Breast cancer recurs in almost one in four patients....

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  • LtotheK
    LtotheK Member Posts: 2,095
    edited July 2012

    Urine tests for estradiol levels are not widely practiced because standard medicine considers them questionable (like saliva testing).  I had a saliva and urine test done by my naturopath--the results were so wildy complicated, she honestly didn't know what kinds of useful interventions would work for an ER+ patient (have you seen the hormone modulation charts? Mind-exploding--three estrogens is just the beginning of the transitions and metabolic pathways in the human body).  Results were wildly different than my oncologist's blood estradiol tests.  Who to believe?  Not sure...

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  • purple32
    purple32 Member Posts: 3,188
    edited July 2012

    Maud

    Couldnt a GYN Dr do a urine test for  estrogen levels ?

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  • Omaz
    Omaz Member Posts: 5,497
    edited July 2012
    You can pay for blood tests at Private MD Labs.  I don't know if they have what you are looking for but they seem to have a few estrogen level blood tests.   Just FYI if anyone is interested.
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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited July 2012

    LtotheK, you're welcome, hope you're feeling a little better, deep breaths 

    Jen, if DIM can buy an aggressive cancer a few months, think of what it can do for my ex - stage II, grade 1.  I no longer have to worry about endometrial cancer (had to have 2 biopsies while on Tam - just had a US, my endometrium is back to normal already !) no contralateral bc, and thyroid cancer will never get me by the looks of it, my liver and brain are safe.  All in all, a pretty good deal, I would say. Although I would not go as far as saying it will prevent the right cataract from developing any further (a gift from Tam) but one never knows.  I'm an eternal optimist.

    I never said it would be a magic bullet for stage IV, but for me, personally, replacing Tam with DIM gives me peace of mind.  And there ain't no price attached to that. 

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited July 2012

    Purple, like LtotheK said, conventional docs don't 'believe' in it.  But, you know what, I'll test my gyn tomorrow.  I'll have to tell him I quit Tamox and will ask him if he'll monitor my hormone panel and slip in the urine test, I'll let you know what he says....but I expect he'll look at me as if I had flowers coming out of my ears Lol

    Also, I'm seeing my onc next week, hum.....I don't think I'll bring up the subject with him, afraid he'll commit me.....

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  • Outfield
    Outfield Member Posts: 1,109
    edited July 2012

    I've got to share this with you.  In recent memory, brassica family plants HAVE been patented. It's a really interesting story, and if you go to the Johns Hopkins breast center website you'll still find urgings to eat a lot of broccoli sprouts.

    http://sproutpeople.org/sprouts/Political/broc.html 

    I just happen to be familiar with this site because I buy seeds from them.   

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited July 2012

    Outfield, thank you !!  I want to start sprouting !  Tatsoi, mizuna ?? didn't even know of their existence, awesome !!

    Here's a chart that may be helpful:

    Glucosinolate Content of Selected Cruciferous Vegetables 

    Garden cress ½ cup (25 g) 3.9
    Mustard greens ½ cup, chopped (28 g) 2.8
    Brussels sprouts ½ cup (44 g) 2.4
    Horseradish 1 tablespoon (15 g) 1.6
    Kale 1 cup, chopped (67 g) 1.0
    Watercress 1 cup, chopped (34 g) 0.9
    Turnip ½ cup, cubes (65 g) 0.9
    Cabbage, savoy ½ cup, chopped (45 g) 0.8
    Cabbage, red ½ cup, chopped (45 g) 0.6
    Broccoli ½ cup, chopped (44 g) 0.6
    Kohlrabi ½ cup, chopped (67 g) 0.5
    Bok choi (pak choi) ½ cup, chopped (35 g) 0.5
    Cauliflower ½ cup, chopped (50 g) 0.4

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited July 2012

    Sorry, I can't help myself Innocent

    Sulforaphane Glucosinolate Monograph

    http://ervamed.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Sulforaphane-Glucosinolate.pdf

    'Broccoli sprouts: An exceptionally rich source of inducers of enzymes that protect against chemical carcinogens'

    http://www.pnas.org/content/94/19/10367.long

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  • purple32
    purple32 Member Posts: 3,188
    edited July 2012

    Thanks, Maud...please do let me know.

    I know my GYN tested hormone levels ( blood)  when I was having meno symptoms at age 41. This was because he didnt believe me!  Turms out , I was in menopause.  DOH!  No surprise to me at all since my older sister whent thru at 41 and my mom was also 41!


    THX for any followup.

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  • purple32
    purple32 Member Posts: 3,188
    edited July 2012

    RE:  vaccine

    http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/medical/health/medical/cancer/story/2011-11-08/Vaccine-to-treat-breast-ovarian-cancers-shows-promise/51125702/1

    Does anyone know if there is a current trial for this ? This seems like an 'good' trial in that one does not get placebo .  This is something  I might be willing to try if not too far away from me.

    Also, looks very hopeful.

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  • jenrio
    jenrio Member Posts: 558
    edited July 2012

    Used to be experimental vaccines were tested on advanced stagers only.   Now they are becoming available for middle stagers (high risk early stagers) one day to early stagers too as the technology matures.    DNA vaccines has some advantages if you are interested in supporting specific areas of research.  

    Maud, I do not have a medical background (science education), so no advice on tamoxifen.   I did read 2 bios by long term MBC survivors (20 year+ bone/adrenals, 8 year liver mets), interestingly both did not stay on tamoxifen due to SE.   I do not know whether it's coincidence.   That said, tamoxifen has a great/long term track record as an effective cytostatic.   So you should really talk to your onco about your SE and your plan.      

    For Independence Day post, this is lyrics for Neil Diamond's Coming to America.  It could be easily about the cure for AIDS, MBC or Metastatic Cancer for general.   Cancer is smart, so we need to keep trying keep looking keep investing:

    Far, We've been traveling far, Without a home, But not
    without a star
    Free, Only want to be free. We huddle close Hang on to a
    dream
    On the boats and on the planes, They're coming to
    America. Never looking back again, They're coming to America.
    Home, don't it seem so far away Oh, we're traveling light today In the eye of the storm, In the eye of the storm
    Home, to a new and a shiny place. Make our bed, and we'll say our grace, Freedom's light burning warm, Freedom's light burning warm.
    Everywhere around the world They're coming to America. Every time that flag's unfurled They're coming to America
    [. From: http://www.elyrics.net/read/n/neil-diamond-lyrics/america-lyrics.html .]
    Got a dream to take them there; They're coming to
    America. Got a dream they've come to share, They're coming to America
    They're coming to America
    They're coming to America
    They're coming to America
    They're coming to America
    Today, today, today, today, today
    My country 'tis of thee, Today, Sweet land of liberty, Today, Of thee I sing, Today, Of thee I sing -- Today
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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited July 2012

    Jenrio, I really don't know that I can trust my life to 'science', having doubts

    ETA : Dr. Brawley - Chief Medical Officer ACS :

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOdDS8rd4-8

    http://community.breastcancer.org/forum/110/topic/787977?page=1#post_3032585

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  • sweetbean
    sweetbean Member Posts: 1,931
    edited July 2012

    Where can I find out what type of cancer I had?  Luminal A, Luminal B, etc?  Is it on my pathology?

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  • cp418
    cp418 Member Posts: 7,079
    edited July 2012

    http://www.breastcancer.org/risk/new_research/20090522.jsp

    http://ww5.komen.org/BreastCancer/SubtypesofBreastCancer.html

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  • melly1462
    melly1462 Member Posts: 84
    edited July 2012

    I just visited the link provided by AA (thank you) and filled out the health history form.  Unfortunately there are no trials in my area.  I would love to participate in a trial concerning hormonal therapy since that is the next leg of this crappy journey.  And one I'm NOT looking forward to.

    As someone posted earlier, I think it's a great idea to start a thread re: trials in the Just Diagnosed section.  Maybe someone has, didn't check.  I assumed trials were available only for late stagers.  No member of my medical team mentioned trials even though I live within 3 hours of a couple of major teaching/research institutions. 

    I'm seeing an MO in my hometown tomorrow for a 2nd opinion on hormonal therapy and will ask her if there are any trials she knows of.  

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  • jenrio
    jenrio Member Posts: 558
    edited July 2012

    http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/03/health/research/03trials.html?_r=2&ref=health

    This 2009 article goes over the problems with trial recruiting.   Only 3% adult cancer patients go into clinical trial.    It also goes over why some trials are designed to fail, and trials cost oncologist income sometimes.   It also mentions ispy-2 trials (Dr Laura Esserman) as a potential solution for this problem.   

    Sweetbean, you are probably luminal B.   But your luminal B is probably not the same as my luminal B(Yours are lower grade HER2+.  Mine is high grade Her2-).  There was a very impressive study (METABRIC) that subdivide luminal B further into 5-7 subcategories based on whole genome sequencing.   With varying prognosis from poor to good.     You will need to dig through my blog for reference.   GL

    Melly, are you on tamoxifen currently?    Yeah, I think a clinical trial for you may be the best option, given your PR-.    Tamoxifen works significantly less well for ER+PR-.  If your onco doesn't know, keep asking for 2nd opinions and ask for whole genome sequencing (Complete Genomics).  You sound like a go-getter!

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  • Heidihill
    Heidihill Member Posts: 5,476
    edited July 2012

    http://scienceblog.cancerresearchuk.org/2012/04/18/increasing-the-resolution-on-breast-cancer-the-metabric-study/

    Link to METABRIC study.

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