title: Complementary medicine down-regulates side-effects of hormone therapy in prostate cancer patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The present clinical investigation was performed to evaluate the benefits of complementary medicine in prostate cancer patients undergoing hormone therapy (HT).
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients (N=93) were treated according to international guidelines. All patients suffered from side-effects induced by the HT. To reduce the side-effects, the patients were complementarily treated with a combination of sodium selenite, proteolytic plant enzymes and Lens culinaris (Lc) lectin. On case report formulas (CRFs), self assessment of defined side-effects of HT (arthralgia, mucosal dryness, bone pain and hot flushes) were documented before (T-0) and on days 25 (T-1) and 50 (T-2) after complementary treatment. Validation was carried-out by scoring from 1 (no side-effects/optimal tolerability) to 6 (extreme side-effects/extremely bad tolerability), however, only patients suffering from severe side-effects (symptom scores >3) were enrolled in this investigation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The severity of side-effects of HT was reduced by complementary treatment with sodium selenite, proteolytic plant enzymes and Lc-lectin. The mean scores of side-effects declined for arthralgia from 4.72 (T-0) to 3.66 (T-1) to 2.76 (T-2), for mucosal dryness from 4.45 (T-0) to 3.65 (T-1) to 2.90 (T-2), for bone pain from 4.74 (T-0) to 3.44 (T-1) to 2.82 (T-2), for hot flushes from 4.97 (T-0) to 3.70 (T-1) to 3.15 (T-2). The reduced severity of the side-effects was statistically significant (p<0.001) for T-1 and T-2, compared to T-0.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This investigation demonstrates benefits of indication-based complementary treatment with the combination of sodium selenite, proteolytic plant enzymes and Lc-lectin in prostate cancer patients, e.g. reduction of side-effects of HT.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Naturopathy, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany hans.beuth@uk-koeln.de.
authors.forename: Josef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Beuth
authors.affiliation: Medical Data Research (MDR)-CRO, Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Rudolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Van Leendert
authors.affiliation: Medical Data Research (MDR)-CRO, Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Kirsten
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pempelfort
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biometrics, Medical University Hannover, Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Berthold
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.affiliation: Urological Outdoor Practice, Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Grund
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Urology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Udo
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Engelmann
mesh_terms: D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D000529:Complementary Therapies; D019468:Disease Management; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D037121:Plant Lectins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D057566:Self Report; D018038:Sodium Selenite / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal; D037121:Plant Lectins; C033619:lentil lectin; D018038:Sodium Selenite
keywords: Prostate cancer; adjuvant hormone therapy; complementary medicine; side-effects; tolerability