Iodine & Breast Cancer

[SandyR]

I was wondering if anyone on these boards has ever heard of a correlation between iodine and breast cancer.....I have been hypo-thyroid for 16 years (on medication) and was allergic to iodine on my skin as a child. Just wondering if anyone else has been sensitive to iodine or hypo-thyroid....could there be a correlation? Thanks, SandyR.

[Audrey]

I am not aware of any connection between iodine and breast cancer, but I am a 5-year survivor of stage III, Her2+ BC and am also allergic to iodine...no thyroid problems, though, although they do run in my family.

[Lani]

Not what you were thinking, but:
Thyroid gland breast cancer clue

Some cancers react to oestrogen
A thyroid problem could help doctors understand how to beat breast cancer.
Scientists at the University of Texas have discovered that women with underactive thyroid glands have a lower risk of breast cancer than others.

Thyroid hormones and the female sex hormone oestrogen share similar pathways in the body, say the researchers in the journal Cancer.

The breast cancer drug tamoxifen works by blocking oestrogen. Blocking thyroid hormones may be another way, they say.

Thyroid gland

The thyroid gland sits in the neck and produces hormones to regulate the body's metabolism.

If it becomes overactive, called hyperthyroidism, or underactive, hypothyroidism, the person will feel ill.


More research is needed into this potential connection
Spokeswoman, Breakthrough Breast Cancer

A person who is hyperthyroid can experience weight loss, a rapid heartbeat, excessive sweating and anxiety.

Conversely, someone who is hypothyroid might gain weight, become constipated and develop a swollen face and puffy eyes.

There has been conflicting views about the effect of thyroid hormones on the breast.

Some studies have linked high levels of thyroid hormones with breast cancer while others have reported a protective effect.

Dr Massimo Cristofanilli's team compared the medical records from 1,136 women with breast cancer and 1,088 healthy women attending their breast screening clinic in Texas.

Hormones

They found women with hypothyroidism had a 61% lower risk of developing invasive breast cancer.

When they did develop breast cancer, it was typically diagnosed at an earlier stage and when the tumour was smaller in size.

Women in the breast cancer group were also 57% less likely to have hypothyroidism than the healthy women.

Dr Cristofanilli said: "It may be possible to design a treatment that specifically and narrowly targets thyroid hormone receptors, which might provide enough influence on the target cells to help prevent breast cancer - perhaps even serving as a complement to tamoxifen."

A spokeswoman for Breakthrough Breast Cancer said: "The influence of thyroid gland disease on breast cancer has been debated for some time.

"More research is needed into this potential connection and we look forward to the publication of further studies in this interesting area."

[Vanessa]

I am hypothyroid and because I take thyroid medication, my family doctor, who is an MD, but also combines allopathic medicine with wholistic medicine, gave me a precription for Lugol's solution, which is an iodine solution to take in water. I initially went to their office when I found my lump and they sent me for a mammogram and ultrasounds and also told me to take Lugol's because they said thyroid hormone takes iodine away from breast tissue. I have been taking it every since then. I have reponded well to chemo and Herceptin. My recent tumour marker (CEA) was down from 274 to 17 to 1.5.

[vickie h]

I too, take Lugol's solution everyday. 2 drops in a small amount of water. One of my Onc's is participating in a large study of iodine deficiencey and breast and prostate cancer. She is convinced that we consume approx 100 times less iodine than they do in Japan, and no it is not the tofu that keeps them cancer free over there, but the consumption of sea vegeatbles and greens that are high in iodine. I would google Lugol's solution and see if you can come up with some of the research. It is amazing stuff and a bottle costs approx $28.00 and lasts more than a lifetime. Your energy levels will also increase and a feeling of well being is also a bonus. There is only one lab in the U.S., back in North CArolina that tests your iodine levels, My Onc seems to think that this may be a turning point in breast cancer. I am now a 3 years survivor, having been diagnosed in early 2004 with Her2+++, er/pr-, and a tumour of 8cm, inflammatory and involving lymph nodes. My prognosis was horrible, but I am doing great. Please check out the iodine and if you need more info, please contact Julie Tagichi, who is heading this study and research, at the Sansum Medical Clinic in Santa Barbara, Ca.
It is worth the research. Love, Vickie H

[SandyR]

Thank you all for the information. Very interesting. My own onc says there is no correlation, but I can't be sure! I am trying to increase my intake of iodine and will check out the solution. Thanks for your responses!

SandyR

[jeff]

Sandy,

If you go to breastcancerchoices.org you will find info on a bc listserv (amazon-L) that has a bunch of women who are exploring this bc/iodine connection. I subscribed for awhile and I must say most of the discussion went over my head. But if you check their archives you'll find LOADS of discussion about this issue.

Good luck!
Jeff

[heblaj01]

Sandy,

Here is an article dealing with iodine & breast cancer (in the second half of the text):
http://thyroid.about.com/library/derry/bl1a.htm

More info is probably available in the google search for "iodine deficiency breast cancer"

[TSund]

I'm reopening another thread. I have searched this board and haven't yet found another thread dealing specifically with iodine and bc. My GP brought this up when I talked about Ruth's BC last time, as well as dealing with a family member's auto-immune disease.

Does anyone know of more facts relating to this topic or recent research? Is there info on the board that I missed?

There is a book she recommended that I am finally getting around to purchasing with intent to read:"Iodine, Why you Need it" by Dr. David Brownstein. There's another available on Amazon that directly relates iodine and bc, but I have no idea whether it's good, valid, or not. Seems to tie in with the whole endrocrinology thing that AA and others have discussed. I am curious also, as I read that iodine may cure fibrocystic breast disease and I know that natural progesterone also addresses this. If it's true, there must be a correlation of some sort. But I'll try to keep the NP to the other thread open on that topic until a connection does present itself.

Iodine anyone?

Any input appreciated.

Thanks as always,

Terri

[goops]

I have been on thyroid replacement drugs since I was 16. There is a book which proposes a link between BC and Thyroid trouble - I bought the book (but be warned it is pretty boring)

http://www.amazon.com/Breast-Cancer-Iodine-Prevent-Survive/dp/1552128849/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1203725560&sr=8-3

[lilyecuadorian]

I have after my radiation ....a bigger thyroid ...but after I start eating radish radish ( in my country some people with thyroid problem they eat a lot of radish ) ...well after I eat a lot ) disappear .....so I don't know ..if this tip can help you ...but I did this after they did a ultrasound ............so what to say .....

[TSund]

"Iodine, Why you Need it" by Dr. David Brownstein Just recieved the book in the mail. Looks pretty interesting and provocative.

Has anyone read it? Has numerous sections on the link between bc and iodine defiency.

Lani, it also addresses your comments above pretty specifically. pp 81-82 "Why would the TREATMENT of hypothyroidism result in an increased risk of breast cancer? Makes some sense of it....if a hypothyroid condition is treated with thyroid hormone and there is also iodine deficiency present, the use of thyroid hormone will exacerbate an iodine-deficient condition. ...When there is iodine deificiency, it can induce hyperplasia , precancerous lesions, which can set the stage for thyroid and breast diseases, including cancer of the thyroid and the breasts.

Interesting stuff. Speaks to the natural hormones, selenium, several of the topics that have been brought up on this board.

TRS

[schoolteacher]

Terry that is really interesting info. I am going to see if I can get the Lugol's solution. If you find out that it can be ordered with out a doctor having to prescribe it, please let me know.

Amelia

[basset girl]

Very interesting thread. I am hypothyroid and have been taking Synthroid for about 10 years. Makes me wonder about the connection and my breast cancer. I had my bloodwork last week and they said to stay on my same dose of Synthroid. Wondering if I need the Lugol's solution.

[schoolteacher]

Terry,
What do you think about the Iodaral tablets? What do you think about the Breast Cancer Choices Iodine Investigation project?

[TSund]

Amelia,

It may be wise to go to a holistic doctor and get your iodine tested before embarking on a self-treatment plan. It is also important not to get too much. I am not advocating anything, I am just starting to delve into this topic. Ruth nor I are taking iodine right now. However, the connections are fascinating and I don't know why this hasn't been more discussed and researched. I am thinking I should have pursued this much earlier.

From what I can see you can order Lugol's on Amazon, etc. on-line. But again, better not to self-diagnose unless absolutely necessary! You should always educate yourself first. Try Googling these topics; you will learn a lot!

I hope others will get ahold of the book I mentioned above and share what they think of it. It's not a terribly difficult read, I think more approachable than the bc/iodine book tho I've ordered that also.

I am wondering what the "researchers" and "scientific minds" here think of this subject.

Terri

[TSund]

Amelia, I don't know much about either of those, but please share what you've found!

Thanks,

Terri

[Cannon]

Ok, I did a little googling and reading, and heck, I don't know!

I had thyroid cancer 2 years prior to breast cancer. No one has ever suggested that iodine deficiency was an issue, and I know that going on a low-iodine diet prior to scans was a difficult process. I did consult a naturopath at the time, and he didn't mention it either.

My understanding is that Goiter, caused by iodine deficiency, is virtually eliminated in the US, due to iodine having been added to the food supply in salt, milk, bread, and other things.

Some of the reading on the net suggested that because we have reduced our sodium intake (or have we really?) that it has caused widespread iodine defiicency. I'm not buying it. And it looks like there are some nasty side effects from over-supplementing.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/patient-iodine.html

Rebecca

[schoolteacher]

Terry,

The information I read is located at http://www.breastcancerchoices.org/IodineInvestigation.html. This site offers a Iodine Loading test to determine how much Iodine you secrete in your urine after you take the tablets. Please go to this site and let me know what you think about this info. This site offers a book by Dr. Brownstein. Is this the same book you are reading?

Amelia

[TSund]

Yes, that is the same book. Has anyone else taken a look at this book, particularly the bc sections?

TRS