Breast Cancer Info

Toxins such as the DDT, PCB's, organochlorines, dioxins and other chemicals are now part of the environment and are shown to contribute to breast cancer. The foods women eat, the environment, drinking water, perfumes, cleaning agents, inhaled poisons and other toxins contribute to the disease that has been steadily growing.

(Powdered versions of some of these supplements may be taken instead of tablets listed above and all may be used in one smoothie or juice)
Always consider that foods listed above may have an effect on medical treatment and drugs used by oncologists, and to coordinate your program with your doctor)

Adjunctive Nutritional Schedule
SuperGreens PhytoFood: 2teasp per day
CodLiver Oil: 3 capsules per day
DetoxFormula: 4 tablets per day
ImmuneSupport: 6 tablets per day
CalMag Balance: 10 tablets per day
BFood Complex: 8 tablets per day

Additional support
Alkaline Diet
Enema Program

Also, see Cancer and Prevention.

Among the best types of foods to eat with any cancer are selenium-containing foods. These include organic mushrooms, egg yolks, seafood, poultry and kidney, liver and muscle meats. Vegetables — garlic, onions, broccoli, asparagus, tomatoes and others — as well as whole grains and seeds can also be good sources of selenium.

There are many studies showing that breast cancer can be related to toxins that disrupt the normal functions of hormones. A great number of these toxins are in today’s foods and the environment. Therefore it is best to avoid:
• Nonfoods in the diet (See Alkaline Diet)
• All synthetic and artificial chemicals (perfumes, cleaning products, skin products, drugs, impure water, etc.)
• Soy
• Bad fats, unnatural fats
• Water and air pollution
• Excessive stress

With this said, despite any medical treatment, it is always wise to try to detoxify your body and feed it the best nutrition in order to help your body reach its optimum state of health.

“In addition to the natural changes that occur during pregnancy and your menstrual cycle, other common noncancerous (benign) breast conditions include:
Fibrocystic changes. This condition can cause your breasts to feel ropy or granular. Fibrocystic changes are extremely common, occurring in at least half of all women. In most cases the changes are harmless. And they don't mean you're more likely to develop breast cancer. If your breasts are very lumpy, performing a breast self-exam is more challenging. Becoming familiar with what's normal for you through self-exams will help make detecting any new lumps or changes easier.
Cysts. These are fluid-filled sacs that frequently occur in the breasts of women ages 35 to 50. Cysts can range from very tiny to about the size of an egg. They can increase in size or become more tender just before your menstrual period, and may disappear completely after it. Cysts are less common in postmenopausal women.

Fibroadenomas. These are solid, noncancerous tumors that often occur in women during their reproductive years. A fibroadenoma is a firm, smooth, rubbery lump with a well-defined shape. It will move under your skin when touched and is usually painless. Over time, fibroadenomas may grow larger or smaller or even disappear completely. Although your doctor can usually identify a fibroadenoma during a clinical exam, a small tissue sample is necessary to confirm the diagnosis.
Infections. Breast infections (mastitis) are common in women who are breast-feeding or who recently have stopped breast-feeding, although you can also develop mastitis when you're not nursing. Your breast will likely be red, warm, tender and lumpy, and the lymph nodes under your arm may swell. You also feel slightly ill and have a low-grade fever.

Trauma. Sometimes a blow to your breast or a bruise also can cause a lump. But this doesn't mean you're more likely to get breast cancer.
Calcium deposits (microcalcifications). These tiny deposits of calcium can appear anywhere in your breast and often show up on a mammogram. Most women have one or more areas of microcalcifications of various sizes. They may be caused by secretions from cells, cellular debris, inflammation, trauma or prior radiation. They're not the result of calcium supplements you take. The majority of calcium deposits are harmless, but a small percentage may be precancerous or cancer. If any appear suspicious, your doctor will likely recommend additional tests and sometimes a biopsy.” (cnn.com)

Nutrition Counseling Brings Results

The study included 2,437 women aged 48 to 75. All were treated with surgery for breast cancer, followed by radiation, chemotherapy, and hormone treatment, if needed. Every three months, they received some general dietary guidance.

Nearly 1,000 of the women were also entered into an intensive nutrition program, which included eight one-on-one sessions with a dietitian every other week, followed by quarterly visits. There were also monthly support groups.

The dietitian asked patients what they were eating and taught them which foods contained fat, the amount of fat in those foods, and how to count grams of fat. The goal was to reduce dietary fat intake to 20% or less of the total daily calories.

Women who received the intensive counseling reduced the amount of fat in their diet from 51 grams per day to about 33 grams a day, or from 29% to 21% of their total daily calories.

They were rewarded with a modest amount of weight loss -- about 4 pounds.

The women in the other group, on the other hand, did not significantly change their fat intake and their weight remained stable.

Cancer Reduction With Dietary Changes

At five years, less than 10% of those on the low-fat diet had their cancer recur. Twelve percent of the women who continued on their usual diet had cancer recurrence during this time. This translates to about a 24% reduction in risk, Chlebowski says.

Most breast cancers are fueled by estrogen, and because of this several treatments are available that block hormones to the breast and reduce the risk of recurrence.

Women whose tumors were not fueled by hormones -- a high-risk group that account for about 30% of women with breast cancer -- benefited the most. Their chances of recurrence fell by about 42% when limiting dietary fats.

Breast cancer is the second biggest cancer killer of women in the industrialized world, after lung cancer. It kills about 40,000 women each year in the U.S.

What Should a Woman Do?

Everyone agrees that more study is needed. For example, researchers can't say with any degree of certainty whether it was the low-fat diet, the weight loss, or another factor -- like an increase in fiber-rich fruits and veggies -- that should get the credit for the women's better health. Plus, it's rare to make recommendations based on one study alone.

But the findings are part of a growing body of work showing that diet matters, says Bruce E. Johnson, MD, of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and a spokesman for the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

"It can't hurt to let women know that if they cut down on fat, they can cut their chances of recurrence," he tells WebMD.

But Eric Winer, MD, a breast cancer specialist at Harvard Medical School, says until further studies are done, "We don't think we have strong enough evidence that a low-fat diet is going to change outcome."

Though he says he is all for helping his patients lower their chance of relapse, "you don't want every woman with breast cancer to feel like she is damaging her health if she has an ice cream cone."

Chlebowski says making the changes isn't all that difficult. "Largely we're talking about learning how to substitute," he tells WebMD. The women cut out butter, margarine, and salad dressing, and ate cereal instead of baked goods. They eliminated chips, opting for fruits and popcorn instead. They still ate red meat but were told how to cut down on portion size, he says.

The bottom line, Chlebowski says, is that eating less fat and more fruits and vegetables certainly won't hurt women and will probably help -- a lot more than was previously thought.