Breast Cancer

First, let me say that I personally don’t think its wise to try to cure yourself naturally if you have been diagnosed with cancer. I believe that you need a 2 pronged approach using a healthy diet and supplements and the care of your Doctor team. That is how I got through Stage IV colon cancer.That being said…

First, let me say that I personally don’t think its wise to try to cure yourself naturally if you have been diagnosed with cancer. I believe that you need a 2 pronged approach using a healthy diet and supplements and the care of your Doctor team. That is how I got through Stage IV colon cancer.That being said…

These foods help removed excess estrogen, and some reports suggest they can slow, or possibly even halt cancer growth-

Broccoli, broccoli sprouts, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, lemon, organic meat, mint, mustard, pineapple, red bell peppers, red wine, seaweed.

Stay away from Soy, grapefruit, milk, and commercial meat – especially chicken. If overweight, lose weight. Please make sure to read the entry on Soy.

It is very important to cut out milk, and to eat only organic meat. The hormones and antibiotics used in our commercial meat, poultry, and milk supplies are huge contributors to cancer growth.

In addition to eating plenty of vegetables, spending 3-5 hours a week walking can reduce your bad estrogen enough to cut your risk of death by 50%.

I’ve read that Turmeric is a powerful anti-inflammatory that can reduce the spread of cancer cells, but you would need to ingest 1400 mg. a day.

Eat only ‘free-range’ meats or supplement with CLA, a form of fat found in “free-range” meats. It is missing in the commercial meat supply.

Here is a discussion I came across on using supplements during treatement of breast cancer –

Are there foods that you should avoid if you have breast cancer?

The National Institute of Cancer has long advised against taking vitamin supplements during chemotherapy and radiation because of the potential to prevent adequate oxidation of cancer cells during treatment.

Using antioxidants and other dietary supplements before and during adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer may increase the risk of recurrence and “to a lesser extent, death,” according to an analysis of dietary and nutritional data from a phase III trial, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

With results including a 41% increase in risk of recurrence with supplement use, “you have to conclude that it is probably not beneficial to take supplements if you are otherwise taking in a good diet, and that furthermore, you may cause harm, in the sense that your treatment is going to be less effective,” Kathy S. Albain, MD, FACP, FASCO, a senior author of the study, said in an interview with The ASCO Post. Dr. Albain is Professor of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Loyola University, Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, and Huizenga Family Endowed Chair in Oncology Research, Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center, Loyola University Medical Center.

‘Compelling’ Data

Part of the SWOG S0221 trial, the Diet, Exercise, Lifestyle, and Cancer Prognosis (DELCaP) study, randomly assigned patients with breast cancer to different treatment schedules with doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, and paclitaxel and questioned them about regular use (at least once per week) of supplements at randomization and during chemotherapy. A total of 1,134 patients completed both questionnaires, with 18% reporting the use of at least one antioxidant daily and 44% taking multivitamins.

“The prevalence of supplement use, particularly antioxidants, was low compared with reports in the literature of use by patients with cancer and tended to decrease during treatment,” the authors noted. Recurrences numbered 251, and deaths, 181.

“When we considered the use of any antioxidant (vitamins C, A, and E; carotenoids; and coenzyme Q10), there was a 41% increase in hazard of recurrence with use both before and during treatment of borderline significance, with a similar but weaker association with mortality,” the authors wrote. Adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) were 1.41 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.98–2.04, P = .06) for recurrence and 1.40 (95% CI = 0.90–2.18, P = .14) for mortality.

“These data are fairly compelling for this type of study. It was prospective and observational and the first of its kind in breast cancer,” Dr. Albain pointed out.

Using Antioxidants and Other Supplements With Chemotherapy May Increase Risk of Breast Cancer Recurrence and Mortality

The importance of weight reduction and exercise to reduce recurrence has also been extensively documented but often ignored. Weight loss and exercise reduce estrogen levels, insulin levels and blood sugar which are all stimulatory for cell proliferation.

As a breast cancer specialist, I try to emphasize calorie reduction. Simple carbs like bread, rice and potatoes result in rapid rise in blood sugar and insulin and tend to make individuals hungrier sooner.

Ingesting calories earlier in the day (breakfast and lunch), a lighter supper, and at 13 hours of fasting (intermittent fasting) have been shown to be potentially beneficial in lower blood sugar and insulin and also beneficial in breast cancer.

Reducing calories and meal timing are probably much more important than avoiding a specific food.

There are studies that suggest a very modest higher relapse rate in those who ingest alcohol. The American Cancer Society has just changed their recommendation to no alcohol.

Drink Alcohol? ‘Best Not To’ to Prevent Cancer, Says ACS

I don’t tell my patients not to drink. The effect is very small compared to weight loss and exercise which can reduce recurrence risk by 30–40%. That equivalent to the same level of benefit of taking chemotherapy which is why I always tell my patients that their work isn’t complete just because chemotherapy finished.

How Exercise Oncology Can Improve Cancer Outcome and Survivorship

See Cancer and Cancer – What I chose to do for more information –