Customer Reviews

Dr. Katz's Guide to Prostate Health: From Conventional to Holistic Therapies

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This comprehensive and straightforward discussion of prostate health is a must read for every man over 45. Why, because a majority of these men will experience an enlarged, inflamed, or cancerous prostate, and this book tells you what to do about each of these common diseases, from prevention to diagnosis, and then from selecting a treatment to dealing with the variety of possible post-therapy results.

Prostate cancer is second only to lung cancer as the leading killer of men. This research-based book offers practical strategies for preventing prostate cancer, and details the variety of approaches to treating this disease.

As an author of 15 research-based books, I appreciate Dr. Katz's readable and coherent writing style; and as a victim of prostate cancer, I appreciate Dr. Katz's thorough and balanced coverage of prostate health. Throughout four years of dealing with prostate cancer, I have read numerous books and research reports on the subject. Most of these presentations are narrow-minded, incomplete, or perplexing. This text offers the most comprehensive and coherent presentation, decreasing both my confusion and distress about prostate disease.

Indeed, if I had read this book four years ago, I would have been more informed about selecting a course of treatment. I would have felt more like a participant than a victim throughout the process of diagnosis, treatment selection, post-surgery recovery, and follow-up assessments. At least now, with this book as a guide, I am more in control of dealing with a return of my prostate cancer after three years of remission.
Like no other, this book opened my eyes to the variety of options available for the prevention, treatment, and survival of prostate cancer. Bottom line: Read this book for the health of your prostate. The more you know about prostate disease, the more you can do to prevent or treat it effectively.

I have really strong feelings both pro and con about Dr. Katz's book.

On the one hand, it is one of the most comprehensive books on the care and treatment of the prostate and its problems that I have come across, and I have read many. It gives detailed information, and DOSAGE LEVELS for recommended herb treatments for BPH and prostatitis, along with conventional medical prescription options, as opposed to the generalized information in these areas that you'll typically find elsewhere. I was impressed with the detailed information about how prostate processes and treatments actually work in this book, as I've never seen another that explored options on both sides of the traditional medicine/holistic line, that are usually at such odds with each other. In this sense, I don't think the book has any peer, and in that sense, I believe it deserves the highest rating.

The big problem that I have with this book, is that, while it was written and published as late as 2005-2006, Dr. Katz seems to lose all his objectivity when it comes to prostate cancer and the latest treatment results, and simply reverts back to being a urologist. By this I mean that according to the good doctor, the only reasonable treatment for prostate cancer is surgery. Surgery is what urologists do, so consequently, Dr. Katz continues to portray prostate surgery as the "Gold Standard" in prostate cancer treatment.

While lots of men have certainly travelled down this road, I've heard from more than a few doctors (including urologists) that with the advancements currently being made for prostate cancer treatment, it is quite possible that in ten years surgery will not even be performed anymore as a treatment for prostate cancer. That is of course unless most urologists have something to say about it.

While a multitude of prostate cancer patients are now routinely being treated with external beam radiation, radiated seed implants, and hormone therapy -- all with results that equal surgery with fewer lifelong side effects, Dr. Katz barely mentions these options as frontline treatments, relegating them to some sort of "clean up" therapies when the problem exceeds surgery's ability to help.

In my opinion, this is a huge failing of this book, as dealing with prostate cancer is one of its primary directives, and certainly one of the most important. It's interesting, in that this serious shortfall could easily make the entire book irrelevant to its audience, if it wasn't so wonderful in every other respect.

Because I have to respect what is so comprehensive and original about this book, I have to give it four stars, knocking it down from five because of its one very significant failing.

For all men seeking comprehensive answers about prostate health, this is a good place to start. But please don't let Dr. Katz's impressive knowledge and stature as an expert in this area influence you about surgery being the only realistic option when it comes to prostate cancer. From what I've learned from many other books and from prostate cancer patients themselves, it simply is not the only answer, and it very possibly is not even the best one.

My best wishes to you if you have prostate cancer. In your efforts to find a treatment that you are "comfortable" with, please take the time to read as many books as possible before making any decision, or even getting additional opinions. Much more knowledge and perspective can be gained from some of the better books on the subject, than from visiting a number of doctors that will press their own subjective opinions, if you don't have your own knowledge already in hand. Whatever you choose, you will likely find out so much more about the disease and your treatment options after you choose and receive a form of treatment, than you did before. Since treatment is irreversable, try to try to narrow that gap as much as possible beforehand.

Good luck to you.

Dr. Katz did a great service to men and their loved ones by building upon conventional medicine and methods in this book. By adding and blending alternatives to the traditional ways, more and better choices become available. What he offers is a better way to prevent and treat prostate problems. I wish more doctors in all fields of practice follow his lead in their treatment programs.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and will use it as a health reference source.

I highly recommend Dr. Katz' book - it's by far the best book we found on dealing with prostate cancer. Dr. Katz addressed every one of our questions. Having finished the book, I feel like an expert on the subject myself. He was also very thorough with his research - there are 13 pages of references to medical studies.

This book is destined to be the main book on prostate health for men for now and years to come. Dr. Katz is an incredibly gifted surgeon and is pioneering use of rain forest medicines that are preventing men's "hot zone" cells from turning rogue. He is verifying his work through first-rate biopsy, so this is the real thing. That's one reason this book is so important.

Dr. Katz is also an expert on prostate cancer and has important insights into combining natural with allopathic medicine.

He has pioneered cryo therapies and specific blood markers and is in high demand as a speaker all over the country while running a busy Manhattan practice at the Columbia University Center for Holistic Urology. We are all so lucky to have this gifted healer speaking on men's health. I urge you to save your life and buy this book.

I had prostate cancer and chose radical prostatectomy for treatment. Prognosis was good eventhough my Gleasons had been 9 & 10. PSA should have remained zero, but began to climb two years after surgery. I studied Dr. Katz book, followed several of his recommendations, and within two months my PSA dropped from 15+ down to 13.7 and hopefully will continue in that direction. The book is very credible. His redcommendations are all backed up with good data and science.
Every man ought to read this book ,whether or not he's had prostate trouble.

As a 62 year old with an extremely enlarged prostate and with low volume, moderately aggressive prostate cancer (that I'm treating by active surveillance, a/k/a watchful waiting), I found this book to be excellent for 3 reasons. First, its very comprehensive with respect to all aspects of the prostate and of prostate disease. Second, it has tremendously valuable info about nutrition and nutritional supplements, including where to buy supplements and info on studies supporting the use of supplements and the consumption of various foods. (This is info that you won't get from a vitamin store or on the web.) Third, its author is the foremost holistic urologist in the US so it has plenty of credibility. I highly recommend this book for cancer patients, for less serious prostate disease sufferers and for men who want to decrease their risk of getting prostate cancer or BPH. Also very valuable is Dr. Patrick Walsh's book (second edition, 2007) (Walsh being the premier prostate surgeon in the US, who pioneered the nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy) and Dr Katz's new 2011 book.

My last two biopsies were negative and my PSA has remained stable for two and a half years. My urologist described my biopsies as "like trying to find a raisin in a loaf of bread", since my original biopsy showed 2 positive cores (of 12) on the left side of my prostate, each 1 mm in size, Gleason 6, with a PSA of 4. I like to think my last 2 negative biopsies (and stable PSA since diagnosis) possibly are linked to following Katz's suggestions, particularly (a) taking Zyflamend (3 per day) and boswellia (both inflammation inhibitors), Cell Forte IP6 with inositol, AHCC, zinc, New Chapter holy basil, New Chapter Chinese skullcap, New Chapter Turmericforce, vitamin D3, vitamin E, and Fungi Perfecti Mycommunity, Reishi and Chaga medicinal mushroom capsules and (b) eating tomato sauce with olive oil every day, flax seed daily, Alaskan salmon frequently, pomegranate juice daily, blueberries frequently, lots of broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, garlic, green tea and tempeh, among other foods and nutritional supplements recommended by Katz. I try to abstain from all oils (except olive and omega 3), meat and calcium.

I highly recommend this book, Katz's new 2011 book and Dr. Patrick Walsh's book mentioned above.

We met Dr. Katz at a book signing this week and were very impressed with his thorough knowledge and passion about the subject. The book is excellent. We have begun to make changes in our lives already according to his suggestions. Thank you, Dr. Katz!

This book is absolutely necessary for any man who is worried about prostate cancer. I bought is for my father, my husband, and my brothers.

Prostate cancer affects so many men and this book gives all the options availiable for men who have cancer, or are worried about getting it.

This is a must read

The simplicity of the medical language used is a great tool for a patient to understand exactly what is happening with the prostate. It helped me really a lot and it also downsized the initial scare I received. Excellent source for nutrional information and life style advices to manage this condition, that sooner or later will affect every man. The book, in my opinion, is a strongly suggested reading for every man in his 40's. Very simple, in my case, my pr. trouble is gone.
Thank you Dr. Katz