What foods are you eating to reduce recurrence?

Well see yogamama, I don't crave it at all anymore so I've lost no joy.  Before, it was almost like a sickness--I could not stop thinking about sweets and I hated being so overweight, so in many ways my joy has increased.  

Also, I'll bet you really think it bites that you got cancer when you were doing all the preventative stuff and I don't blame you.  But the thing to keep in mind is that the reasons we all got cancer are as individual as we are and intuitively I felt that my sweets addiction, compounded with an amazing amount of stress, was a big part of my problem.  However, I don't think it's the answer for all of the rest of you.  Some yes, but not all.  

thanks for sharing your experience yogamamma...wish there was a magic bullet.  I guess we are all just trying to figure out why we got cancer and how we can prevent it from coming back.   I've always been pretty thin but was shocked to find out my BMI was 33 about 1 1/2 years ago.  I am post menopausal and at the time weighed 125-128.  I cut out most wheat over the past year and went down to 118.  Then got my BC diagnosis recently and lost about 10 lbs so I'm currently around 108.  Haven't had my BMI checked since it was 33 around 1 1/2 ago.  Curious what it is now.  I've heard that the estrogen likes to hang out in our body fat.  Funny I spent 13 years putting estrogen in my body (bio identical HRT)...now I'll spend the rest of my life trying to block it. 

Interesting thread...always looking for ways to improve my overall health.

thanks science girl.   I wasn't trying to loose the last 10 lbs....it was a result of the stress of learning I had BC.  No  appetite. 

thanks science girl.  I'm getting there.  Lumpectomy is done and I start internal rads on 10/25....done by Halloween.   Stress is lessening and appetite slowly coming back.   

Momine, my breast began (occasionally) bleeding in 06 but stopped and then leaked clear fluid occasionally. It took me nearly 2 years to get that checked out and when I did I wasn't bleeding anymore. GP did exam and took sample of fluid which came back negative for cancer. I had a number of mammos - all clear, over the following years. I figured it was nothing and was told all was well. In the last 5-7 yrs a low backache began that I complained about and X-Rays were done. Nothing, not even arthritis.

In 2012 my nipple started to invert and I moved up to US's along with my mammos - negative findings, BIRADS 2, which eventually became a 3 at the very end.

In late 2013 I found a lump in my armpit.

2014: May-Sept: Core needle biopsy found cancer.

CT (full body, negative for cancer); MRI (breasts - a small amt of thickening of tissue noted, but no tumor - suspected cancer and we already knew it was BC at this point); more US and mammos, all negative for cancer; Nuc bone scan, negative for hot spots/mets; PET - cancer all over right side, incl. lower back, where I've had pain for years but was told it was a part of getting older.

My former surgeon feels the cancer began when my breast started bleeding, so, 8 yrs.

It's clear I've been living for quite a while in Stage 4, with no treatment. I have my path report for the biopsy but there's nothing on the type. I never had any surgery for further Dx.

Mods: I am answering a question and not trying to hijack this topic

I am new to this forum, but have started looking at all the forums since my BC recurrence earlier this year.  I went almost three years without recurrence and had my port taken out about a year after first treatments because my oncologist thought I was doing fantastic.  Needless to say, after this second recurrence, I decided to get more than serious about my health.  It is so interesting to note (and puts a smile on my face) when I read how so many of us have researched the exact same things. It's a true "wake-up" call for everyone, not just those of us affected by breast cancer. 

 My health regimen includes using myfitnesspal.com as a way to post all of my intake for the day.  I do a 40% carbs, 30% protein, 30% fat ratio, which shows how many grams in these areas I should take in daily.  It also allows you to input your exercise and water consumption for the day.  I walk 4 miles every day, 2 in the morning, 2 in the evening.  I do a brisk walk, doing a mile in 15 minutes approximately.

As far as food consumption is concerned, I try to do as much organic as possible.  I shop at Krogers and use a majority of their SIMPLE TRUTH products, which do not have nearly all the added byproducts and chemicals in them.  I have been reading ENTER THE ZONE by Barry Sears, as well as his other book, THE ANTI-INFLAMMATION ZONE.  As I understand through research, it is very important to keep glycemic levels down to avoid inflammation, which can greatly reduce the power of your immune system to fight off disease.   I eat steel cut oats, whole grains, fresh fruit, and quite a bit of chicken, as well as salmon .  According to Dr. Sears, it is important to keep a good balance between carbs and protein, so that the proteins help offset the carb sugar spikes.  And, even though natural fruit doesn't appear to process exactly the same as refined carbs because of the fiber content, sugar is still sugar, so I make sure I balance between carbs and protein.  I drink probably about 3 glasses of water a day (hate water ), so I'll add some lemon occasionally to help flavor it and to detox the liver.  Even though all city water maintenance workers  will tell you that our water supply is checked and is safe, I don't really believe them. Their idea of "acceptable" and mine are probably far apart.  As a result I use mostly bottled water or water I boil on the stove to remove some of the trace minerals naturally found in our water supply.  

I use my microwave, but if I fix any kind of food that comes in a prepackaged bag or tray, I take the food out of them and use a regular microwavable plate.  The chemicals in the plastic can be toxic over time.  If I grill outside, I try to make sure the food is not "charred" as the burnt on such things as hamburgers and hot dogs can be carcinogenic.

One thing that I really wish is that some of our oncologists used more integrative treatments.  I think the job of every oncology department should be to give you more information after treatment about how to make yourself healthier to avoid recurrence, instead of us lay people having to rush around trying to do all the research work totally on our own.  Obviously they go to seminars that discuss these sorts of things.   I must say that my road of research has been most interesting to me, and I don't regret having done the research.  

I also wish that if a mammography center knows you have dense breasts or fybroid cystic breasts as I did, they should consult with you about the options of possibly having breast removal done.  That was never discussed with me ever, and apparently these could be definite warning signs for possible cancer development.  I would have had mine removed in a minute had I known then what I know now.

I do believe now that there is a definite correlation between a sedentary lifestyle, environmental factors, and cancer development.  I'm doing everything possible to see to it that I am the healthiest that I can be to fight this latest recurrence.  ER- PR- HER2+

Chris:  Thanks so much for the links.  I had no idea that site was available.  I have bookmarked all of them for study.

I really appreciate your sharing of what foods you are eating to prevent recurrence.  My main goal in the year since my BC diagnosis has been to lose fat by eating smaller amounts of only what I really like, and to increase my walking by counting steps.  I've lost all desire for sweet things and crave stuff that is crunchy, tart and flavorful.  I'm down 53 pounds and now in the good BMI range for my height. If I do have a recurrence, I will know that I've done everything I could have done to avoid it.

Hello Cee,

By all means, change your onc. He is not being forthcoming with you. He should have given you your pathology report by now! And you should not have to 'look it up' Sounds like he has a bit of an attitude.

Here are links you can use to assess what they're telling you (the little they are telling you...get the path report!!!)

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/detection/tumor-grade

http://www.questdiagnostics.com/testcenter/testguide.action?dc=TS_Ki-67

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/detection/staging

You need all this information...      if it is aggressive then you'll just have to be aggressive in fighting it. If it were me I'd use every arsenal I could think of.

Good for you in including alternative methods also.. cancer requires a 'complete' approach. I would get expert guidance on the alternative supplements, etc. and when to use them if you're still in therapy (a good integrative doc or a top notch naturopath).

Cee if it's poorly differentiated, that type is normally not slow growing although with your history you've posted here and their inability to detect this cancer it does suggest ILC. Yes, read the links and compare with the path report. Look at the KI-67marker. I'd be surprised if he does not what kind it is ...maybe he is just not explaining it to you. It's not clear what options you've been presented with or if you're pursuing any treatment at all.

Teakie said:  "I also wish that if a mammography center knows you have dense breasts or fybroid cystic breasts as I did, they should consult with you about the options of possibly having breast removal done. That was never discussed with me ever, and apparently these could be definite warning signs for possible cancer development. I would have had mine removed in a minute had I known then what I know now."  I don't agree with this.  I also had very dense breasts and I still have breasts since I've chosen the 100% holistic route, but they have greatly lost their density.  I don't know whether it's the 40 lbs weight loss or the fact that I take supplements like DIM, iodine, and Brevail, but I have lost almost 3 cup sizes--from a DD to a B!  I like them much better now and I can see my feet!  

I would not count on the fact that your onc goes to conferences to learn about CAM--chances are the conferences sponsored by the drug companies are a lot more glamorous and fun.  I'd say that probably only the most interested ones do so, and they are out there--even out here in the sticks, though I go to St. Louis to see my holistic doc.  BTW, my doc recommended the Zone diet to me as well.  

Teakie, awareness is finally growing. I thought you might find this website interesting:

http://www.areyoudense.org/

It is my understanding that women are supposed to be told now if they have dense breasts. My BFF just got her "all clear" letter after having her mammo, but now at the bottom of the letter it warns her that she has dense breasts so she knows to ask for additional tests, like the diagnostic (Not screening) mammo and an US.

Here's a blog post talking about density:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cari-shane-parven/do...

Bosum blues, how do you mean 20lbs underweight? What is your BMI? As long as your BMI is 18.5 or more, you are ok.

But, if you need more calories, then nuts and nut butters can be helpful. Olive oil. Bigger servings and make sure to eat something between meals, even if it is not a lot.

Abigail, all the nut butters I buy are with no added sugar or other sweeteners.

Bosum I agree with others nuts are good source for you as well as avocado - lots of omega 3 healthy. Also I would cut on diet now if you are tso underweight and try to eat healthier but not as restrictive as many cancer diet.... I was loosing weight too and each week I saw there is less and less kg on the scale I was fricking... I ate and would still loose weight so I figured I am stressed out by diagnosis, surgery and additionally about weight and the very very healthy diet is not helping now, I added more eggs (my cholesterol was fine) more nuts (almonds help on stomach issues when affected by chemo or so just peel skin from it) oats, bananas have more calories too

I decided I need to get in the shape and then be more restrictive with diet, so far I am at least keeping my weight not loosing it further

Here is also link I found - it is to point out calories in healthy food for people to consider when loosing weight but you can use it to gain it

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/9-healthy-high-ca...