her 2+ and flaxseed oil

[jhandley]

Hi everyone
I am a very strong believer in the use of flaxseed oil (Dr Budwig's protocol) and fish oil and found this while looking for testimonials on the net:
Jackie
Breast Cancer (“her2/neu positive”)

Hi everybody,

I was diagnosed with a her2/neu positive breast lump, 7.5cm, of which only a third could be removed, and not having all options available then, as I have now, started with chemo in January - what medical doctor, who we all turn to for help when ill, is going to advise you otherwise ? I had already had 3 treatments, lost all my body hair, got really ill and had my immune system affected adversely, when my dear sister Cheryl in desperation started doing research on my behalf and came across the flaxseed oil/cottage cheese protocol and immediately started me on it. At that time my cancer count was 78. When I had my next full blood count 3 weeks later before the next round of chemo, the count had come down to 43 !!!! I know it was the flaxoil/cottage cheese because before that, with just chemo, the count did not move at all. By the time I finished chemo, the count was on 23 and now, 2 months (stopped chemo) later is still coming down.

But now the very best news : a friend of mine developed breast cancer, had a mastectomy and had to undergo chemo as well. She was a bit hesitant to follow my advice and Not have chemo, so before she started chemo, I put her on flax oil/cottage cheese and my own supplementation programme and diet, which she followed religiously. She started chemo -exactly the same as I had- adriamycin, traditional hair remover, included. She has now finished the treatment and to this day, HAS NOT LOST ONE SINGLE HAIR !!!! Also, was never nauseous, never had a mouth sore, never had a problem with low white blood count, and never got sick with so much as a cold right through our very cold winter this year. It was as if water was poured into her ! They can not even measure her cancer -the count is so low!

Also, my Dad who also got lymph cancer this year -can you believe it, was also put on the flaxoil/cottage cheese diet and is now in remission ! It’s like a miracle. The huge lumps he had before are now just speckles on his scan and will soon disappear, I know.

All I can say is : IT WORKS !!! And I can not thank my sister enough. My life is really back to normal because of her dedication and the flaxseed oil/cottage cheese she fed me ! (am still taking it)

I eat it on fruit, jacket potatoes, in fruit shakes, as a dip with raw veggies, with organic honey on crackers. When you really feel you can't face it any more, just pinch your nose shut and swallow anyway!

Regards
Lynette

[Tom]

I don't want to seem stupid, but will somebody PLEASE tell me what a

"JACKET POTATO" is ? Maybe I'd like them...lol

Sincerely,
Tom

[Marlys]

Maybe baked???
Marlys

[R.B.]

Baked in the jacket (skin) in the oven.


Thank you for the interesting post.

Re flax seed please see the posts on this site search under flax seed and flaxseed. The posts look at both the aspect of flaxseed as a source of omega three ALA and a source of phytoestrogens and the arguments for and against flaxseed v oil.

Re fish oil the importance of balancing the omega three and six intake, and the need for long chain derivatives EPA DHA etc please see the posts on omega three and six on this site.

To search click on search on the purple bar above and enter the search term.

The Greek Diet post gathers a lot of trials on various aspects of fats and diet.

Please talk to your medical advisors about any changes to your diet.

RB

[Tom]

Well don't I look like the vegetably challenged? Of course it's a baked potato. I should have figured that out. Thanks Marlys for setting me straight. It figures that somebody from IDAHO would be the one to make me look bad. And to make matters worse, R.B., a "foreigner" with a bachelor's degree in fish and chips, had to seal my fate. Oh well, at least I am the wiser for it. I will celebrate my newfound knowledge by baking a couple for Mom and I tonight.

Thank you Jackie for the fascinating article you sent to begin with. I have grown to agree with R.B. that the EFA equation may come to be one of the most important factors in the treatment as well as prevention of many cancers.

Tom

[RobinP]

Tom, you're too funny, RB has a BS in Fish and Chips, that's a good one. HA, HA! Enjoy your potatoes Tom.

[RobinP]

RB, with all do respect, do you have any detox suggestions for omega6 f.acid intake other than balancing with omega6? Such as antioxidant tea or an enzymatic natural fruit fluid?

[Barbara]

Lynette:

I found your post very interesting but I do have a question. Did you mix your own flax oil and cottage cheese and if so what amounts did you use? If you purchased it, what brand name and where did you find it? I would appreciate any information you may have. Thanks.

Barbara

[R.B.]

My knowledge of particular diets is limited.

The greek diet thread has some useful articles, and this is a useful article in that in sets out some basic rules, and gives reasons for them.http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/81/2/341

Omega six will be stored in fat cells, in cell membranes, in the brain etc so it is going to take a while to "rebalance" the fats in the body.

A trial showed optimum uptake at about two grams of DHA a day which is four to five TPS of a quality fish oil.

Flaxseed or oil your preference (see posts) will provide some ALA and omega six.

I have not seen any trials on an optimal regieme to try and rebalance the body fats. Trials looking at particular organs in animals shows intital uptake is quite quick but can expect months fo some organs like the brain.

Exercise will help burn off fats. Sugar and particularly fructose sugars are linked to weight increase, and can block the pathways that make long chain fats trials suggest.

Grains are possibly best limited as they are not the most nutrient dense food. Variety is good. Green things highly coloured fruit and veg, some pulses, fish, lean grass fed meat in small quantities, fish including oily, the usual things that are often cited.

Juicing adding back some of the pulp or liquidising it for additional fibre is frequently suggested for detox.

Obviously bringing the threes and sixes into balance possibly with more three than six, but watching for signs of long chain omega six AA (archnidonic acid) deficiency - dry skin etc. If your fat making pathways are not functioning that will likely apply to omega six also, but you body may have stores of AA. I suppose testing would be the only sure way to determine your fat status. Some GLA may be useful as that skips half of the fat making process for omega sixes. AA is also found in eggs offal etc.

Please do talk to your advisors about dietary change. They may suggest some blood tests to monitor fats etc. Omega threes do thin the blood which is an issue for some.

I am sorry I cannot give you any more thoughts. The above is based on what I have read, but I have never seen anything on a specific omega six detox.

RB

[CLTann]

This thread is one of the most exciting news for many of us. I hope people will heed the implied advice and take advantage of this low cost, non toxic and commonly available treatment. There is no reason for not trying.

I take flaxseed with my oatmeal every morning.

Ann

[CLTann]

Lynette,

Would you be kind enough to post the dosage, or quantity, of the flaxseed and cottage cheese you took everyday? In what form? Any preference relative to flaxseed itself or flaxseed oil? I know that there is no critical limit but is there any ill effect with over dosages?

Thanks.

Ann

[Sherryg683]

I have recently started taking flaxseed oil in pill form, is this just as good? The person at the vitamin store told me that it is more concentrate than eating the seeds. What's the deal with cottage cheese, how does that help and how much to you eat. I love cottage cheese but don't eat it that often...sherryg683

[jhandley]

Hi Barbara and CLTann

Lynette is not a member of this board..I just found her story while looking up info. on the net. There were a number of other breast cancer survivor stories but because they were not her 2+ I didnt include them before but have put a couple more below:
Breast Cancer ("lobular, infiltrating carcinoma") Healing 8

Nov. 3, 2003
To All,
Well, I have told you I would give this report, but have had the most exasperating WAITING experience, getting the full report from the Radiologist. But I got it this evening.
So now I will begin at the beginning.

When this lump came up in my breast, on Oct. 8, 2002, I went to the doctor. He looked at it and said "Boy, that is a big one!" He sent me to the hospital for an UltraSound. And then a biopsy. (I can't believe that I let them do that biopsy, but I think I was in shock). Anyway, from that biopsy, I learned that I had "lobular, infiltrating carcinoma". When I went back to the doctor, he said "well it is malignant, so the first step will be a double mastectomy, followed by chemo". I said "wait, wait! No, I don't plan to do those things. My husband had pancreatic cancer in 1994, and we used alternative treatments and he recovered. I have written up a copy of his story, from my journal, and I have brought you a copy of it. I plan to do the same thing that my husband did, but I willl need a doctor to order lab reports, etc." He said, "Sure, I will help you." As he left the room, he said "call me when you need something. " From that day forward he would never return a call from me. I tried to call him for about 2 weeks. I presume, when he read that report and saw that it was all alternative things that we used, that it must have scared him to death, and he dropped me like a hot potato. "It was so unprofessional that I still cannot believe that a doctor would tell me what he did, and then would never return my calls. It seems like he should have been man enough to call me and tell me that he did not want to be involved with that kind of treatment. But NO, he said nothing.

So I had to get established with a new doctor. I selected a female doctor of osteopathic. When I saw her the first time, I told her the same thing I had told the first doctor and she agreed to work with me. I had the films with me and she studied them and did a physical exam. She found in the film, that a lymph node was also involved. She said I am going to measure (that lump) in the breast. She did and put the measurement down in my chart. The last time she measured it, she told me it was 6 centimeters in diameter.

Some months later, she recommended that I have a PET scan, which I found out, also included having a CAT scan. In the PET scan they inserted an IV into my arm. Away from the skin about 1 or 2 inches, the tube made a Y and then there were 2 tubes away from there. They put a syringe into each tube. One syringe contained radio-active isotopes and the other tube contained sugar water. They were inserted into the IV simultaneously. I was told that the sugar would go to every cancer cell in my body and they would be able to track it by the isotopes. The report showed that there were no cancer cells anywhere in my body, except some, still in the original site. But I have had a terrible time getting the measurement of it, as I was told I would be able to get. The radiologist "had to locate my files, and pull the film, and measure it" and he apparently could not find time to do that. I have called repeatedly.

Finally this evening I received the call I have been waiting for - at that time, in September, the tumor measured 1.3 Hallelujah and Praise be to God!!!

Of course I knew that the tumor had shrunk, but nothing speaks as loudly as NUMBERS. I consider a reduction from 6 centimeters to 1.3 is absolutely WONDERFUL!!! That much reduction has happened in 13 months, so I feel like surely that in 6 more months, it will be totally gone. The lymph node is completely diminished and cannot be seen in film or physical exam.

Coincidentally, I had decided today, to add vegetable juice to my regimen. I take the flaxseed oil/cottage cheese for breakfast, the vegetable juice at noon, and eat a small amount in the evening.

I am so happy to be able to give you THIS report.
And there you have it - - - "the rest of the story".
I could not be more elated.
Nan

Breast cancer cure 9

A number of years ago a woman in the church where we attend was found to have breast cancer. She was terrified at first but began the use of flaxseed oil plus cottage cheese. They did a lumpectomy and then gave her 35 radiation treatments to "be sure that the cancer cells were all gone". She is fine today. What brought the "wellness"? The doctors are pleased that the treatments were so successful.

Breast cancer healing 10

This morning, March 26, 1999, there is a new development that I feel we should add to this document. On Saturday January 23 I went to a prostate cancer support group meeting for the first time.

It was a bad morning to drive and a gentleman came for the first, and perhaps only, time. He took a cancer tape with him. Just after that his wife was found to have a rare, fast growing tumor that was developing in the aftermath of a mastectomy.

The prognosis was very grim and the doctor gave her little hope. It was determined that chemo would be given in an effort to slow down the cancer but the only hope for survival would probably have to be stem cell transplants, which in itself is a dangerous procedure. She was very concerned and frightened concerning the future.

Having become aware of the values of flaxseed oil she began using it at six tablespoons a day and had gotten a rebounder and was using that at first, but had to abandon that because it aggravated something in connection with the chemo, as I understand. She told the doctor that she was using flaxseed oil with cottage cheese. His only comment was that she should go ahead; that it couldn't hurt.

After the third treatment, the tumor has disappeared. The doctor told her that he could guarantee that the cancer would return unless she went with further treatment.

They are going to do further treatments with a drug that is supposed to strengthen the immune system. She is sure that the flaxseed oil with cottage cheese has played the major role in the situation but that won't be recognized.

However the only thing that matters is that the crisis appears to be over, the stem cell procedure won't need to be used, she is feeling very good about it but hardly daring to believe yet that she is facing a normal future.

She will be continuing the use of flaxseed oil with cottage cheese and depending on a strong immune system to prevent any recurrence. She is very much aware that the meeting that day was more than coincidence. The weather was terrible, her husband almost turned back twice and Mary Anna was very much opposed to my going. She is aware that The Lord was watching over her and we believe that also.

If I learn of any definite results from anyone else I will add it to this scientifically unacceptable, but nevertheless accurate anecdotal document.

Breast cancer ("malignant invasive lobular carcinoma") cure 11

by Neenah Payne

I was diagnosed September 28, 2004 with breast cancer of 1.4 centimeters. The breast cancer surgeon told me that if I didn't have a lumpectomy and radiation within a month (and possibly chemotherapy later), the cancer would spread, shut down one organ after another, and inevitably kill me. I chose not to follow the mainstream approach because it made no sense to me.

The surgeon assured me that the lump was not going to shrink with an alternative approach and warned me how risky my decision was. I was fortunate enough to learn about Dr. Budwig's formula within a week of canceling the surgery scheduled for November 3. When I started Dr. Budwig's formula in mid-November, the first thing I noticed was that, in one week, two patches of gray hair that had just emerged disappeared!

When I saw my acupuncturists on December 18, the lump had shrunk a bit to 1.2 cm. I didn't see them again until January 8, by which time it had shrunk 50%. I saw them again two weeks later and it had shrunk another 50%. It continued to shrink every week until the end of April, my acupuncturists told me that it was no longer palpable. For the first time in my life, my nails are also getting nice and strong.

My primary acupuncturist was so impressed by the results that she asked me for a list of the books I had read. She knew that I had done a lot of research and had read over 30 books trying to find an alternative approach. The manager of my health food store also wanted a list of the books so he could buy some for the store. I created a Book List that I gave them. My acupuncturist shared it with some of her patients. She also started taking Dr. Budwig's formula as well as grinding flaxeed every day herself.

Later, I added a list of the videos I felt had been helpful, and added a lot more information to the Book List and changed the name to a "Quick Reference". It is about 30 pages now [you can request a copy from Neenahep at aol.com]. My acupuncturist gave this document to eight patients. Three of her most critical patients now follow Dr. Budwig's diet and are doing quite well. One patient has arthritis and two others have neuro endocrine tumors.

The manager at my health food store said that one customer bought Dr. Budwig's books and she is following her diet as a remedy for her heart disease. It reminded me that one of Dr. Budwig's books mentions arthritis and heart disease before it even mentions cancer.

We can heal ourselves and help others to do likewise!"


If you look up Dr Budwig on the net you will see what she recommends: I take 1 tablespoon a day with 100 ml skim milk and /or yoghurt (I am not that keen on cottage cheese). I notice also that I am more cheerful when I am on this mix. (Remeber omega 3 and depression link.)
Jackie

[R.B.]

This is a good article on foods and hormone levels.

http://cebp.aacrjournals.org/cgi/content/full/10/1/25

Flaxseed is one of the items covered.

Please be aware that there are differeing views on the metis of flaxseed v flax oil.

With the oil you will get the omega threes and with the seed the omega threes and phytooestrogens. Fresh ground or sprouted are reported as best.

In respect of the omega threes and balancing the omega threes and sixes please search above. Click on search and enter the search term.

The body can make long chain omega threes and six but there are lots of things that block these pathways, sugar, trans fats, some mineral deficiences, some drugs including anti inflamatories etc. So the easies way to be sure you have an adequate supply in the body is to take fish oil as a supplement - out of the bottle is cheapest about 2grams DHA a day which is about 4-5tps. Amount is a personal thing we are all different and there are no absolute rules. Best is to do a little reading yourself to try and get a basic understanding of the issues. Omega three generally has limited side effects of consequence but for a small number for example blood thinning can be an important side effect so please do talk to you advisor.

It is important to sort out any digestive problems as without good digestion you simply do not absorb nutrients properly - as simple as that.

So overall most seem to recommend whole foods and lots of variety. Do pleae check labels for omega six, hydrogenated fats etc as they are everywhere.

RB

(Fish and not sure about the chips - depends how much how cooked and cooked in what but probably strictly a treat for those trying to improve fat profile) (Thanks for the honary degree - in educational terms I am afraid I never got that far)

[RobinP]

"High serum levels of testosterone and estradiol, the bioavailability of which may be increased by Western dietary habits, seem to be important risk factors for postmenopausal breast cancer."

I just want to point out that this article is specifically addressingl postmenopausal bc risk. A word of caution here, when I was at the Memorial Sloan Kettering for cancer care, the nutritionist said to avoid vit. E as it was a blood thinner and there was some concerns that blood thinners would enhance cancer metastasis. So I definately wouldn't over do it on fish oil, with its blood thinning properties.

[R.B.]

Please ask him for the basis of that claim if that is possible.

I would be interested why per se blood thinning would result in greater spread.

The interactions of all of fats antioxidants are complex. They work on multiple levels. I have seen a lot of trials suggesting benifits for fish oil and a whole range of cancers.

RB

[Donna]

Hi All,

I was doing research on all of the omegas to see what to take to helpe the chemo work better. I am meeting with a cancer nutritionist this Weds. who said she would check on the latest research as well - also on some other things I found that might be helpful like non denatured whey isolate. This is what I found and I have added Omegas to my vitamin regimen, but I made sure to minimize how much EPA is in the mix (next to nothing) because I read that EPA actually helps the cancer grow. I feel the jury is still out on how much vitamin E to take - I am hoping the nutritionist will have information on that. Below are some interesting abstracts from PUBMED I found that helped me to decide what to take - I have added Resveratrol as well at the Omegas based on these findings - they help my chemo work and also inhibit Her-2/Neu, a win-win in my book.

Differential sensitization of cancer cells to doxorubicin by DHA: a role for lipoperoxidation. PUBMED
Retinoic acid and ascorbic acid act synergistically in inhibiting human breast cancer cell proliferation PUBMED
Use of resveratrol to improve the effectiveness of cisplatin and doxorubicin: study in human gynecologic cancer cell lines and in rodent heart PUBMED
The antiproliferative activity of resveratrol results in apoptosis in MCF-7 but not in MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells: cell-specific alteration of the cell cycle PUBMED
Resveratrol down-regulates the growth and telomerase activity of breast cancer cells in vitro PUBMED
Exogenous supplementation with omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22:6n-3) synergistically enhances taxane cytotoxicity and downregulates Her-2/neu (c-erbB-2) oncogene expression in human breast cancer cells.PUBMED

Best to you all! Donna

[Sherryg683]

Well,I went out and purchased my organic cottage cheese, 2 lbs of fresh flaxseeds, and a large bottle of flaxseed oil. I'm all ready here. I've been taking the capsules but read about how they weren't as good. I actually like the taste of the oil and the seeds, I ground them up finely in a coffee grinder. I read in the article that to be sure if you are eating the seeds to grind them up into fine powder because they have found a lot of blockage occuring because of unchewed flax or sunflower seeds and you don't get the same nutrient value. I don't know much about this but the cottage cheese with the oil, topped with the powdered flax seeds, and a few peaches in there was pretty tasty...sherryg683

[RobinP]

Clinical Summary From MSK website:

(RB, see bold italics below)

Derived from plant oils and various foods. Patients use vitamin E to prevent and treat heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer's disease. Natural food sources include plant oils, wheat germ, eggs, green leafy vegetables, and whole grains (3). Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant, preventing the propagation of free-radical reactions and protecting polyunsaturated fatty acids within membrane phospholipids. Although sold in a variety of formulations, only the d-isomer is considered active (1). A recent analysis of seven brands of commercially available vitamin E revealed actual content to vary considerably from the labeled dosage (5). Most research describes vitamin E in terms of milligrams, but most products are sold in international units (IU). The conversion is 1 IU natural vitamin E equals 0.67 mg d-alpha-tocopherol and 1 IU of synthetic vitamin E equals 0.45 mg d-alpha-tocopherol. Studies evaluating vitamin E supplementation suggest that it may reduce the risk of some cancers (19) (20), improve immune response in the elderly, and slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease (9) (15) (16) (18). However, 200mg of vitamin E per day has no effect on reducing the incidence of acute respiratory tract infection (12). In addition, a meta-analysis of seven randomized trials showed that Vitamin E provided no benefit in mortality, nor reduced the risk of cardiovascular death or cerebrovascular accident when compared with control treatment (26). Nor was it effective in arresting the development or progression of macular degeneration (14) and Early Parkinson's Disease (21). Vitamin E supplementation also has been shown to reduce the incidence of cisplatin induced neurotoxicity (22). One clinical trial shows that vitamin E is more effective than a placebo in reducing hot flashes in breast cancer survivors (27). There are no significant adverse effects associated with vitamin E, although toxicity may occur with chronic supplementation of doses greater than 800 IU. Daily supplementation over 400 IU may increase all-cause mortality (29). A recent review of 14 clinical trials shows that supplementation with antioxidants beta-carotene, vitamins A, C, and E does not seem to prevent gastrointestinal cancer and may actually increase overall mortality (28). Data from a large, multicenter Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening trial also suggests that antioxidant supplementation may not lower the risk of prostate cancer (31). Vitamin E was recently found in a study to increase the risk of a second primary cancer in the first few years following supplementation. Researchers also suggest that it may interfere with radiation therapy (30). Vitamin E may also enhance the activity of warfarin, but data are inconsistent (7) (8). PT and INR should be monitored when vitamin E supplementation is initiated or discontinued in patients receiving warfarin. A clinical trial in women on HRT with coronary artery disease shows an increased risk of death and nonfatal myocardial infarction in patients who took Vitamin C and Vitamin E supplements (13).
top
Food Sources

Plant-derived oils (wheat germ, soybean, sunflower, almond, safflower, corn), wheat germ, liver, eggs, nuts and seeds, green leafy vegetables, whole grains (1) (2)
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Purported uses

[R.B.]

I have seen a lot of the suggestions in the trail you post in a variety of other similar trials looking at vitamin E.

Vit E can help but it is not the answer in a very rough summary.

Vit E is generally reported as an antioxidant.

I have seen arguments that antioxidants may interfere with chemo radiation etc.

My questions was effectively - was it the blood thinning or something else that was causing spread. It could be the blood thinning but I would guess is more likely to be something else, and this article does not seem to be suggesting that it is blood thinning - it just posts a caveat.

This is all hugely complex, and very great deals remain unknown, but there are suggestions that long chain omega threes particularly increase oxidation ( which can kill rougue cells). The mitochondrial membrane has it own type of lipid that shows a predisposition to take up high levels of DHA when available. DHA has particular properties and may have a special role both as fuel and source of controlled oxidation which enables rougue cell destruction.

Vitamin E helps protects fats from unwanted oxidation but I GUESS and no more where people have insufficient omega 3 / blocked fats pathways / deficiences in long chain fats may be it has a negative effect by blocking weaker oxidiation paths?

In conclusion I have no problem with a suppostion that in certain circumstances excess Vit E may be related to spread - I dont know the answer but can see in very vague terms possibilities why - but I do not think the article would support your concerns on blood thinning and spread re the omega threes. ( Omega threes and warfarin)

There are anumber of trials suggesting synergies for long chain omega threes and various chemos and indeed in animals radiation.

Please do come back if you disagree - I struggle with all this too - and thank you for the post, and obviously always talk to your advisors as I am only trying to report what I read but claim no particular expertise.


RB