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threetree
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Sep 27, 2021 09:39AM
threetree
wrote:
Sorry to see no one has weighed in, so here's my 2 cents: To my knowledge, turmeric goes after and kills cancer cells, but there is an absorption problem and it doesn't stay and work in our bodies for very long. More recently, I saw on the Food For Breast Cancer site that turmeric is thought to be estrogenic, so the author of that site was recommending that those with ER/PR+ not use it. My understanding though, is that a lot of estrogenic stuff is OK. The estrogenic substances seem to work for both good and bad, depending. There are different estrogen receptors in our bodies and depending on which one gets activated by the substance, it can do either good or harm. Soy and flaxseed are two other estrogenic substances that there is controversy about. Lately though, most are saying that they are both OK, even beneficial, because they have the good estrogenic effect in reasonable amounts, including the Food For Breast Cancer site that is now saying turmeric might be iffy. I continue to take my turmeric and I realize I might be taking a chance, but it also really helps my aches and pains from Letrozole, so I'm going with it being OK. Many sites on the web say it is good for cancer, so I just don't know. If turmeric is raising my estrogen levels, I'd never know it from all the low estrogen side effects I get from Letrozole. If the turmeric is doing anything bad, the Letrozole must be cancelling it out.
I am no expert and no medical or science person, this is all just my opinion and take from what I have read over the last 3 years. If nothing else, I hope it gives you some more food for thought.
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mountainmia
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Sep 27, 2021 10:55AM
mountainmia
wrote:
I'm not a dietician or food scientist so am not answering with authority. What I understand is that one of the main benefits of turmeric is that it is an anti-inflammatory. https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo...:~:text=Turmeric's%20main%20active%20component%20%E2%80%94%20curcumin,movement%20in%20people%20with%20osteoarthritis.
and as that, is good for us, generally. Less inflammation, less reaction, etc...
However, it is also a blood thinner, so people who use blood thinners (including aspirin) should at least check with their doctor before using. I use baby aspirin, so I quit taking turmeric.
The rain comes and the rain goes, but the mountain remains. I am the mountain.
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aprilgirl1
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Sep 27, 2021 11:33AM
aprilgirl1
wrote:
Hi Snoopygirl, for hormone positive breast cancer, my oncologist told me turmeric supplements are a no as they increase your estrogen . Adding tumeric to food , salad dressing etc is fine, just the supplements are a no. I took them for a bit as a preventative for inflammation. I started seeing a new oncologist when I had a recurrence in 2019 and this new oncologist told me to stop the tumeric supplements.
recurrence in lymph nodes (superclavicle/mediastinal)"You can do it like it's a great weight on you, or you can do it like it's part of the dance." Ram Dass
Dx
11/7/2008, IDC, Left, 1cm, Stage IB, Grade 2, 0/3 nodes, ER+/PR+, HER2-
Dx
11/13/2019, IDC, Left, Stage IV, metastasized to other, ER+/PR+, HER2-
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lillyishere
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May 11, 2022
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Sep 27, 2021 12:50PM
lillyishere
wrote:
After my diagnose 2 years ago, I read about turmeric and I start using it. Not as a supplement but I bought the organic spice and start making a tea (with cinnamon and black pepper) or adding it to the food. Well, I realized I was developing few symptoms, the first time while I was also using fish oil and baby aspirin, it all blow up on having bruises all over from thinning the blood below normal. I stopped. In few months later, I started again with food, and I realized that it does increase letrozole SE. Three days ago, I had some turmeric tea with a friend and since that day, I am having hot flashes that is unusual for me. Unfortunately, turmeric doesn't work well with letrozole in my case. We have to watch out for these supplements with our medications since there is not enough research on the interactions.
“Within five years, cancer will have been removed from the list of fatal maladies.” That was the optimistic promise to U.S. President William Howard Taft in 1910 when he visited Buffalo’s Gratwick Laboratory, “What’s taking so long?”
Dx
7/31/2019, ILC, Left, <1, Stage IIA, 2/5 nodes, ER+/PR-, HER2-
Hormonal Therapy
7/31/2019 Aromasin (exemestane), Femara (letrozole)
Surgery
9/1/2019 Lymph node removal (Left); Mastectomy (Left): Nipple Sparing; Mastectomy (Right): Nipple Sparing; Reconstruction (Left): Silicone implant; Reconstruction (Right): Silicone implant
Surgery
9/1/2019 Mastectomy (Left): Nipple Sparing; Mastectomy (Right): Nipple Sparing; Prophylactic mastectomy (Right)
Surgery
9/19/2019 Lymph node removal; Mastectomy; Mastectomy (Left); Mastectomy (Right); Reconstruction (Left): Silicone implant; Reconstruction (Right): Silicone implant
Hormonal Therapy
11/30/2019 Femara (letrozole)
Dx
LCIS/ILC, Both breasts, 2/5 nodes, ER+/PR-, HER2-
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belle_vie
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Oct 16, 2021
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Oct 6, 2021 02:30AM
belle_vie
wrote:
I both take a turmeric supplement and ingest 1/4 tsp. of tumeric everyday based on Dr. Greger's Daily Dozen. He seems to be under the impression that it is one of the most potent chemopreventive substances there is. Dr. Kristi Funk also recommends it and includes it in her antioxidant breast health smoothie.
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wallycat
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Oct 6, 2021 02:24PM
wallycat
wrote:
I take a mega-dose of it since my MGUS dx. Curcumin is similar to soy in that even if it has estrogenic properties, the "keys" that it binds to limit how much estrogen is available to our bodies (a good thing). I still think cancer is a crap shoot but curcumin has so many positives, I'm hopeful I'm doing the right thing.
Dx 4/07 1 month before turning 50; ILC 1.8cm, ER+/PR+, HER2 neg., Stage 1, Grade 2, 0/5 nodes. Onco score 20, Bilateral Mast., tamoxifen 3-1/2 years, arimidex-completed 4/20/2012
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illimae
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Oct 6, 2021 04:57PM
illimae
wrote:
Like April mentioned, to too was told that it’s fine in food but not to take supplements. Both my MO and nutritionists at my cancer center advise trying to get the complimentary stuff through food.
Diagnosed at 41 Stage IV De Novo
Dx
11/16/2016, IDC, Left, 5cm, Stage IV, metastasized to bone, Grade 3, 3/13 nodes, ER+/PR-, HER2+
Chemotherapy
1/2/2017 Abraxane (albumin-bound or nab-paclitaxel)
Targeted Therapy
1/2/2017 Herceptin (trastuzumab)
Targeted Therapy
1/2/2017 Perjeta (pertuzumab)
Surgery
6/26/2017 Lumpectomy; Lumpectomy (Left); Lymph node removal
Radiation Therapy
8/10/2017 Breast, Lymph nodes
Dx
10/5/2017, IDC, Left, 5cm, Stage IV, metastasized to brain, Grade 3, 3/13 nodes, ER+, HER2-
Radiation Therapy
10/20/2017 External
Local Metastases
10/20/2017 Brain
Radiation Therapy
4/18/2018 External
Local Metastases
4/18/2018 Brain
Radiation Therapy
5/23/2019 External
Local Metastases
5/23/2019 Brain
Surgery
1/22/2020
Radiation Therapy
2/17/2020 External
Local Metastases
2/17/2020 Brain
Radiation Therapy
7/20/2020 External
Local Metastases
7/20/2020 Radiation therapy: Bone
Radiation Therapy
12/4/2020 External
Local Metastases
12/4/2020 Brain
Targeted Therapy
Tukysa (tucatinib)
Chemotherapy
Xeloda (capecitabine)
Hormonal Therapy
Tamoxifen pills (Nolvadex, Apo-Tamox, Tamofen, Tamone)
E
elderberry
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Oct 6, 2021 09:55PM
elderberry
wrote:
You need to be careful with tumeric supplements if you take blood thinners like apixaban. Just go for a good curry.
De Novo - this isn't a "brave battle" - it is a "furious struggle"
Dx
3/6/2019, IDC, Left, 5cm, Stage IV, metastasized to liver, HER2+
Targeted Therapy
Herceptin (trastuzumab)
Chemotherapy
Taxol (paclitaxel)
Targeted Therapy
Perjeta (pertuzumab)
F
Faith1111
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Oct 7, 2021
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Oct 7, 2021 02:16AM
Faith1111
wrote:
sad to see all the people saying turmeric is bad for BC. I’ve been taking it ever since my diagnosis in 2019 thinking it kills breast cancer cells. I had read that somewhere anyway. My oncologist said it was okay to take but maybe she doesn’t know? She also said soy was probably okay, but I avoid that. My cancerestrogen positive.
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illimae
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Oct 7, 2021 09:01AM
illimae
wrote:
Faith, not bad really, just not recommended in supplement form. I think some soy is fine to eat too but it has issues to. I read some studies years ago that soy is beneficial but only in Asian populations who regularly consume it but in western groups who added it to their diet, consuming too much lead to problems. It was so long ago that I read that though, sorry I don’t recall specifics.
Diagnosed at 41 Stage IV De Novo
Dx
11/16/2016, IDC, Left, 5cm, Stage IV, metastasized to bone, Grade 3, 3/13 nodes, ER+/PR-, HER2+
Chemotherapy
1/2/2017 Abraxane (albumin-bound or nab-paclitaxel)
Targeted Therapy
1/2/2017 Herceptin (trastuzumab)
Targeted Therapy
1/2/2017 Perjeta (pertuzumab)
Surgery
6/26/2017 Lumpectomy; Lumpectomy (Left); Lymph node removal
Radiation Therapy
8/10/2017 Breast, Lymph nodes
Dx
10/5/2017, IDC, Left, 5cm, Stage IV, metastasized to brain, Grade 3, 3/13 nodes, ER+, HER2-
Radiation Therapy
10/20/2017 External
Local Metastases
10/20/2017 Brain
Radiation Therapy
4/18/2018 External
Local Metastases
4/18/2018 Brain
Radiation Therapy
5/23/2019 External
Local Metastases
5/23/2019 Brain
Surgery
1/22/2020
Radiation Therapy
2/17/2020 External
Local Metastases
2/17/2020 Brain
Radiation Therapy
7/20/2020 External
Local Metastases
7/20/2020 Radiation therapy: Bone
Radiation Therapy
12/4/2020 External
Local Metastases
12/4/2020 Brain
Targeted Therapy
Tukysa (tucatinib)
Chemotherapy
Xeloda (capecitabine)
Hormonal Therapy
Tamoxifen pills (Nolvadex, Apo-Tamox, Tamofen, Tamone)