the surgical team at

Sacre Coeur Hospital in Montreal to whom I am greatly in-

debted.

Its a chilly morning on Dec. 12, 2007 as I enter Sacre

Coeur Hospital at 6 am the pre operation x-rays, blood tests

of the previous week, are just a memory as I enter Admis-

sions.

By 8am the admissions process is complete, and the pre-

op routine is underway, I meet the anesthetist and then

mildly sedated I am wheeled up stairs to meet Da Vinci the

robot. I catch a quick glimpse of the robot with his metallic

arms hanging limp at his sides, then suddenly it is lights out

My next clear recollection is around 3pm, and I am talking

with my wife and family. The operation that has taken two

and half hours has been successfully completed, Da Vinci

has done his work.

Wed, Dec. 12, post operation. I view my surroundings in

the recovery unit that I share with 5 other patients with inter-

est. I am fitted out with an IV drip, inflating stockings (to

prevent clotting), and a catheter. I feel no acute pain only

moderately uncomfortable bloated feeling caused by a build

up of gas internally. Every hour I perform breathing exer-

cises with an Airlite apparatus to help prevent lung infection,

and a young nurse checks on my condition. I’m surprised

when the nurse asks me to walk, but at 8pm after a liquid

supper of soup, jello, and fruit juice I walk about 50 metres

up and down the hallway. Sometime later I receive an in-

jection to reduce the discomfort, and help me sleep.

Thurs, Dec. 13. With the dawn comes Dr EL-Hakim .

He removes the drainpipe in my side and tells me that I am

going home at lunchtime. He answers my questioning look

with the explanation that one recovers better at home. At

9.30am after a liquid breakfast and a wash I am out of bed

taking the first of a number of walks in the hallway. After a

liquid lunch I leave for home with my catheter, medication,

and instructions not to eat solid food until I have passed

gas, and to walk as much as I can. At 3pm I am drinking

my first cup of tea at home, and thinking that the previous

24 hours have been a day well spent.

I attach the large night bag to the catheter in prepara-

tion for the night. For the rest of the day I remain in bed,

except for a short walk every two to three hours. Then at

8pm I pass a small amount of gas, the relief is palpable. I

am feeling tired, and a little groggy, but I continue the

breathing exercises. With the aid of a codeine tablet I man-

age to sleep a little during the night.

Fri, Dec. 14. At 6am I empty the night bag, the urine is

clear no sign of blood. I decide not to change to the smaller

bag, but to carry the larger night bag with me during the

day to avoid more frequent emptying, and changes until the

catheter is removed I also decide to remain in the house

until the removal of the catheter. When emptying the bag I

feel a strange sensation that I decide is due to a pressure

change in the bladder as the urine exits the bag. It is not an

unpleasant sensation and soon becomes routine. I remain in

bed most of the day, performing the breathing exercises

every couple of hours. I do laps around the house every

two hours starting with 10 mins, by the evening I have ex-

tended the laps to 30 mins. I maintain the liquid diet and

pass gas three times during the day after which my discom-

fort level diminishes considerably. Tired I take a codeine

tablet and sleep to 4am.

Sat, Dec. 15, wake early and I decide to add a little por-

ridge to the liquid diet. I am getting into a daily routine

now of periodic bag emptying, breathing exercises and

walking two to three hours per day. Finally in the evening

comes my first bowel movement, small but welcome never

the less.

From the Dec. 16 to the catheter removal on Dec. 20

the routine is mostly the same, with ever-increasing mobil-

ity and steadily decreasing discomfort.

Thurs, Dec. 20. At the Royal Victoria hospital the nurse

removes the catheter, and dressings, no problems, the 6

small incisions (1/2”) have healed well, and the urine

stream is good. I return home in my first diaper, wondering

how things will go without the catheter. Will there be leaks,

In the Arms of the Robot

Page 5 Issue 57 September 2008

Montreal West Island Prostate Cancer Support Group

how many and how bad, I head for bed with my diaper and

hope for the best.

Friday, Dec. 21. Awake at 4am there are 2or 3 drops of

blood in the urine at the beginning of voiding. The bowel

movement is slow, and I have a mild ache at the bottom of

the right lung, but no incontinence during the night, which is

an encouraging sign. I follow a routine of normal activities

around the house and cease taking the medications. I con-

tinue to wear the diaper during the day, but experience only

four leaks, all of them very small no more than a few drops,

and there are no leaks at night. I begin the Kegel exercises

again (3 sets of 10, three times a day).

From this point on the daily routine remains similar. In-

continence never becomes a significant problem the leaks are

small and few in number (max 6 per day), and I abandon the

diaper after 4 days and by Feb. 7 I have discontinued using

In the Arms of the Robot (continued from page 4)

a pad of any sort. Although I experienced a moderate level

of discomfort for the first 2 days the pain was never acute,

diminished rapidly, and after 4 weeks I rarely suffered any

further discomfort. Surprisingly although erectile dysfunc-

tion was 100% immediately after the operation, within 2

weeks there are once again signs of life the improvement

continues until today when performance is close to pre-op

levels but somewhat less reliable or predictable than previ-

ously. I had also anticipated bowel movement problems but

apart from a certain sluggishness on several occasions none

really materialize. In the ensuing weeks I continue my nor-

mal activities in and outside the house, while maintaining the

Kegel, and breathing exercises. Then on Fri, Feb. 22 I return

for the first time to the gym and life is pretty well back to

where it was before a malignant prostate and Da Vinci en-

tered my life. By George Grant

Robin Glance - Nutrition and Prostate Cancer (continued from page 3)

let it stand 15 minutes to help to activate the cancer-

fighting properties

Polyphenols are powerful antioxidants that inhibit tu-

mour growth. Sources for polyphenols include green tea, dark chocolate and red wine.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids can play an important role in the

maintenance of a healthy prostate and repairing diseased

tissue. Sources include fatty fish (salmon, trout, sardine),

leafy green vegetables, flax seed. It is recommended to

have at least two servings of fish per week.

The Right Balance

We should choose most of the foods we eat from plant

sources – ¾ of our plate should be covered in plant-based

foods. It was suggested that ½ of the plate be covered in

fruits and vegetables, ¼ for whole grain, potatoes, rice, or

pasta, and the last ¼ for protein. From another point of

view, we should aim for at least 5 servings of fruit and vegetables per day. A serving of fruit would be an apple,

10 – 15 grapes, or half a banana.

In summary

From the dietary point of view the key to preventing

the onset of PC is variety and balance. Consume plenty of

fresh fruits and vegetables and whole-grains while limit-

ing intake of fatty, processed foods and animal proteins. The high level of interest of the audience was evident

in the number of questions, both during the presentation,

at Robin’s suggestion, and after the lecture. Each response

was complete and readily understood. Robin’s lecture was

interesting and also practical. She used a hands on ap-

proach to her examples of good nutrition combinations.

This prepared those in the audience for the best way to manage their diets for their own specific needs.

Report by Bill Corless

Telephone Helpline (514) 694-6412

IMPORTANT NOTICES:

� The Montreal West Island Prostate Cancer Support Group Inc encourages wives, loved ones and friends to attend all meetings. Please ask basic or per-sonal questions without fear or embarrassment. You need not give your name or other personal information.

� The Montreal West Island Prostate Cancer Support Group Inc does not recom-mend treatment procedures, medications or physicians. All information is, however, freely shared. Any errors and omissions in this newsletter are the responsibility of the authors.

� The Montreal West Island Prostate Cancer Support Group Inc. is a recognized charitable Organization. All donations are acknowledged with receipts suitable for income tax deductions. Your donations and membership fees (voluntary) are a very important source of funds vital to our operations. Together with contributions from several pharmaceutical companies these funds pay the cost of printing and mailing our newsletter, hall rental, phone helpline, equip-ment, library, etc.

Your support is needed now! Mailing Address:

Montreal West Island Prostate Cancer Support Group Inc.Montreal West Island Prostate Cancer Support Group Inc.Montreal West Island Prostate Cancer Support Group Inc.Montreal West Island Prostate Cancer Support Group Inc. P.O. Box 722, PointeP.O. Box 722, PointeP.O. Box 722, PointeP.O. Box 722, Pointe----Claire, QC Claire, QC Claire, QC Claire, QC Canada H9R 4S8Canada H9R 4S8Canada H9R 4S8Canada H9R 4S8

Steering Committee: Joe Applebaum, Past President 514-694-5667 joerita@sympatico.ca Fred Crombie, Treasurer 514-694-8149 fred.crombie@videotron.ca Charles Curtis, Outreach 514-697-4517 Tom Grant, Hospitality & Writer 514-631-9293 tomgrant@total.net Edward Komulainen, Greeter 514-453-4409 George Larder, Secretary 514-630-9632 gflarder@sympatico.ca Allen Lehrer, Vice President 514-626-1100 allen.lehrer@videotron.ca Allan Moore, Library 514-630-1865 nmoore@total.net Francesco Moranelli, Library 514-696-1119 f.moranelli@sympatico.ca Monty Newborn, Greeter 514-487-7554 newborn@cs.mcgill.ca Les Poloncsak, Library & Hall 514-695-0411 imppol@videotron.ca Ron Sawatzky, President 514-626-1730 ronsaw@hotmail.com Senior Advisors: Lorna Curtis, Marcel D’Aoust, Ron McCune, Ludwick Papaurelis, Doug Potvin, Ron Schurman, Joe Soul

VOLUNTEERS URGENTLY NEEDED!

Page 6 Issue 57 September 2008

Montreal West Island Prostate Cancer Support Group

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