Alt therapies to treat breast cancer??

[Clued]

I have early stage breast cancer in 1 breast. It hasn't spread anywhere else. So I am scheduled to having the breast removed in a couple of weeks . The skin and nip can be saved.

I am having some conflicting advice from relatives for alternative therapies like turkey tail mushrooms etc instead of going for the op.

Does anyone have any advice?

Thanks in advance.

Look I haven't had breast cancer and I am so sorry you're having to go through this but I would recommend thinking about doing your alternate therapies alongside the recommended treatment. I understand it's absolutely terrifying, but I work in operating theatres for breast cancer (exclusively) and the impact of waiting can be catastrophic, it's your body but I would ask for another appointment with your surgeon and ask them.

I've scrubbed in for many many surgeries for women with breast cancer and the survival rate is so much better to be treated early on

Advice. Ignore your relatives and get the operation asap.

You absoultely must do the mainstream therapies. If you would like, you could do the alternate ones alongside. Please absolutely do NOT do the alternative therapies in place of the mainstream ones.

Am so sorry you are dealing with this. The good news is that it hasn't spread and it's very treatable especially at stage 1.
TT mushrooms are not proven effective treatment plus most supplements may not even contain TTM in sufficient quantities or even contain any since natural supplements are not regulated. There is no harm (indeed there may be a benefit) if you have TTM (actual not capsules or extract you can prove) as part of your healthy diet along with proven treatment

Are your relatives qualified and experienced Oncologists? If not ignore them completely and listen to the people who are qualified, experienced and know what they are talking about. Ask as many questions as you like as to why they are recommending certain treatments, the risks and benefits etc as it’s their job to answer you and give you all the information you need to make your decisions.

Dr Liz O'Riordan offers great (evidence based) advice about lots of things BC related (including dietary 'treatments' and # nutribollocks) Good luck with your treatment

My FIL was very worried about the side effects of traditional treatment for throat cancer, and went down an entirely alternative route. He lived less than a year.

I agree with the posters suggesting alternative treatments alongside the op. I was in this position in January. I had the op - it was very straightforward and a great relief to know they'd removed all the cancer. I subsequently had a short course of radiotherapy, thankfully with no side effects. Please accept the conventional treatments you've been offered even if you want to explore alternatives.

Sorry you are facing well meaning suggestions of family members that are most unlikely to be enough for your recovery.
My osteopath had breast cancer some years ago. She was always a fan of homeopathy and alternative therapy and did those alongside traditional cancer treatment/mastectomy etc. Did well and is still here to tell the tale.

I had it 17 years ago and am still here thanks to conventional treatment.
Don't be fooled by woo op.
Good.luck.

I knew someone who chose alternative therapies instead. Needless to say she’s dead now and left behind two children.

Ignore your unqualified relatives and their magic mushrooms and follow the advice of the experts.

Your relatives are stupid.

People who do the alt therapies instead of conventional treatment, die.

Research has shown that patients who choose alternative therapies over conventional are more than twice as likely to die as those who accept conventional treatment. However, cancer support organisations often recommend complementary therapies (just in case anyone isn't familiar with the difference, as opposed to alternative because they're used alongside conventional treatment). The support organisation Breast Cancer Now has some good info on these.
If you're unsure about the treatment you're being offered by your oncologist, talk to them, ask what other treatment options they might offer and what the risks and benefits might be in your situation. The recent Horizon special on Making Sense of Cancer, by Hannah Fry, might help you with some of the decisions you're facing.
Good luck.

I’m sure it’s such a shock for you, and your relatives mean well. But honestly, if the alternative therapies worked, then they wouldn’t be alternative, they’d be the first thing your oncologist would be recommending.

I have breast cancer, unfortunately mine was stage 3 not stage 1.
I trust my breast surgeon and my oncologist, they have done this every day for the last 20 years. Every decision they make is done as a group of multi disciplinary members so every choice is based on best practice.

Using holistic therapy as an addition to conventional treatment is a good idea but ask your team whether there are any interactions but using it instead of is foolish in my opinion. If these treatments worked then they would be given by the NHS, it’s got to be cheaper than chemo and radiotherapy.

I had a lovely neighbour called Allison. Allison developed breast cancer. Her Mother was a homeopathical healer who held meetings at her house once a week. Allison decided to follow her mothers guidance. Allison is no longer with us. She left behind a very young widower and two little boys. I wish Allison had followed the hospital advice as well as her Mothers.

In your situation, I would follow the advice of my consultant/multi-disciplinary team.

If there’s a complementary treatment you’d like to try alongside conventional medicine, definitely check with your doctor first.

www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/cancer-in-general/treatment/complementary-alternative-therapies/about/safety

Good nutrition is absolutely vital during treatment but it should never be instead of.

For example, my mum wanted to take a particular vitamin supplement alongside chemotherapy. This was several years ago, so I can’t remember all the details, but her consultant advised against it. She said that the current evidence was inconclusive, but there were some indications that the vitamins might actually help the cancer cells.

Doing things like drinking lemon juice and added vitamins won't harm you ... alongside convential treatment. Just not instead of it.

Please take every advantage modern medicine has to offer. It's been caught early, it's going to be treated and you will beat it.

Unless the people advising you are oncologists, just ignore them.

There is a marine carotenoid being studied as a possible therapy for breast cancer:

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Fucoxanthin+breast+cancer

But it is only an adjuvant therapy, not a primary treatment. As others have said, you must pursue traditional interventions

This.

if you want a second medical opinion, then get one, but do not listen to a person who tells you to ignore your doctors.

Conventional treatment is conventional because it works.

You have early stage, it is important to treat immediately to hopefully keep it that way

im still here along with my sister and my mother ( before she died at a v old age) after having conventional treatment-please have the surgery first and then you must check with oncologist about anything you decide to put in your body afterwards.good luck- breast cancer caught early has an incredible success rate-both mind and my sisters had spread to lymph nodes but the treatment worked-sister is past the 15 year mark and I’m past the 8 year mark