Drug Creates Inhospitable Environment for bc Progression

This sounds really promising.

I will reply for my wife since she adores forums of any kind (had a few bad experiences with them).

My wife, (now age 68) back in Dec of 2012 was diagnosed with Stage 4 ER+ breast cancer. One node and a small spot on the spine. After 3 infusions of AC she was clean except for the 6 cm tumor in her breast. The oncologist said since the cancer was responding well to estrogen blocker (aromasin) it was best to leave it be.

A little over a year later, Nov 2014 the cancer morphed and went crazy. She had a radical mastectomy and breast removal. A biopsy showed it to be ER+ and the oncologist prescribed tamoxifen. 19 lymph nodes were removed and 9 of the 19 had triple negative Metaplastic keratinized squamous carcinoma. A PET scan done after the surgery showed some cancer still in her armpit, probably spill over from the nodes. She's completed 4 doses of A-C and used up her lifetime amount.The last PET scan showed an SUV of 2.2 down from 5.9 and 1.0 is normal baseline. She's now having radiation to get rid of the last vestiges of the cancer.

She has two cancers, one ER+ PR+ HER2- and another triple negative.

I brought up copper depletion with her oncologist. He gave me one of those knowing looks and implied that Kaiser they would treat cancer with proven science. I guess this isn't main stream treatment yet?

Mike W.

Since starting this whole BC thing, I've read several (100s) of books about cancer, BC and diet, nutrients. Several have suggested if we (those diagnosed w BC) are taking a multi-vitamin we should be sure it does NOT contain copper-ditto for iron. Some have recommended we not cook with copper or cast iron pans either. So avoiding excess copper is not a new idea but this drug does sound promising anyway.

I definitely don't take any supplements w copper in them, but I'm not ready to give up cashews or avocados-especially not avocados-they have lots of really healthy things in them too and I love them! Kale? Maybe, I'm not too keen on it anyway, LOL.

This is fascinating and timely. My naturopathic oncologist just tested me and the results of my copper test are REALLY high...and he says that he is seeing i in most of his breast cancer patients. I have never used an IUD, nor cooked in copper. I meet with him again on Monday to discuss what to do now.

He also gave me a Dtectrx Breast test..and since i haven't had my coffee yet, I can't remember why I did that one....recurrence indicators I think, but its new technology as well that sounded good.

Deanna, Thank you for this.

Leggo, That is scary, for years people would say it's the water  - so maybe it's the copper pipes that we are using?

Leggo, If your suspicions are correct about the copper pipes that might explain why there are cancer clusters in cul-de-sac's and neighborhoods that dead end.  The water may lay there in the pipes longer.  Just an idea.

http://www.e-spenjournal.org/article/S1751-4991(11)00056-4/abstract

This is also interesting re: the ocp / breast cancer link in that ocps elevate copper and ceruloplasmin.

https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrative-medicine/herbs/zinc

I'll have to start looking at some of the links they've provided, but I thought this was a good overview of the role of zinc. My takeaway is that balance is key - too much or too little leads to inflammation and oxidation. I'm taking a zinc supplement right now too (I jut started a ca/mg/zn/D combo for my osteopenia) and am interested where my levels are. May be time to find myself a naturopath after all, as I have a feeling my regular onc won't be willing to test me.

Also, since they balance each other, I wonder what the zinc levels of women being copper chelated are?

This is all very complicated, but I'm really glad someone is thinking outside of the just kill the cancer cells box and looking at their supporters.

in the clinic Euromed in Arizona they measure the level of ceruloplasmin and if copper is high they give you a product to lower it, to decrease chance of relapse

yes they are Leggo, alternative medicine is ahead

I had heard about this study awhile ago, but it's so hard to cut back on high copper foods. Salmon and mushrooms? That's tough. Here's a link to low copper foods, intended for another disease, but still informative.

http://www.arizonadigestivehealth.com/low-copper-d...

One thing I wonder about is how low a level is necessary to reach any kind of therapeutic level to stop tumor angiogenesis. It sounds like one needs a very low level-- low enough to affect your red blood cell counts. Can you even do this by restricting foods? And would it throw other things off-kilter?

Awareness is good, though, but I'm not sure the benefits of leaving out so many healthful foods will give us the desired result. I do take a zinc supplement which I hope balances things somewhat.

I have copper plumbing- have had since we moved into this house 20 years ago. Been using a lot of bottled spring water for the last few years. Think I'll keep it up.