The traditional diet of Greece and cancer.

[R.B.]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/en...ubmed_RVDocSum

Dietary canola oil suppressed growth of implanted MDA-MB 231 human breast tumors in nude mice.
Hardman WE.

The Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Marshall University School of Medicine, Huntington, West Virginia 25701, USA. hardmanw@marshall.edu

More evidence that improving the omega three <img src="http://www.world-of-smilies.com/wos_engel/wos_engell4.gif" alt="Good vs Evil 2" />six ratio improves risk of holding cancer in check.

RB

[Andrea Barnett Budin]

More great news about OMEGA 3 / 6 RATIO for breast cancer! Thanks for that RB. I'm working on it.

I did have to laugh when I read the study on nude mice. Immediate reaction -- aren't they all nude? LOL... So I googled, for further info.
A nude mouse is a genetic mutant that has a deteriorated or removed thymus gland, resulting in an inhibited immune system due to a greatly reduced number of T cells. The phenotype, or main outward appearance of the mouse is a lack of body hair, which gives it the "nude" nickname. The nude mouse is valuable to research because it can receive many different types of tissue and tumor grafts, as it mounts no rejection response. These xenografts are commonly used in research to test new methods of imaging and treating tumors. The genetic basis of the nude mouse mutation is a disruption of the FOXN1 gene [1][2].
RB, love your recent discovery of moving doodads...
A bit of fun is good for the Soul. Thanks... Andi

[R.B.]

<img src="http://img52.exs.cx/img52/852/mousecheese20gm.gif" alt="Mouse" />Poor little mice. Thanks for clarifying that Andi. May they not die in vain for us.





This is an excellent understandable informative article.

Please discuss dietary changes with your doctor. Fish oil may cause blood thinning and other effects which are an issues for some.

This article may be of interest to your doctor.

RB


http://arthritis-research.com/content/8/1/202

Fish oil: what the prescriber needs to know

Leslie G Cleland email, Michael J James email and Susanna M Proudman email
Rheumatology Unit, Royal Adelaide Hospital, North Terrace, Adelaide, Australia <img src="http://www.comicguide.net/images/smilies/biene.gif" alt="Bee 5" />

"The authors declare the following complementary interests. LGC and MJJ in particular have longstanding research interests in the health benefits of dietary ω3 fats. The Preventive Care Centre of the Royal Adelaide Hospital, under LGCs' direction, distributes fish oil for therapeutic use. SMP directs the Early Arthritis Clinic of the Royal Adelaide Hospital, in which therapeutic effects of fish oil are under evaluation."


"There is a general belief among doctors, in part grounded in experience, that patients with arthritis need nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Implicit in this view is that these patients require the symptomatic relief provided by inhibiting synthesis of nociceptive prostaglandin E2, a downstream product of the enzyme cyclo-oxygenase (COX), which is inhibited by NSAIDs. However, the concept of 'safe' NSAIDs has collapsed following a multiplicity of observations establishing increased risk for cardiovascular events associated with NSAID use, especially but not uniquely with the new COX-2-selective NSAIDs. This mandates greater parsimony in the use of these agents. Fish oils contain a natural inhibitor of COX, reduce reliance on NSAIDs, and reduce cardiovascular risk through multiple mechanisms. Fish oil thus warrants consideration as a component of therapy for arthritis, especially rheumatoid arthritis, in which its symptomatic benefits are well established. A major barrier to the therapeutic use of fish oil in inflammatory diseases is ignorance of its mechanism, range of beneficial effects, safety profile, availability of suitable products, effective dose, latency of effects and instructions for administration. This review provides an evidence-based resource for doctors and patients who may choose to prescribe or take fish oil."

"Safe limits of long chain n3 polyunsaturated fatty acid ingestion"

"A dose of 3 g/day EPA plus DHA has been assessed as safe for general consumption [40]. ....."

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[Mary Jo]

Hello R.B.

Tonight I decided to go through this entire thread to read and try to absorb all the valuable information you provide for us here. And you kow what I realized when I finished - while my brain was swimming with information and my eyes are crossed you are an AWESOME BLESSING to this board and what you provide for us is so awesome. Thank you for all this information.

I'm still trying to understand it all. I'm not sure I ever will. I've got it down to eating my grains - more veggies than fruit - taking my tablespoon of Nordic Natural's Cod Liver Oil w/D plus my separate D3 tablet each day - my calcium w/D, my magnesium, my folic acid and working on the rest. Still eat more sugar than I'd like - some days better than others - but working hard at it.

Reading through this thread re-motivated me and helped me understand a little bit more tonight.

Bascially just wanted to say thanks. From my heart to yours.

I wish there was a simple - eat this eat that - don't eat this and that. I suppose there is but it probably isn't as simple as I'd like it to be.

You really are the best R.B. So, thanks.

Mary Jo

[nitewind]

Mary Jo, I'm with you, I wish there was just a simple list of "dos and don'ts". I've read this thread many, many times, I must be learning disabled because no matter how hard I try, I don't know what to do. Up until I finished my year of herceptin, my onc has told me to take nothing else, no supplements, no nothing. Now, I'm finished with treatment and I feel like I'm out here left dangling on my own. Should I be taking something? Should I not? I feel so lost, can someone maybe just start me out with something simple that I can start with? I would appreciate any help that I can get, it's all so confusing (of course, I've always confused easily). Please help
Susan

[Mary Jo]

Susan,

Then I'm learning disabled as well Glad I'm not alone. Haha!

Oh well, look at it this way....God made us "special" people as well.

Love & peace,

Mary Jo

[PinkGirl]

Marejo and Nitewind,

I'll add my name to the list of the supplement-ally challenged.
Why can't someone just give us a basic list of what to take?

I don't like to put myself down so I'll add that, in spite of being supplement-ally challenged, I am good with hamsters and chocolate.

[nitewind]

I'm very good with dogs and grandchildren!!
Hopefully, someone will slip in here and give us a hand.

[Mary Jo]

Hahahahaha Pinkgirl......................................Oh I'm not putting myself down.....Just so happy I'm not alone on that "special or as some may call us "special needs" list!! Hehe!

Chocolate..............................I have my masters degree in chocolate.

Mary Jo

[Andrea Barnett Budin]

Mary Jo, Susan, Pinkie -- I too have a love/hate relationship w/this thread. It is brilliant and full of great information, but the words tend to blur as my eyes cross and I think, Why do I suddenly feel so stupid?

I have had the good fortune of being led to a wonderful oncologist who specializes in nutrition. His knowledge of supplements and the like is akin to the white bearded Andrew Weill, who we've all seen on television over the years. Weill is Harvard educated and I have found that his advice is much the same as my nut/onc. I google every suggestion Dr. Gaynor gives me and I educate myself. It is a job, but I will not simply take a pill b/c a doc, as much as I respect him and as brilliant as he is, tells me to do so.

Before bc I never took pills. I prided myself on that. Well, now I am at the opposite extreme, and I believe my supplement regimen has contributed to my survival as much as the surgeon's expertise and the chemo that eradicated the ca and the monoclonal antibody that is keeping me alive, w/mets at bay.

RB's understanding of the need for a balance of Omega 3s and 6s is astute and way above my head. But, in simple terms, rather than being balanced, the American diet is about 20 to 1 -- that's WAY TOO MUCH *OMEGA 6*. We need Omega 6 but not in such drastic amnts that we typically consume. So it is wise to familiarize yourself w/those foods and ingredients that are rich in Omega 3s, which are essential to good health and have a multitude of benefits, especially in fighting bc!!

To that end I posted #176 within this thread. Have you found it buried in this book of a thread? I think it might be helpful.

I also have a thread called GAINING CONTROL, w/reference to a sister thread. It is full of what I have learned since 1998 (when I met throughout my liver) from my nut/onc guru/healer. He has a unique frame of reference as a hematologist and an oncologist who specializes in nutritional supplements. I have been taking his suggested herbal supplements since '98, through chemo (Taxotere) to today (now in my 10th yr of taking Herceptin).

I began slowly. Taking a list of 10 and starting w/1. Waiting a few days to be sure I had no adverse reactions, then adding another. And so on. I goggled every one and took notes, so I knew exactly what I was ingesting and why. My GAINING CONTROL thread (which you can type into the SEARCH within the yellow bar at the top of page -- to get to) lists alphabetically every supplement I now have evolved to take, the dosage recommended by nut/onc and a brief explanation of why I take it). I will see this oncologist in April and my list will be updated. Some remain as staples (such an Co-Enzyme Q10 -- 150 X 2 a day) and others are replaced. OMEGA 3 and 6 are another standard I adhere to. I have increased the amnt I take, based on all the news I keep hearing on television about the benefits (in reports and on shows like the Today Show, interviewing experts in this field). We are now hearing much about our increased need for D3, in the 1000s. Even if we get exposed to sun daily, as we age our need increases, and the use of sunscreen blocks the benefits as they protect us. We must delve into this important area, to help us heal, keep our immune systems at peak levels to fight any invasion, protect our hearts, neutralize free radicals and reduce recurrence of cancer. NO SMALL MATTER, to be sure!

ALPHA LIPOIC ACID, GRAPESEED EXTRACT, GREEN TEA EXTRACT (or the real thing 3X a day), CARNITHANE, GLUTAMINE, LYSINE, NAC (N-Aceetyl Cysteine) and ZINC are all being touted by the experts lately I have noted, in addition to my own onc nut. My other oncs have not had a problem w/my taking these supplements
(since '98, including during, and especially because of, Taxotere chemo for 9 mnths and while taking Herceptin to date). One of my oncs asked, You're still taking all this s**t?! I give a copy of my list of every pill I take, including my prescribed meds to all my docs.

MAGNESIUM is important (200 mg for those w/problems w/diarrhea, 400 for those w/normal bowels, more if you have constipation issues). Studies are recently showing that certain chemo patients aren't properly absorbing this important nutrient. So that must be evaluated and addressed.

SELENIUM is essential to include.

Traditional docs haven't had a half day's worth of education on nutrition in their entire medical training and education. So they commonly resist what they do not know. Many think supplements and vitamins are a waste of money and effort. Personally, with IBS issues, I cannot eat many fruits, dairy products and such, so supplements are especially important to add to my diet safely, w/o repurcussions.

I hope this information is intelligible and helpful to you. I wish us all GOOD HEALTH! Many disciplines must go in to achieving that. RB does his best to keep us well informed. Hopefully others can chime in, in plain English, so we all may take advantage of this seemingly overwhelming flood of facts and data.
Andi

[R.B.]

Thanks Marejo your thoughts are really appreciated.

I wish I could give you all the answers you seek. If the answers were absolutely known we would all be doing it already!

The point of this thread is simply to try and demonstrate the HUGE importance of balancing the Omega 3s and 6s, and getting a supply of long chain Omega 3 as found in fish oil and oily fish primarily. (And not everybody agrees about that, which is why I simply truly and present the information so you can make up your own mind)

As to dosages there is a lack of consensus. Several suggest between 2 and 3 grams of EPA + DHA a day, but it ranges from 200mg.

Regrettably the same arguments rage over supplements.

Needless to say I would not be going on about omega 3s and 6s if I did not think it was a worthwhile thing to do.

[Mary Jo]

Hi R.B. ~ Now that I understand wherein you are saying it's all something we would all be doing if we knew what exactly to do. I guess the long and short of it is ........... do your best. Eat healthy.....exercise..........get D3 into our bodies..............fish oil and as the saying goes............everything in moderation. Nothing this complicated could ever be easy and if the answers all were to be found in this area I guess more would be known. But still I say thanks to you. Although I am confused by much of what you bring to us, I also have learned much. Also I know your goal is to educate us so we can make the right choices for ourselves. That must come from a heart that is big......a heart that is kind..........and just a downright generous soul.

And to you Andi.......................the whole time I was reading your post I'm thinking to myself...................."why is Andi calling the onc. she respects so much a "nut?".........." Hahahahahahahahaha! Honestly, I thought you were calling him a "nut" and as I got closer to the bottom of your post it hit me "nut = nutrionist!" Hahahahahahaha! See, I wasn't kidding when I said I was a "special needs" case. LOL!

Thanks everyone. Happy eating and happy supplement taking BUT please throw a bit of chocolate in their for good measure. Afterall, life is short ~ so live a little.

Hugs,

Mary Jo

[Andrea Barnett Budin]

Oh, I KNOW MARY JO. I USED TO CALL HIM MY NUTR/ONCOL (boring, huh?)and then a friend from Australia emailed me about my nut/onc. She has quite the wit! We agreed that that was likely what many of his peers see him as. We had a good laugh too! So, now my guru has become my nut onc. In tribute to my astute and humorous friend and Sister Warrior/Survivor.

And he's such a good Soul, I'm sure he'd take it well. He's all into meditation and guided imagery, while dispensing his chemo and supplement lists. Very Zen. BE well. BE happy. And BE... With loving energy...
Andi

[R.B.]

A bit technical but on the same theme that more omega three <img src="http://www.world-of-smilies.com/wos_engel/wos_engell4.gif" alt="Good vs Evil 2" /> and less omega six reduces proliferation and induces cell death between 48-62% in the lab on a particular line of breast cancer cells MDA-MB-231 [A Her2 connected cell line].

LA = linoleic acid an Omega Six


"(a combination of EPA and DHA) inhibited (P < 0.05) the growth of MDA-MB-231 cells by 48-62% in the presence and absence, respectively, of linoleic acid (LA)."


"our results indicate that (n-3) FA modify the lipid composition of membrane rafts and alter EGFR signaling in a way that decreases the growth of breast tumors."



http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1...ubmed_RVDocSum
J Nutr. 2007 Mar;137(3):548-53.Click here to read Links

Comment in:
J Nutr. 2007 Mar;137(3):545-7.

(n-3) PUFA alter raft lipid composition and decrease epidermal growth factor receptor levels in lipid rafts of human breast cancer cells.
Schley PD, Brindley DN, Field CJ.

Department of Agricultural, Food, and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2P5.

[R.B.]

Low Omega 3 <img src="http://www.world-of-smilies.com/wos_engel/wos_engell4.gif" alt="Good vs Evil 2" /> plus high Omega six = higher risk of BC




Abstract

"However, among subjects who consumed low levels of marine n-3 fatty acids (lowest quartile of intake), a statistically significant increase in risk was observed in individuals belonging to the highest vs the lowest quartile of n-6 fatty acid consumption (RR=1.87, 95% CI=1.06-3.27); the corresponding RR for advanced breast cancer was 2.45 (95% CI=1.20-4.97, P for trend=0.01). To our knowledge, these are the first prospective findings linking the intake of marine n-3 fatty acids to breast cancer protection."


http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1...ubmed_RVDocSum

Br J Cancer. 2003 Nov 3;89(9):1686-92.Click here to read Links
Opposing effects of dietary n-3 and n-6 fatty acids on mammary carcinogenesis: The Singapore Chinese Health Study.
Gago-Dominguez M, Yuan JM, Sun CL, Lee HP, Yu MC.

USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, 1441 Eastlake Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90089-9181, USA. mgago@usc.edu

[R.B.]

Flaxseed

In mice but an interesting trial on flaxseed.

Abstract

"In conclusion, FS [Flaxseed] inhibited MCF-7 tumor growth in a dose-dependent manner and enhanced the inhibitory effect of TAM due to the modulation of ER and growth factor signal transduction pathways."



http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1...ubmed_RVDocSum

Flaxseed alone or in combination with tamoxifen inhibits MCF-7 breast tumor growth in ovariectomized athymic mice with high circulating levels of estrogen.
Chen J, Power KA, Mann J, Cheng A, Thompson LU.

Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, 150 College Street, Toronto, ON, Canada M5S 3E2.

[R.B.]

Flaxseed

Another interesting trial again with mice.

RB


"Our previous short-term study has shown that 10% flaxseed (FS) inhibits the growth of human estrogen dependent estrogen receptor positive breast tumors (MCF-7) xenografts in ovariectomized (OVX) athymic mice and enhances the tumor inhibitory effect of tamoxifen (TAM)."...

"In conclusion, after long-term treatment, FS did not stimulate tumor growth and combined with TAM, regressed tumor size in part due to downregulation of the expression of estrogen-related gene products and signal transduction pathways."

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1...RVAbstractPlus


Dietary flaxseed interaction with tamoxifen induced tumor regression in athymic mice with MCF-7 xenografts by downregulating the expression of estrogen related gene products and signal transduction pathways.
Chen J, Power KA, Mann J, Cheng A, Thompson LU.

Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

[R.B.]

"Essential fatty acids have long been identified as possible oncogenic factors. Existing reports suggest omega-6 (omega-6) essential fatty acids (EFA) as pro-oncogenic and omega-3 (omega-3) EFA as anti-oncogenic factors. The omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), inhibit the growth of human breast cancer cells <img src="http://www.world-of-smilies.com/wos_engel/wos_engell4.gif" alt="Good vs Evil 2" /> while the omega-6 fatty acids induces growth of these cells in animal models and cell lines."

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1...ubmed_RVDocSum
Differential effects of omega-3 and omega-6 Fatty acids on gene expression in breast cancer cells.
Hammamieh R, Chakraborty N, Miller SA, Waddy E, Barmada M, Das R, Peel SA, Day AA, Jett M.

Division of Pathology, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, 503 Robert Grant Road, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA.

[R.B.]

Just bringing this back in case anybody has not seen it and is interested.

RB

[PinkGirl]

R.B.
Do you know if there have been any other studies
like the one in Toronto - regarding flax seed and er+
cancer? It is sort of the opposite of what we've been
told in the past. I asked my onc. about it and she
hadn't heard about the Princess Margaret study.
I was taking flax seed and then stopped. This
study suggests that I should be taking it.
Have I already asked you this question?