Breast Cancer and complementary or integrative therapies

Breast Cancer Index is a genomic test (like the Oncotype) done with your surgical specimens, after 5 years of hormonal therapy. It gives risk and it gives benefit of extended hormonal therapy. Risk is on a scale, benefit is a yes or no. I also did the Prosigna Assay at the 5 year point.

I was high risk (5.7% risk of recurrence), no benefit with the BCI, High risk with the Prosigna (9%?) and originally had an Oncotype of 8 with 6% risk on meds (grade 3, LVI). I actually wanted to do more letrozole!

I watched this interview last night: https://www.chrisbeatcancer.com/henning-saupe-md-the-naturopathic-integrative-approach-to-oncology/

Found the interview very helpful.

This is at the beginning of the site linked above:

"You cannot heal as long as you carry a grudge, judgmental thoughts about things that happened in your life that you cannot forgive, or deep feelings of guilt and shame. – Dr. Henning Saupe"

I understand the connection between mind and body but this kind of thinking is just another way to blame us for our cancer.

I went on the listen and care website, but could not see a forum for sharing my naturopath's name. I live in Canada and her name is Dr. Ciler Ataner.

Do some research on Turkey tail.

I strongly encourage you to at the very least get imaging and testing done to see what is actually happening with your tumor. I work in a cancer center and we see women with cancer more advanced than it could have been because they chose alternative cancer treatments without conventional treatment. Being under 50 with an ER+ tumor makes it more likely that the tumor is more aggressive as well. It is so sad to see these women lose their lives unnecessarily.

My mother had breast tumor that was oozingpus out og her breast. She said when she just hsd lump she wasn't worried. By the time we discovered this cancer had spread to brsin and bones. She died yr later despite chemo and mastectomy.

Integrative medicine departments are available in most major cancer centers.

Mayo Clinic has an Integrative Medicine department at all 3 campuses: AZ, FL and MN. Here's more information: https://www.mayoclinic.org/departments-centers/integrative-medicine-health/sections/overview/ovc-20464567

One of my all time favorite websites is the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) https://www.nccih.nih.gov/
In the health info A-Z section you can look up any treatment, therapy, supplement, etc and find out more about how it is used, it's safety and what the evidence says about how it can help or be harmful.

For anyone not sure about the terms integrative, complementary or alternative medicine, start with this article:
– Complementary, Alternative, or Integrative Health: What’s In a Name? https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/complementary-alternative-or-integrative-health-whats-in-a-name

Another reliable resource that I really like is the About Herbs database that Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center maintains.
– About Herbs (Oncology) https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/diagnosis-treatment/symptom-management/integrative-medicine/herbs

It is a useful tool for the public as well as healthcare professionals that can help you figure out the value of using common herbs and other dietary supplements.

A pharmacist and botanicals expert manages and continually updates the database with assistance from other MSK Integrative Medicine Service experts, providing you with objective and evidence-based information that can be helpful in judging a product’s:
– traditional and proven uses
– potential benefits
– possible adverse effects
– interactions with other herbs or medicines

I feel that my breast cancer was triggered by deep traumas. There weren't many, just a few, but were deep. I don't feel that it's blaming, but more " how can I move forward and honor and loving myself? What is the BC journey is trying to tell me? "

These are the facts that I know. Around the end of June, we felt a lump at 9oclock on her right breast. We went for a mammogram/ ultrasound. They found a 3cm spiculated mass. I began doing research. I started her on 6 grams day of Turkey tail. At the end of July she had an mri, they were confused as it appeared to have shrank. I didn’t say anything. She had a lumpectomy on 8/11/22. Really good margins, onca dx was 12. Radiation therapy for 5 days. I had a estradiol test run and it showed < 10. A year prior to this it was 60. She’s taking letrozole. 2 months after her first dose, she is still at < 10. Turkey tail is an aromatase inhibitor. And we are satisfied with the results. If I had known about this sooner, we may have gone a different route. Irregardless, her breast looks really good and she is doing well other than some breast, axilla pain.
Please do your own research. She is er, pr +. HER2-. 54 years old.