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Old 01-23-2013, 05:46 AM   #13
rhondalea
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Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Somerset, NJ
Posts: 487
Re: New thinking on Vitamins and Late Stage Cancer

You might want to read this:

http://www.integratedhealthclinic.co...hemo-Block.pdf

There are newer studies for individual supplements coming out every day. IMO, the only way to take supplements while receiving oncology drugs is to research each one with the specifc drugs you're taking.

When I started chemo, my cancer center's pharmacists reviewed my supplement list and recommended the discontinuation of several supplements. I was surprised by their choices, so I did some research of my own and discontinued a few more. Recently I read an article in which one of those supplements they had asked me to discontinue was beneficial during chemo. (Unfortunately, even though it was recent, I don't remember which one.)

The one thing I do want to specifically recommend is that if you decide to take B vitamins, it is best to choose a brand that contains methylfolate (Quatrefolic or Metafolin) instead of folic acid. Many people have a wonky gene for folate (MTHFR), and folic acid is unusable for them (so they end up with high blood levels, but to no good effect). There is some evidence that folic acid can cause breast cancer. See here:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19336565

My particular MTHFR mutation is somewhat rare, but it causes an increase in breast cancer in women who are 45-55. Unfortunately, most of us have a mutation in this gene, so it's best to avoid trouble.

You might want to check out Sarah Charles' website for information about the foods (and supplements) that are good and bad for breast cancer. I found it very useful as a starting point:

http://foodforbreastcancer.com/

As for the quality of supplements, you can subscribe to:

http://www.consumerlab.com/

The cost is around $30/year, and they present a new report each month. All the old reports are available on the website.

I take 30+ supplements a day. To address those you specifically mention, I take a low dose Vitamin A supplement three times a week (to make up the shortfall evidenced by my food diary). I take 500 mg of Vitamin C. I take no supplemental Vitamin E at all, although I did before cancer. Most of the Vitamin E studies aren't encouraging, and my food diary says I'm getting enough, so I'm content to leave well enough alone.

As I mentioned, I stopped some (those above and other antioxidants) during chemo (ACTH). *When I started Herceptin, I also restarted the discontinued supplements.* I'm more than one year out of chemo and almost five months from my last dose of Herceptin, and so far, I have no evidence of recurrence, so I don't think it's a big leap to the conclusion that the supplements I took did not interfere with treatment.
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2/6/09 Core needle biopsy: negative; Mammos through 2010: no change
3/30/11 Pea-sized lump in left breast at site of prior biopsy; mammo negative, sonogram not so much
4/14/11 Core needle biopsy: negative for cancer
5/18/11 Excisional biopsy 1.2 cm tumor, LVI, positive margin; ER+60%,PR+20%,HER2/CEP17 5
6/15/11 BMX: Left DCIS & LH; Right ADH; SNB: 2/3 nodes: 1.4 cm and 1 mm; ALND L1&2: 0/10; Stage IIa, Grade 3
7/14/11 CT/Bone scans NED; MUGA 66%
7/19/11 Biweekly dd AC w/Neulasta; done 8/30/11
9/13/11 Transfusion (Hemoglobin 8.6); MUGA 64%
9/20/11 Start Taxol + Herceptin; Taxol done 12/6/2011; continue Herceptin until 9/4/2012
12/27/11 Radiation - 6 weeks; 2/27/2012 - DONE! Yayyyy!
2/29/12 Start Tamoxifen 20 mg/day; continue until 2/28/17
5/16/12 Start five-years Metformin trial
6/19/12 MUGA 61%
8/21/12 Brain MRI NED (head still hurts, brain still fogged)
9/4/12 Herceptin done!
9/6/12 Port out!
7/11/13 Aricept 5mg for cognitive impairment; increased to 10mg as of 8/23/13; back to 5mg 12/2013
5/2014 Add Namenda 7mg
9/2014 Stop Aricept and Namenda; Neuropsychological evaluation
10/24/14 Start cognitive rehabilitation therapy
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