Curing Cancer with Diet

 tilsgirl - I am sorry that you are having to face breast cancer, It totally s***cks - but congrats for finding this forum so soon after your diagnosis. It has been a Godsend for me.

That was one of the first books suggested to me. There is some valuable nutrition advice, but the author lost credibility with me when he said that vegetarians don't get cancer. That is absurd to make such blanket statements. ( I know that I am not the only vegetarian on this board who got breast cancer).

There is a lot of evidence that what we eat does matter, regardless of the treatment route chosen. I think a better starting point for reading would be "ANti Cancer - A new way of LIfe", by David Servan-Schreiber.  The author is a cancer survivor who was treated with chemo, but also addressed nutrition, lifestyle and mind-body issues.

Beth

tilsgirl, I agree with Beth. Both books she suggested are great. There are a lot more wonderful, helpful books out there. I find reading them is empowering. It makes me feel that I can do something and that I do not have to believe all the negative crap you hear everywhere. There are also quite a few books that I have read that I do not agree with. Do not let one book determine your course, or effect your mindset. Diet does make a difference in recurrance. Just keep reading and you will find more of the answers you are looking for.

Here are a couple more:

"your life in your hands" by Jane Plant

"What your doctor doesn't understand about nutrition" Dr. Ray Strand

"Iodine, why you need it and why you can't live without it" Dr. David Brownstein

"What your Doctor may not tell you about breast cancer" Dr. John Lee

"The Wisdom of Menopause" Dr. Cristaine Northrup

Tilsgirl, I'm sorry to hear you were dx'd with breast cancer, but I'm glad you've found us here!

I'm about 3 months post-dx, and I vividly remember those early days and weeks when everyone was throwing a gazillion resources at me - unsolicited advice, books, articles, phone numbers of survivors, etc.  It can be overwhelming to sort through it all.  I knew NOTHING about cancer and cancer treatments... really, I was so in the dark about it all that I didn't realize chemo = drugs - I thought radiation WAS chemo and that's what made people lose their hair.  Wow, I sure have gotten a crash course in breast cancer over the past 3 months!

 As you've learned, just because something is written in a book does NOT mean it is true!  Beware of ANY book, conventional or alternative, that makes blanket/extreme statements, e.g. saying something is "always" true or "always" false, because life is never that black and white.  I have not read "Healing Cancer from Inside Out," but what you've said about it makes me not trust it.  Cancer is a nasty, tricky, mysterious beast... NO ONE has the definitive answer about what causes breast cancer or what can cure or prevent it.  Example: I am a 31-year-old, super healthy vegetarian with no family history; I never smoke, drink, or do drugs; I have the highest antioxidant level of any of the 200+ people my chiropractor tested with his biophotonic laser scanner; I do yoga, laugh and play, and can do 10 pull-ups, have used only natural bodycare products for yeasr, eat organic... and I have cancer!!!  It can happen to anyone.  I will never know why exactly cancer grew in my body.  Maybe a combination of exposure to environmental toxins (which NONE of us can avoid), along with my high-sugar diet in childhood, along with BPA plastic exposure, and all the soy milk I drank during puberty, and emotional traumas I went through, and vitamin D deficiency, and too many plane trips and a few X-rays??  Maybe, maybe not!

Bottom line is, I DO NOT trust any book/article/person that claims that breast cancer must be treated with alternative methods only and that all conventional treatment methods are completely ineffective or even harmful.  People who posit that breast cancer must be naturally self-healed also imply (or even state outright) that breast cancer is self-created, which is bull.  None of us asked for cancer.  These "blame the victim" books enrage me.  I do believe that occasionally, there are amazing, miraculous cases of women healing quickly and dramatically with alternative methods only, but I view these as true miracles - as in, rare.  For instance, a friend loaned me a book about a woman who had a stomach tumor the size of a basketball, and shrunk it (and eventually dissolved it completely? I don't remember) through intense visualizations and therapy to heal repressed childhood traumas.  I am glad this woman was able to heal so well and so quickly, but I stopped reading the book halfway through, because the author was saying that ANYONE & EVERYONE can and should replicate what she did and avoid conventional treatments, and I don't believe that her methods can or should be replicated by everyone with cancer.  I think it would be dangerous and foolish, actually.

I also DO NOT trust any book/article/person that claims conventional treatments are the only way to go and that all alternative/natural healing methods are quackery, ineffective, or harmful.  This view is equally wrong and appalling.  We KNOW that there are many natural healing methods that work, and work well!  Some natural healing methods are great to use simultaneously with conventional treatments, and increase the effectiveness of the conventional treatments and mitigate their side effects; and some natural healing methods work instead of some of the conventional treatments for some people. We all have to find our own balance with it.

I'm a firm believer in complementary treatment - blending natural and conventional treatments.  To me, this means that diet is VERY important, and I will continue to eat a health-promoting, anticancer diet regardless of which conventional treatments I utilize.  But I would never say that dietary changes alone would be enough, and I DID have my tumor surgically removed, and am about to try radiation.  I second Beth's recommendation of "Anticancer" by Dr. David Servan-Schrieber.

Me four!  (recommending "Anticancer" by DR. Servan-Schrieber)!

Me FIVE. -- This is the book that got me started: "I second Beth's recommendation of "Anticancer" by Dr. David Servan-Schrieber."

I also like "Life Over Cancer" - Block. Integrative Oncology.

Also, exercising 30 minutes a day, 6 days a week, has been shown to reduce BC recurrence by 50% (In the Servan-Schrieber book).

I did the medical route, and now am doing the Diet, Exercise, Supplement, Serenity route as well, I see an Osteopath to help. I take Iodine, Vit D, Super Curumin, DIM, and a ton of other supplements and antioxidants as my Osteopath recommends.

As my friend Deanna said above, Good luck with Chemo!!! 

Tilsgirl,

Sorry you're here, but there is some really great advice on this thread!  The book you're reading is soooo far off the mark with its survival rate - just take a look around this BCO forum and you'll see TONS of people more than 5 years out from chemo.  It's great that you're questioning things - there's lots of misinformation out there.  Always try to look at both sides of the issue; play devil's advocate and then weigh the pros and cons and make your decisions.  

How are you holding up with chemo?  Hang in there!  A lot of people find it helpful to join one of the starting-chemo-in-february type threads to share experiences.  Best of luck!

Since being dx last Sept, I have accumulated many bc books including Anti-Cancer, and take out of them what makes sense for me.. I have lost 10 lbs, lowered cholesterol by 32pts and brought up Vit D from 28 to 45....so diet changes do work...And that is something that we can easily control and does give a sense of empowerment...You are definately on the right track!!!..Wishing you the best!!!

tilsgirl, that 1.4% sounds so off the mark.  I wonder if it's referring to something other than 5 year survival rates.  I haven't read that book so can't comment further, but what's important right now is to read things that are uplifting.  My sister in law gave me Northrup's book on women's health, which is an 800 page book.  She also gave me Dr Love's breast book.  Love's is supposed to be the 'bible', but dang some of the passages will scare you half to death.  Northrup is very upbeat, a great writer, and I read her cover to cover. 

I second the recommendation for Ray Strand's nutrition book.  I typed out some notes in a thread here after reading that one if you want to peek.  I remember having 'antioxidants' in the title of the thread.  

I also recommend anything written by Kris Carr.  She has two books and an excellent blog.  She has a stage iv inoperable cancer in her liver and she's an absolute picture of health years after her dx.  It so totally matters what you eat.  

i had lumpectomy jan 10, and am in radiation now, no chemo. onc gave me script for aromocin, i dont like side effects.  i was stage 1, no nodes, hr+ and my oncotype test score 3,  i am thinking about skipping the aromocin, since i have low rate of cancer coming back.  i am 66. any thoughts on this, has anyone else been in this position....thanks jean

Luna5,

I am new to this thread.  As you can see from my sig line, diag with ILC in November; 1 lumpectomy (dirty margins); 2nd lumpectomy (still dirty margins) w/ AND showing 0 of 4 nodes clear; opted for Bilat Mx; requested Oncotype Dx and it came back 19; but I have opted for no chemo (19 was just over the line).  Meeting with the oncologist tomorrow to discuss Arimidex. 

I (like I'm sure many others) do not like the SE's associated with this drug.  I plan on discussing some alternatives with him.  I have always considered myself more of a naturalist than a radical.  I, too, have researched to the point of blurry vision and a fried brain. 

I took the aggressive route with the surgery.  My BC is early-stage and I am of the mind set that right now the cancer is gone.  If the adjuvant therapy is to fight the possibility of recurrence, I am not convinced that I need to be as aggressive.  My oncologist seems like a pretty reasonable person as well as up-to-date; we'll see tomorrow.  At our first meeting he used "adjuvant online" which is a computerized tool that measures your recurrence rates based on your age, tumor size, etc.  It originally came back with a 34% chance of recurrence (in 10 years)  if I just opted to end treatment with the surgery only; if we added 5 years of Arimidex, the recurrence rate dropped to 18%, and with 4 rounds of CT, the rate would drop to 13%.  I couldn't justify the risks of chemo for a 5% additional decrease in recurrence rate (according to some computer)!

I feel confident in my decision for no chemo based on the Oncotype score of 19 (which equates to an average of 12% (if treated with 5 years of tamoxifen).  Because I am post-menopausal, the onc recommended Arimidex.

I also don't like the way they portray the odds!  Do they have to say a 12% risk of recurrence?  Why can't they say an 88% chance it won't recur???  Would that be too positive of an approach.  We could use a little more of the glass being half-full!

I am 62 years old, very active and want to maintain a quality of life.  I made it through the Mx (and an emergency surgery the next day to remove a 200cc hematoma).  Took iron for 4 weeks to combat the anemia caused by the blood loss and 2 back-to-back surgeries.  Am dealing with the Tissue Expanders and the discomfort they cause.   Only took pain meds in the hospital; take 800mg Ibuprofen only after a fill.  I am handling this all pretty well.  Want to get my life back.

Am going to go out and get a couple of the recommended books above.

Any thoughts on the Arimidex?  I am looking at some recent articles on natural aromatase inhibitors (quercetin, apigenin, naringenin, reservatrol, and oleuropein).

What do you think the Onc will say about this?

I'm sure many of you have read Knockout, Suzanne Somer's interviews with alternative docs.  Any input?

kcshreve-

I LOVED Knockout by S.SOmers and loved the format of interviewing the doctors. There are threads on that book on this forum that became very "heated".

TnGolfer and jerseyjean-

I am 57 and I had a MX and - I made the decision not to do Arimidex and my Oncotype was 25. I was so shocked that my Oncotype came in that high as I was Stage One, Node negative. My onc did not suggest chemo, but wanted me on ARimidex . It was an absolutely agonizing decision, but I knew it was not the right thing for me.

I made the decision to focus on identifying the underlying factors that contributed to why I got BC and aggressively addressing those issues, along with using natural SERMs and natural aromotase inhibitors.(BTW -  ANother natural aromatase inhibitor is melatonin.)

Not taking the ARimidex or Tamox for me has been very empowering. It does take a lot of vigilance and money to go the alternative route.

Keep doing your research and find a treatment decision that resonates with you and that you can OWN. No matter what you decide, there are women you have made decisions on both sides of the issue. The great part of this forum is that everyone is supported, regardless of your personal treatment protocol.

Good Luck!

Beth

TNgolfer & JerseyJean...I agree with hlth4513 that you should continue researching and make the decision you are comfortable with and can be happy with.  I have not had any second thoughts about my decisions.  Most oncologists will recommend Tamox or an AI.  Some don't really mind if you don't take them because they did their job in recommending them.  Some will tell you you will die without them.  Maybe they really believe that. On the Johns Hopkins Ask an Expert site, I was told by Lillie that my agressive surgery most likely "cured" my cancer given my stats.  BUT, an e-mail from one of their oncologists did say that Johns Hopkins would recommend that I go on an AI (not Tamox as my onco recommended) as it could give added benefit.  So, that is why I say the normal protocol is for an onco to recommend Tamox for pre meno and an AI for post menopausal women.  I just didn't like some of the things I learned about long term effects of these drugs and I don't do well on drugs...always get the "rare" side effects.  So, my "gut" told me not to take them...but if you look at the Oncotype Thread it appears that most people do take Tamox or an AI.

As hllth4513 also pointed out...melatonin is an aromatase inhibitor.  I have worked up to 3 3mg timed release at 9 pm and take 3 5mg and 5 1 mg sublingual at bedtime.  Most people only take 3 to 5 mg total but I was waking up at least every hour for 6 or 7 years.  I have been been increasing my dosage and using an eye mask and ear plugs and have just had my second 7 hour sleep in all these years. Once I learned that melatonin is also an aromatase inhibitor..it just made me feel more comfortable taking it for sleep. 

OTHER AROMATASE INHIBITORS...I also researched Quercetin and based on what I think I know...I use Quercetin with Bromelain...mine does not have this but my research says "Make sure your brand carries Qu995 trademark on label" "Straight quercetin carries Qu995"...I have not yet gone on a search to find this...so if you find one that meets this criteria please let me know.   Supposedly the BEST natural aromatase inhibitor is Chrysin.  I am taking Jarrow 500 mg....this is like Curcumin in that it works best with piperine or pepper but remember not to take more than 10 to 15 mg of piperine per day.  I assume pepper does not have a limit.  Don't know if oil is also needed with the pepper like with Curcumin.

Resveratrol....I was taking that and had searched and found a brand I liked...Have quit for now because I was getting conflicting research on whether or not it would "grow" cancer if you have already had cancer but that it would keep you from getting cancer if you have never had it.  So, have not researched this since last fall so can't speak to it in an up to date way.  Will get back on that research soon.

All this research is like getting another masters degree.  It is so time consuming which is why most docs don't do it and why we help each other here by posting about what we learn.  Often, we have conflicting info...but at least when we hear both sides here, it helps us re-research when necessary.  I definitely want to know whenever someone finds info which may negate something I think I should be doing.

You guys are the best!  Keep that info coming!

Someone started a post about the no-so-good news of grapefruit's estrogen effect on women with bc ....This was very suprising to me so I did a little research and found this and wanted to give you all a heads-up, since it seems that most of the time it is with our research (not our doctors) that we find these things out!!

"If you have estrogen receptor positive breast cancer, the last thing you’d want to take would be estrogen, and the last thing you’d want would be to take anything that increased the amount of estrogen in your body. With that in mind, and knowing that grapefruit increases the amount of estrogen in the body, it is probably wise for you not to consume grapefruit. According to Michael Thun, M.D., American Cancer Society (ACS) Vice President of Epidemiology and Surveillance Research, “women who have had estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer or are concerned for other reasons could consider substituting other fruit until this issue is clarified.”

That being said, I will cut way down on my grapefruit juice comsumption, but will still have a glass now and then.......

Marianne-

Congratulations on making your treatment decision. Good Luck to you! Hopefully we will see you frequently on the alternative forum!

Beth