Taking Turkey Tail, But Inflammation is at Frightening Level

Mstein1970

I just got the results of my ANA (antinuclear antibody) blood test, and I'm very concerned. Shortly before I was diagnosed in 2016 with a small, grade 3, estrogen-receptive tumor, my ANA titer was 1:160, which is slightly worrisome. It was 1:320 last year, and now it's 1:640, and that's frightening to me - because of the role inflammation plays in metastasis. Since surgery and radiation, I've been taking Arimidex. I eat very well, try to stick to an anti-inflammatory diet, and take a turkey tail capsule each day. According to several clinical studies I've read, an abnormal ANA is associated with a poor BC prognosis. So far my medical oncologist has refused to discuss this with me. Anyone have advice or a similar experience? I know that many people are unaware of the ANA test. My primary care doctor starting including it in my blood-work decades ago, when I had a non-malignant inflammatory condition.

Husband11

Is there any chance a supplement such as the turkey tail is negatively influencing the ANA value? It might be worth it to stop taking all supplements weeks before your next test and see if the level declines. At least that way you can rule out the turkey tail as a cause or aggravating factory.

Mstein1970

Husband11, Yes, I thought of that. The ANA was at a high level before I started taking the turkey tail, but it certainly has gotten higher. I may try stopping the supplement before the next ANA test. But I'm also afraid of stopping it, because it is supposed to be ANTI-inflammatory and is widely credited with having anti-cancer effects. Of course, everyone's body is different, and I guess it's possible mine doesn't respond well to the turkey tail.

Husband11

I am a big fan of medicinal mushrooms. However, its a connection that might be worth testing scientifically by going without them for one test cycle.

If your concern is cancer, have you considered getting tumor marker testing done? It's not conclusive by any means, but that's how my wife discovered her metastasis. For her, it was CEA and CA15-3 that were elevated. CEA is more generic, and can have multiple causes, CA15-3 is more specific to breast cancer.

Mstein1970

I had those 2 blood tests done in January 2017, after surgery and before radiation treatment (followed by hormone therapy). My oncologist hasn't ordered them since. At Sloan Kettering, where I'm being treated, they wait for symptoms before doing testing that may show false positives. And they don't consider high inflammation a symptom. But I'm going to bring this up when I see my oncologist again in 6 weeks.