Personally, I have only seen hair loss, anorexia, and weight loss in one patient who received a dose of 300,000 mcg of selenium a day. Carefully controlled trials with selenium such as at the University of Arizona are critically important to our understanding of how best to use selenium. We urge patients doing watchful waiting to join in such trials if this is possible. The use of soy and genistein in the prevention of PC was discussed above. Genistein has been proposed as an effective agent to prevent the expression of metastatic capacity in hormone dependent cancers.
Cancer cells use the enzyme tyrosine kinase as a growth factor.
Soy genistein is a potent inhibitor of tyrosine kinase activity. The effects of protein kinase inhibitors on human prostate cell growth have been extensively investigated. In active PC patients, we are exploring higher doses of genistein using Life Extension Mega Soy Extract. Currently, we are advising two of these capsules a day and are trying to arrange for serum genistein levels. We routinely use 0.5 mcg of Rocaltrol at bedtime.