Breast cancer and diet etc

[freddiemercury]

Hi there...I've just been diagnosed with breast cancer. I seem to be very lucky and hopefully lumpectomy and radiotherapy will sort it out so fingers crossed/touch wood not horribly problematic...tho obviously not ideal. But...I'm being bombarded with info from friends who are basically wanting to help..they're suggesting no dairy/no meat/no sugar etc etc and turmeric tea...all of which I can and will do if needs be. But just wondered if anyone else does this/has found it helped with treatment/not recurring later etc etc. It makes sense to me to cut out junk food just so you're as fit and healthy as possible but I am missing butter and cheese. Any thoughts or experiences anyone can share would be very grateful received....xxx

There is so much literature about cancer and nutrition it would be impossible to describe it all. This american doctor association has a nice infographic and a very well done booklet. Here they are.

pcrm.org/sites/default/files/pdfs/health/cancer/Cancer_Survivors_Guide.pdf
www.pcrm.org/media/infographics/cancer-prevention-infographic

Then later you can from there expand into the medical journals. Many of them you will only be able to read the extract, but it usually contents enough information.

I have a genetic condition which makes me extremely prone to many cancers, so I apply the precautionary principle.

Junk food is just the first step. Many plants and herbs have protective effects. For you a chamomile tea, full of apigenin, is very good, and far more pleasant to drink than turmeric.

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2874462/ . From this website you can browse medical articles .

I drink many cups of green tea per day, switch to camomile around 6pm, snack on frozen berries, eat 50-100 gr tomato paste, make big soups, .... and whenever the sun is shinning I try to stay in the sun at around 12pm - 1 pm at least for 30 min without any suncream. For breakfast I have the peel of a couple of apples with papaya and berries. I don't eat the apples as the fruit is just sugar and the protective molecules are in the peel. I already eat quite a fait amount of fruit per day and need to be careful with the sugar.

You might want to research the term antiangiogenesis. Cancer cells need blood to grow. A good 70% of my diet is antiangiogenic (but at the same time, most of these food have good properties anyway, but I won't eat the cheese, duck, ...).

There is very conflictive advice out there. Eat plenty of colours, fresh herbs, ditch dairy and all the processed food from processed meat. Heaps of lemons, olive oil, .... well this is what I do, others might have other opinion. I just cannot take risks.

Fingers crossed, Freddie, and may I suggest you join the Lacies here www.mumsnet.com/Talk/general_health/2816118-CANCER-SUPPORT-THREAD-58-New-thread-new-year-but-the-lacies-are-still-here-Please-join-us-if-you-have-any-sort-of-cancer-or-are-waiting-for-test-results. Fantastic ladies and they might share their diet.

I had breast cancer OP, and my oncologist advised that I aim to maintain a healthy weight- her words were to stay "lean". My surgeon advised that I cut down on dairy, eat plenty of vegetables especially leafy greens, and not drink much alcohol.
Best of luck with all your treatment. X

It's a few years old now, but this Cancer Research UK blog is quite good as a starting point for some of the most popular cancer/diet advice. If any of it particularly interests you then obviously have a look for something more recent.

Check with your medical team before making any radical changes to your diet or starting any supplements/herbal remedies etc. as they can be contraindicated.

I wouldn't consider butter or cheese to be junk food, but I don't subscribe to the idea of low fat being healthy. The dairy/cancer research is quite complex.

I have incurable bowel cancer and my diet is actually much less healthy than it was prior to my diagnosis, as I had to have major bowel surgery and now cannot tolerate various things and need to eat lots of white carbs. I wondered if this had contributed to my recurrence, but my oncologist said it was highly unlikely.

I try to eat everything in moderation, but I'm not going to deny myself foods I enjoy for the sake of perhaps a little more time. I'd be really peed off if I'd forced myself to eat things I hate and then the cancer had returned anyway

I was also going to invite you to join us over on the Lacies thread. Please do if you fancy it :) we all have different approaches. Some people have done juice cleanse or fasted or things like that. There's no one right way to approach things, as long as you aren't doing anything harmful! The main thing, tbh, is that you feel as happy as possible with whatever you decide to do. Please don't be afraid to tell your friends you are not interested in discussing your diet etc. if you are finding their input unhelpful!