Cause of cancer

Hey everyone.  I keep a list of these ingredients in my purse so I know what to avoid when I'm shopping if I want to try something that I'm not familiar with.  Thought I'd share it with you.

Foods that are estrogen based; us ladies with a hormone sensitive cancer should stay away from these in concentrated form.

african wild potato
aletris
alfalfa
androstenedione
anise
asparagus racemosus
beta-sitosterols
bitter yam
black cohosh
blue cohosh
black currant
bladderwrack
boron
burdock
chasteberry
chrysin
cola nut
DHEA
dong quai
dyer's broom
epimedium
evening primerose oil
fennel
flaxseed (not including flaxseed oil)
flor essence (contains red clover)
fo-ti
genistein (combined polysaccharide)
german chamomile
ginseng (all types)
guarana
guggul
hops
hu-zhang
ipriflavone
job's tears
kudzu
lavendar
licorice
milk thistle
mountain flax
oregano
panax (pseudo ginseng)
pleurisy root
pomegranate seeds
pregnenolone
raspberry leaf
red clover
resveratrol
scarlet pimpernel
sage
schisandra
soy supplements
star anise
tea tree oil
tinospora cordifolia
wild carrot
wild yam

Anyone on Tamoxefin should avoid phytoestrogens as it interferes with the ability of the drug to do its job.

These ingredients may lead to an increased risk of cancer;

parabens and phthalates in cosmetics, soaps, lotions, sunscreens, etc.

anything that starts with;
methyl
propyl
butyl
ethyl
isobutyl

nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPE's) in laundry soaps and detergents.

Well, I just discovered that chemotherapy cured LJ13-2. That changes everything. I am truly very happy that you are cured, LJ13-2. And I sincerely hope that you STAY cured.

Dr. Moss and other respected independent researchers have said, written, and warned for years: tumor shrinkage/disappearance has got NOTHING to do with being cured.

http://www.cancerdecisions.com/index.php?option=com_search&Itemid=5&searchword=shrinkag&submit=Search&searchphrase=all&ordering=newest

Problem is: several sisters in my work support group (and on this site) were cured, as well.

They are now fighting recurrence/metastasis, a few years down the lane.

But I am praying that YOU stay cured. And so: all the best. I just realized exactly where you are coming from.

....And I just saw this one from Dear LJ13-2:

The death rate for breast cancer has been falling about 2% per year for the past 20 years. This is because of new and better chemos and adjuvant treatments, not improvements in surgery.

Say whaaaaaaaat??????

If the death rate for breast cancer had been falling by 2% per year for the past 20 years as I am the one now counting........breast cancer death should be an ODDITY, right now. A CURIOSITY...... Without even going beyond this forum, that is utter NONSENSE. Not to mention that a number of researchers have published a number of documents showing CLEARLY how statistics have been "rearranged" (See "How to Lie with Statistics") to camouflage the increasingly embarrassing lack of progress.

But now, I think I understand better what is driving you, LJ13-2, and what is pushing you to continue with your TROLLism in this atmosphere, which is most hostile to you: it is your desperation to convince yourself that you are cured. And good luck with that. No sarcasm intended: I honestly and sincerely hope you are one of the people who will live another 40 years after breast cancer. But if the thread entitled "success stories" still exists, go there and read about the many women who did just that LONG before everybody was put on "adjuvant" chemo, and when little "prevention" pills were not even a concept yet (mothers and grand-mothers who faced down cancer in the 50s and earlier).

Luckily, it has now become abundantly clear (thanks to genetics, among other sciences) that the TYPE of tumor is what STILL makes the MAIN difference between a long life after cancer. Or not.

Thanks Joanneasiata! You said just what I was thinking too. I'm here to learn from others and share  some of my own experiences that may be helpful to somebody else. We are all here to support and encourage one another, even if we don't always agree on treatment options. We all are doing what we feel is best. For example, I did the whole chemo, radiation, Herceptin, Tamoxifen ball of wax. I still get MRIs and Bone scans and everything else. But I also knew in my heart that my body was not trying to kill me with cancer and that it was the wake up call I needed to change my lifestyle.  I am so much happier and healthier now than I was before my diagnosis (I thought I was in good shape at that time, but when I compare now to then, there is just no comparison with how much better I feel), and much of that gain was from learning from others and putting into practice things that I was exposed to on this very discussion board. I am grateful that others shared their research and stories on this board because it did make a palpable difference in my well being. We all want to believe that we are making the right decisions, but only we can be the judge of what is right for ourselves. Belief is a powerful thing and plays an important role in whatever treatment we choose. 

I sincerely wish for health and happiness for all my BC.org sisters. 

>> But I also knew in my heart that my body was not trying to kill me with cancer and that it was the wake up call I needed to change my lifestyle. I am so much happier and healthier now than I was before my diagnosis (I thought I was in good shape at that time, but when I compare now to then, there is just no comparison with how much better I feel)

That is EXACTLY how I feel!! 

As for the differences of opinion, I fell into the troll's trap...  will NOT be feeding trolls again! I think (trolls aside) most of us here are very open to different points of view... as long as they're presented respectfully, without unwarranted attacks on the very thing this forum was created to discuss.

I'm sure nearly all of us would agree with this sentiment: SUPPORT, RESPECT, LOVE, ENCOURAGING ONE ANOTHER. If only we could keep the trolls out, that spirit would completely permeate this wonderful forum!

I've been  a member of BCO for quite a few years now and it is distressing how much bickering occurs. It is nothing new, I´ve been seeing it for years.

Alternative therapies have always been one of the most divisive subjects. Why? For one thing, because conventional medicine, it is grueling and doesn' t work nearly as well as it should. There is a recent article in the Research News section of this site saying that the percentage of women who go on to develop mets has not gone down significantly despite all the hoopla about early detection. On the side of alternative therapies, many lofty claims are made but very little evidence is given in support of them.

So there we are, between the proverbial rock and a hard place. Deep down inside we are all scared stiff that the choice we made (whichever it was) won´t work out. Let´s try not to take that anxiety out on each other.

Merilee you are hysterical!

I agree with motheroffoursons -

If you suspect someone of breaking the forum rules, you can always report the post and let the moderators look into it.  

But publicly accusing someone of being  a troll is not only childish name-calling -  if you are wrong,  it's defamation. How does that 'contribute positively to the community? 

Worse are folks who  sneak off to other threads and call these members out by name, assuring that the accused  " troll"  doesn't even get a chance to  defend herself. Then they pile on the "don't feed the troll" bandwagon, the pm's fly, and everyone vows to shun the person.   

Not long after I  joined this site, I  realized my chosen ID, plus bio, plus dx, plus location, made it very easy for someone to identify me personally.  There are people in my life I don't want to share my BC experience with, so I changed my ID.   There was nothing trollish about it - I had a good reason.  I'm sure if this happened to me, it has happened to others. 

If it would be more conveneint for the community,  I could change it again - how about BCTroll868? 

If anyone from this group barged into a conventional board saying those taking chemo were fools, they would be considered trolls or banned. 

A healthy DIFFERENCE OF OPINION in this alternative or complementary medicine might be vegetarianism versus meat eating. Or progesterone versus herbs. Or whether phytoestrogens are good or bad. And so on. These discussions are welcome and elightening.

Crunchypoodlemama or scared,

I have a question for you.  IN a previous email, you stated that you had a lump, I believe in May, and you did not want to have it biopsied at that time.  Then in October, after already knowing you had a lump, you freaked when the doctor said it ws larger, out e ven before any biopsy started posting on the Pallative Care forum about dying well.  This is a no-no as people like us never post on those forums as they have a different battle.  The only reasons I even read Stage IV and Pallative are to learn the names of the people as I am convinced one day I will be one of them.  They are an amazing group.  However, I will give you the benefit of the doubt for posting there.

My question is why did you freak out in October but ignore the lump six months ago?  It does not make any sense.

I was on a business trip when the nurse called me and said my biopsy showed commedocarcinoma.  I spent the next day on the internet most of the time and could not wait to get the lump taken out.  I was fortunate that it was still Stage 0 even though it was quite large.

If I have my dates correct, you still have not had a biopsy, but someone said it was Birads 5 someplace. 

I also wonder about measuring your lump circumferentially.  I have never heard of that on the boards before.  My lump was near the chest wall and oblong in shape, so there was no way to measure it "circumferentially".

BC Sisters, ever heard of measuring circumferentially?

I am glad you think your lump is becoming smaller just through lifestyle changes, but please do follow doctors recommendations, get a biopsy first.  Don't throw chemo and radiation out of the window.

I know you think one person is a troll here.  However, in past posts I have noticed that she just gets very upset at people for irresponsible choices, such as waiting six months with a lump and no biopsy.  That does not make her a troll.

Shokk....I am disturbed...finding myself agreeing with you...a lot lately.  LOL.  You said what I have been thinking as I read this thread.  

>> IN a previous email, you stated that you had a lump, I believe in May, and you did not want to have it biopsied at that time. Then in October, after already knowing you had a lump, you freaked when the doctor said it ws larger, out even before any biopsy started posting on the Pallative Care forum about dying well. This is a no-no as people like us never post on those forums as they have a different battle. The only reasons I even read Stage IV and Pallative are to learn the names of the people as I am convinced one day I will be one of them. They are an amazing group. However, I will give you the benefit of the doubt for posting there.

My question is why did you freak out in October but ignore the lump six months ago? It does not make any sense.

Those are fair questions. After I found a mass in May, I had something called thermography done  (similar to a mammogram but it uses infrared) in June.

The thermography report (it's reviewed by a team of M.D.s) stated that I had inflammation through my breasts that was consisten with fibrocystic masses, and not likely to be cancer, but recommended I have another thermogram in three months to assess any changes.

Instead of getting thermography a second time three months later, I asked my primary care practitioner about it in an appointment for something else, and he told me I should have it checked out by a cancer specialist. I saw the specialist he recommend the next day, but didn't like how he didn't give me straight answers about anything, so I found a different specialist and set up an appointment with her. Unfortunately, her next available appointment was over a month away. I called several times to see if there were cancellations, and asked to be put on a waiting list in case anyone did cancel, but October was the soonest I could get in with her.

She didn't answer my questions either -- I asked her why she couldn't do an excisional biopsy rather than core -- and all she kept saying was, "That's how things were done 30 years ago." Okay, but WHY is that a bad way to do things? She couldn't tell me.

Immediately (as I was driving home from that appointment), I called and set up an appointment with a third specialist. That's the appointment I had on Tuesday, Nov. 2, earlier this week. Biopsy is scheduled for next Tuesday. This doctor didn't indicate that I will die and have doomed myself by waiting another week for the biopsy. It was posts by people here that convinced me the other night (when I, MOST REGRETFULLY, posted on the palliative care forum because someone named brewster I think, said now that cancer has been raging through my body for 6 months, it was probably all over my organs etc.)

Was I an idiot for letting one person's post get me down? Yes. Was I stupid for posting about it on the wrong forum? Yes. I have apologized and apologized but apparently, I will never live that mistake down.

If I have my dates correct, you still have not had a biopsy, but someone said it was Birads 5 someplace.

That is from the radiologist's report -- that's not from a biopsy. BI-RADS 5, as I learned from researching it myself (none of the doctors flat-out told me this), that means (based on the mammogram I had a few weeks ago) it was 95% likely to be cancer.

I also wonder about measuring your lump circumferentially. I have never heard of that on the boards before. My lump was near the chest wall and oblong in shape, so there was no way to measure it "circumferentially".

BC Sisters, ever heard of measuring circumferentially?

My mass is right under the skin (you can't see it, but you can very clearly feel it). Since I can't get a mammogram or ultrasound every day to see whether it's growing, shrinking, or staying the same, I measure it as best I can myself... circumferentially (over the skin). Maybe there's a proper term for someone measuring their own mass (if it's close enough to the skin that they can clearly palpate the edges), but I'm doing it the most accurate way I can without having access to equipment that can measure the diameter.

I know you think one person is a troll here. However, in past posts I have noticed that she just gets very upset at people for irresponsible choices, such as waiting six months with a lump and no biopsy. That does not make her a troll.

I hear what you're saying, and I certainly don't fault anyone for getting upset if they feel someone is making an irresponsible choice.

But, the person I'm referring to has a mean-spirited, vicious, condescending, and quite often insulting tone rather than a genuinely caring, helpful spirit. One such person keeps posting on the Alternative forum even though it's clear he doesn't believe one bit in any alternative/complementary therapy. It makes me question his motives. I wouldn't go to the chemo forum and start preaching why everyone is wrong there and they're going to die, especially with an insulting tone as this person uses.

LJ that is what I thought you meant..........I understand where you are coming from........I had a 7.1 mass (the size of a golf ball) that I could see growing.......triple negative........not good........I was biopsied on a Friday afternoon......that dx told me she was 99 percent sure that it was cancer........made me an appointment with the bc specialist that took care of her Mom.....got the call on Monday that it was cancer..........saw the specialist on Thursday.........scans on Friday.........(found stuff in lungs that ended up not being mets)......so lung biopsy on Tuesday.......port put in on Wednesday........started dose dense TAC on Thursday............my tumor reacted so much to the chemo and shrink so much that before the second treatment the doc went in and put a marker on the tumor so they wouldn't lose it.............by the end of chemo the doctor went in for lumpectomy that it was called a "ghost lumpectomy" because there was no sign of the tumor..........and because of my triple negative status got the hell radiated out of that boob........so believe me............I believe in chemo and will do it again in a heart beat if I need too...........

I think what confused everyone was the term "cured"..........if we could get cured there would be no "Find the Cure" walks......runs..........no help "Find the Cure" fund raisers........etc..........we would have to change all that to Walk for the Cured............We find the Cure.........and then what would be the point?..............Shokk

Honestly, I was hoping to read this thread in order to create hope, and to supplement everything else that I am doing to help myself. My blood pressure rose as I scrolled down, and without doubt, cortisol levels are increasing. Really, is this what this thread is about? Fear is at the root of anger.... and I think that we are all very scared. My feeling is that fears need to be voiced, and anger is OK too..... just not when it is directed at others. To those (ahem) that are feeling the need to lash out, or to defend themselves: you have done nothing wrong..... just think about the consequences that your words might have. If they are intended to hurt, wait to push that submit button. I am guessing that most people on this forum are cancer patients. And the rest might be family members of cancer patients. Or friends of cancer patients. As a cancer patient myself..... I am looking for support, if I am jonesing for a fight, there are many other places that I could go.

Hear, hear, PatMom!