LETTER TO THE EDITOR – JUNE 1999

I read your article on coenzyme Q10. I am 75 years old and feel 100% healthy apart from having cancer of the prostate. I have had radiation, but my PSA reading is now going up again. My GP suggested that I take 200 mg of Q10 and 100 micrograms of selenium daily. Do you think this will help?

George, UK

Editor: I am sorry to hear about your battle with prostate cancer. I have not seen anything in the medical literature indicating that coenzyme Q10 acts to prevent or treat prostate cancer. However, I personally feel that it is quite likely it would work. Research carried out in Denmark has shown that coenzyme Q10 is highly effective in the treatment of breast cancer. As prostate and breast cancer have many similarities I should think that Q10 might work for prostate cancer as well. Selenium, of course, is also important and a dosage of 200 micrograms per day is considered quite safe. You could probably take 300 mg of Q10 per day. Make sure you take it with a bit of oil (1 teaspoon of olive oil or fresh-pressed flaxseed oil) as it is much better absorbed this way. Relatively large amounts of vitamin-C (500 mg 3 times a day) and vitamin E (400-800 IU of natural vitamin-E) would probably also be beneficial as would a lycopene or beta- carotene supplement. You may also want to try the herbal remedy PC-SPES which has been found to inhibit the growth of prostate cancer cells.