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Hey Ladies,
I'm going to see my Dr on Monday for a CT scan, Avastin/placebo etc... And I have a list of questions for him.
One question is are there things like black cohosh or soy that may aggravate my cancer (which is supposedly in remission) because of estrogen issues?
Can you tell me what foods, supplements, etc your Drs have told you to avoid because of estrogen sensitivity issues?
I'll let you know what he says.... Thank you :)
Cancer Premarin Surgery Hysterectomy Prostate cancer Breast cancer Ovarian cancer Menopause Estrogens
I will be interested to hear what he has to say. i would like to add more soy to my diet, but am a little hesitant.
I mostly just put soymilk in cereal in the morning and have been drinking whey protein shakes made with soymilk but I'm kind of wondering about it.... ?
I think some ovarian cancers are sensitive, maybe the BRCAs, but with other types of ovarian cancer it is good to drink and use soy. They are actually using a version of soy to enhance chemo drugs during threatment...it is a clinical trial and is having great success so far. It is called phenoxodiol and it is basically genistein which is a version of soy protein I believe. Here is a definition:
Phenoxodiol - What Is It? ....Somebody Is Bound To Ask You. (July 2005)
ANSWER: Phenoxodiol is an isoflavone, a more stable synthetic derivative of its cousin genistein, the ingredient of interest in soy products, much studied for its beneficial effect on prostate cancer.
Here is the title and link to the use with ovarian cancer:
A new study further supports the unique mechanism of action of phenoxodiol, an investigational drug being studied for the treatment of ovarian cancer.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/2007/05/02/24600.aspx
When I was starting to get my reoccurrence is starting ready Beating Cancer with Nutrition book, and it mentions that soy and ginseng are the natural alternative to taking tamoxifen for ovarian cancer.
Soy and ginseng are said to do the same things that tamoxifen does without the negative effects. I'm not sure of the dosage of soy and ginseng.
but Beating Cancer with Nutrition is an excellent resource for diet and healthy supplements and vitamins which help fight cancer and are not toxic like chemo treatments.
They also boost our immune systems. I even talked to my oncologist that said that I would be able to take my supplements and dietary changes along with my chemo because it wouldn't interact. Since the supplements boost my immune system and chemo tears it down, this to me sounds like a good approach.
I was at a retreat where a specialist in supplements...shared this study:
http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/jan2007/niehs-31.htm
Apparently when lavendar was discontinued the condition reversed. Lavendar seems to be more common in facial preparations, body soaps, etc. More study is being done but the practitioner said to be any cautious if you have the type of cancer impacted by estrogen.
My cancer nutritionist told me eating tofu and drinking soy milk were fine but to watch out for soy protein isolate a concentrated form of soy
Hmmmm... I guess we have advice all over the board. My tumor was definitely estrogen positive, so my doctors have told me to stay away from any of the phytoestrogens - including soy and tofu.
My tumor was estrogen receptive also and my gynonc said to avoid soy, but mainly because of the risk of breast cancer. Soybean lecithin and oil is in many foods, and I know I am getting some, but I was a big tofu, soymilk, miso consumer. Now I only have a cup or two of miso soup each month. I don't know if that is bad or not.
Okay, so he said not to worry about it. He said the important thing is to eat a balanced-healthy diet.
Hi, my tumor was a granulosa cell tumor, which is estrogen based. My oncologist told me to stay away from soy as the soy fools the body into thinking it is estrogen. In fact my estrogen levels kept going up until I realized that the soy was making it go up. Since I discontinued the soy, my levels have come down. You would be amazed at how many foods that have soy oil and soy leichen in it. So no more soy for me.
How do you find out if your tumor is estrogen sensitive? Is there a test for it?
Hi,
Okay, about estrogen positive cancers. Your doctor can actually tell you if your cancer is estrogen positive, and the test for that absolutely should have been done at surgery or biopsy.
Estrogen positive means it feeds on estrogen. ANY form of estrogen. You can actually google for " foods and supplements that produce estrogen in the body" and you will find an intriguing list. Soy, or soy based products (tofu) etc are one of those and also alcohol is another. Who knew that alcohol turns to estrogen in the body????? A glass of wine dangerous?
As a clinical sexologist I become incensed by doctors that tell women "don't worry about it, just eat a healthy diet and you should consider taking/using a low dose of estrogen for vaginal health and sexual help." My opinion is DO NOT!!!!!! use anything that makes or is estrogen if you have estrogen positive cancer. My opinion only.
Estrogen is estrogen whether it is phyto or chemical and made by the body itself from things like alcohol etc. Fact.
I have estrogen positive oc, and I am in recurrence. I knew not to take/use estrogen supplements even though my oncology surgeon and gyn offered it after surgery. However, I did not know then, 2 1/2 yrs ago, what else makes estrogen in the body.
I am happy to share what little I know with you. Now you have options and can make your own choices.
Be well.
iListen
Yeah, honestly I keep feeling like all of this diet/supplement/possible herbal treatment stuff is all a big mystery.
Everyone has a different opinion about everything and then everyone's Dr has a different opinion, I wish I knew what is really accurate.
He HAS definitely told me no HRT because of the estrogen issues, so I'm assuming epethelial clear cell is estrogen sensitive. So now I don't know about soy. I am lactose intolerant and don't know what the heck elss to put on my cereal or make my whey protein shakes out of that won't taste awful.... Silly problem, eh?
I feel like all I can eat are vegetables and nuts and bird seed or something. I was wishing tonight that somone would make something like dog food for people. Something you could eat for every meal and that had everything in it that our bodies need. Not that I think dog food is perfect either, it's just a nice idea. I hate cooking and between no sugar, no lactose, no simple carbs, no cheese (under lactose of course) what else is left?
Oh well. I flounder on.
I use almond milk. There are also "milk" products made from rice and hemp. Hope one of these works for you.
I have never used soy products because of the estrogen factor; and never will.
I had my OV cancer- hysterectomy Dec 2007, followed by chemo until May 2008.
Previous to this however, Dec 2002 I had ‘estrogen receptor positive breast cancer’. In my opinion this seems mostly common with pre/post menopause. My oncologist told me that one of my problems is that I had an over abundance of estrogen.
The breast cancer docks onto the estrogen and multiplies. I had a partial mastectomy 25/35 lymph nodes removed and 34 radiations. From the start I was given Tamoxifen which lasted 5 years. Tamoxifen also docks on the estrogen and when cancer cells dock the Tamoxifen doesn’t allow the cancer cells to multiply – hence they die.
The experts cannot decide if the body sees the molecules of soy estrogen as human estrogen.
It’s like margarine…margarine is 1 molecule away from being plastic. The body believes this IS plastic even though it isn’t’ supposed to be, so even if soy estrogen is not an exact match to our estrogen, what does the body ‘believe’ it to be?
I am not BRCA 1 or 2 and yet interestingly, both my breast and ovarian cancers are not related cell-wise but are different cancers.
Since my Radical Hysterectomy Dec 2007 (my CA count had been 874).
Chemo Jan 2008 – May 2008 and up to November 2008 my CA125 count had been 5, 9, 6, 5, and November 2008 it was ‘5’.
December 2008, due to my mental state (chemo brain), my Ovarian oncologist wanted to put me on a low dose of estrogen to help with this. My breast cancer oncologist did not like this idea but agreed as long as I took it with Tamoxifen to prevent my breast cancer from returning.
January 6th 2009 I started the estrogen (Premarin)/Tamoxifen and on February 17th 2009 my CA125 count came back as 220 and I chose to halt both the estrogen/Tamoxifen.
March 25, 2009 my CA 125 went up to 315 and a scan showed the ovarian cancer (looks like spackle) had returned to my pelvic wall floor and back left wall. It was now a wait and see since my energy level was good and there wasn’t a tumour or organ involvement. (Early chemo does not make for a longer remission in my case).
In early April I stopped drinking organic cow’s milk and started to use Almond Milk. I took 3 ginger capsules 3 times a day (=9 total and sometimes 12 a day), which I had read Ovarian cancer hates when introduced to ginger in a Petrie dish. I also started taking ImunoZen to boost my immune system.
I also slowly introduced the pH (80% alkaline to 20% acidic – by weight) into my diet in May 2009.
May 20th my CA125 count was 174.
July 20th will be my next count results.
What I believe happened from this introduction of the (horse) estrogen is that my ovarian cancer was spurred on by the added estrogen. If my body reacts to my estrogen and horse (Premarin) estrogen, what does it do with other estrogens like soy estrogen that the experts can’t decide if it mimics my estrogen? How close is the molecular structure of soy estrogen to human or Premarin (horse estrogen)?
I do not take any HRT and I do not consume any soy products.
Jennifer
That is VERY helpful thank you for all of the detailed specific suggestions and information! I'm going to try almond milk. I like almonds....
I was diagnosed with stage IIIc ovarian cancer in
October of '08....I am happy to say that I have been
in remission for some months....
My nutritionist has told me to stay away from soy
and flax seeds as they promote estrogen in the body....
I still take a lot of supplements like fish oil, vit D, mutiple vitamins and a morning shake of hemp protein, liquid vitamins, ginger, yogurt (fat free) blackberries, blueberries, bananas and whatever fruit I can find...CoQ 10, B vitamins and magnesium among others....
I saw my gyn/onc today and specifically asked him about soy products, not in general, but for me. He said that about 10% of ovarian cancers are estrogen receptive, and that mine was NOT. I guess that is yet another tidbit of info that I didn't know about my surgery and pathology results. Anyway, he said soy would be safe for me, so "Silk", here I come!
For anyone wondering, I think the solution is to ask your doc what the pathology report showed.
Hi go on this site and it will give a list of estrogen foods to avoid and foods that inhibit estrogen
www.holisticonline.com
I was on soy for 4 yrs before dx. After my dx, I stopped everything especially the soy as I had no family history of ovca and was considered to have virtually no chance of ever getting it! I am stage 3c and had a 15 lb. tumor removed in 2004. Have been cancer free so far but also have never had soy again as I just don't know.
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