Herceptin / Tykerb Share your experiences or ask questions about Herceptin or Tykerb |
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01-13-2009, 08:46 AM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 69
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Extra Virgin Olive Oil in the fight against HER2
After reading a recent post, I did some research on the efficacy of EVOO--extra virgin olive oil-- and how it acts both independently and together with Herceptin in the fight against the Her2 oncogene. The research most cited was undertaken by Javier Menendez PhD of Northwestern Univ. He suggests that EVOO can be of significant benefit against HER2 positive breast cancer and he supplies some very encouraging statistics. Does anyone know in what manner one should take EVOO? Is it enough to simply use more in our everyday cooking, or does it come in pill form as a supplement. How much do we have to ingest on a daily basis to get the most "bang for the buck"? I guess I view this as another arrow in our quiver in the fight against our condition. Any further information is appreciated.
Thanks!
Brenda
__________________
Diagnosed 3/08 at age 57
1.1cm tumor, ER-PR-, Her2 3+(rt side)
Grade 2
Node negative
clean margins
Stage 1
lumpectomy 4/08
Mammocite Radiation 4/08
Will begin TCH Chemo 5/08
TCH 3 week cycle for 6 cycles
Herceptin alone for 18 more treatments on a 3 week cycle
Total chemo 12 months
Neulasta 24 hours after each cycle
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01-13-2009, 11:03 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 103
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Hi,
I heard the same thing and I consulted a physician that also deals in alternative medicine. He told me to take a capsule of GLA which is the same kind of oil and he said it actually enhances the herceptin.
For what it's worth, I'm giving it a try. My oncologist, who is usually skeptic, gave me the o.k. and said it was worth a try.
Besides that, I also use a lot my olive oil in my kitchen now.
All the best--and good health!
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01-13-2009, 12:41 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 69
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Thanks, Savta
__________________
Diagnosed 3/08 at age 57
1.1cm tumor, ER-PR-, Her2 3+(rt side)
Grade 2
Node negative
clean margins
Stage 1
lumpectomy 4/08
Mammocite Radiation 4/08
Will begin TCH Chemo 5/08
TCH 3 week cycle for 6 cycles
Herceptin alone for 18 more treatments on a 3 week cycle
Total chemo 12 months
Neulasta 24 hours after each cycle
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01-13-2009, 12:48 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Hershey, PA. Live The Sweet Life!
Posts: 2,005
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I use EVOO in its natural state (unheated) daily on toast and especially in salads. My preference is for organic high quality oil. That said, I also take 4 caps a day of an encapsulated form of EVOO that I order from Swanson Vitamins, www.SwansonVitamins.com. Theirs is organic.
What is an ideal dose? No idea. I've tried to ferret that information out on the web many times with no success. Since EVOO is calorie dense, I have settled on the above program. I also take encapsulated Borage oil in the morning and encapsulated Primrose Oil in the evening for GLA. Super EPA (fish oil) is also supposed to assist Herceptin so I take a cap twice daily. To get my ligans I grind organic golden flax seeds and add a tablespoon to my yogurt and cereal.
At the end of the day, all of this stuff is good for your heart whether it truly does have an effect on the Her-2 or not. However, I am a believer in naturapathy in conjunction with conventional medicine, so I feel that it is probably beneficial!
__________________
Smile On!
Laurel
Dx'd w/multifocal DCIS/IDS 3/08
7mm invasive component
Partial mast. 5/08
Stage 1b, ER 80%, PR 90%, HER-2 6.9 on FISH
0/5 nodes
4 AC, 4 TH finished 9/08
Herceptin every 3 weeks. Finished 7/09
Tamoxifen 10/08. Switched to Femara 8/09
Bilat SPM w/reconstruction 10/08
Clinical Trial w/Clondronate 12/08
Stopped Clondronate--too hard on my gizzard!
Switched back to Tamoxifen due to tendon pain from Femara
15 Years NED
I think I just might hang around awhile....
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01-14-2009, 10:14 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Grand Rapids, MI
Posts: 1,516
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Brenda...
here is a link to HER2 regarding the use of olive oil. We have had many discussions on Dr. Menendez and look forward to having many more. I PERSONALLY drink a TBS. each morning when I wake up and use it for ALL my cooking. I agree...put as MUCH in that arsenal as possible. Take care and God bless.
http://her2support.org/vbulletin/sea...earchid=312869
__________________
Rhonda
Dx 2/1/05, Stage 1, 0 nodes, Grade 3, ER/PR-, HER2+ (3.16 Fish)
2/7/05, Partial Mastectomy
5/18/05 Finished 6 rounds of dose dense TEC (Taxotere, Epirubicin and Cytoxan)
8/1/05 Finished 33 rads
8/18/05 Started Herceptin, every 3 weeks for a year (last one 8/10/06)
2/1/13...8 year Cancerversary and I am "perfect" (at least where cancer is concerned;)
" And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years."- Abraham Lincoln
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07-15-2009, 07:12 AM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Sardegna, Italy
Posts: 362
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Extra Virgin Olive Oil
I live in Italy - and we only use olive oil and we buy the cold processed - in house made (you know like you would imagine it would be in Italy ---- a pair of little Italian ladies harvesting their Olive orchard and selling the fresh squeezed oil only to friends) well, I think it matters and I am hoping it helps! Also, I think that it all goes back to help with the basics as I see them to neutralize our PH in the bodies. Cancer can not grow in a neutral PH of the body - and Olive oil is very neutral in PH so it is a "yes" to use for me on my PH non-acidic diet.
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07-15-2009, 11:05 AM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 3,519
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I love evoo and take 2 tbsp in the morning and I use only evoo in my kitchen, no canola or other veg oils as they are often GMO these days.
__________________
Brenda
NOV 2012 - 9 yr anniversary
JULY 2012 - 7 yr anniversary stage IV (of 50...)
Nov'03~ dX stage 2B
Dec'03~ Rt side mastectomy, Her2+, ER/PR+, 10 nodes out, one node positive
Jan'04~ Taxotere/Adria/Cytoxan x 6, NED, no Rads, Tamox. 1 year, Arimadex 3 mo., NED 14 mo.
Sept'05~ micro mets lungs/chest nodes/underarm node, Switched to Aromasin, T/C/H x 7, NED 6 months - Herceptin only
Aug'06~ micro mets chest nodes, & bone spot @ C3 neck, Added Taxol to Herceptin
Feb'07~ Genetic testing, BRCA 1&2 neg
Apr'07~ MRI - two 9mm brain mets & 5 punctates, new left chest met, & small increase of bone spot C3 neck, Stopped Aromasin
May'07~ Started Tykerb/Xeloda, no WBR for now
June'07~ MRI - stable brain mets, no new mets, 9mm spots less enhanced, CA15.3 down 45.5 to 9.3 in 10 wks, Ty/Xel working magic!
Aug'07~ MRI - brain mets shrunk half, NO NEW BRAIN METS!!, TMs stable @ 9.2
Oct'07~ PET/CT & MRI show NED
Apr'08~ scans still show NED in the head, small bone spot on right iliac crest (rear pelvic bone)
Sept'08~ MRI shows activity in brain mets, completed 5 fractions/5 consecutive days of IMRT to zap the pesky buggers
Oct'08~ dropped Xeloda, switched to tri-weekly Herceptin in combo with Tykerb, extend to tri-monthly Zometa infusion
Dec'08~ Brain MRI- 4 spots reduced to punctate size, large spot shrunk by 3mm, CT of torso clear/pelvis spot stable
June'09~ new 3-4mm left cerrebellar spot zapped with IMRT targeted rads
Sept'09~ new 6mm & 1 cm spots in pituitary/optic chiasm area. Rx= 25 days of 3D conformal fractionated targeted IMRT to the tumors.
Oct'09~ 25 days of low dose 3D conformal fractionated targeted IMRT to the bone mets spot on rt. iliac crest that have been watching for 2 years. Added daily Aromasin back into treatment regimen.
Apr'10~ Brain MRI clear! But, see new small spot on adrenal gland. Change from Aromasin back to Tamoxifen.
June'10~ Tumor markers (CA15.3) dropped from 37 to 23 after one month on Tamoxifen. Continue to monitor adrenal gland spot. Remain on Tykerb/Herceptin/Tamoxifen.
Nov'10~ Radiate positive mediastinal node that was pressing on recurrent laryngeal nerve, causing paralyzed larynx and a funny voice.
Jan'11~ MRI shows possible activity or perhaps just scar tissue/necrotic increase on 3 previously treated brain spots and a pituitary spot. 5 days of IMRT on 4 spots.
Feb'11~ Enrolled in T-DM1 EAP in Denver, first treatment March 25, 2011.
Mar'11~ Finally started T-DM1 EAP in Denver at Rocky Mountain Cancer Center/Rose on Mar. 25... hallelujah.
"I would rather be anecdotally alive than statistically dead."
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07-16-2009, 12:31 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 437
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Yep, add me to the list. I only use EVOO. and use it on everything.
__________________
Linda
Dxed Stage IIIC May 05, 12 pos nodes
er/pr -neg,Her -pos
LVI
Right partial mast & partial axillary dissection-June14,2005
Right modified mast-no clear margins- June 30, 2005
DD AC x4
Taxotere X4 with Herceptin
Rads x 35( 5 fields )
Left prophylactive mast( atypia & hyperplasia found ),
put on Tamoxifen x 1 yr; D/ced due to endometrial thickening
bilateral recon (saline implants)May 06
Nipple recon July 06
metformin 2010
removal of implants due to severe encapsulation, insertion of gummies 2013
Reclast Q yr
NED!!!
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07-16-2009, 04:45 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Sheboygan, WI
Posts: 2,582
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Me too.....
__________________
"Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10
Dx. 6/24/05 age 45 Right Breast IDC ER/PR. Neg., - Her2+++ RB Mast. - 7/28/05 - 4 cm. tumor Margins clear - 1 microscopic cell 1 sent. node No Vasucular Invasion 4 DD A/C - 4 DD Taxol & Herceptin 1 full year of Herceptin received every 3 weeks 28 rads prophylactic Mast. 3/2/06
17 Years NED
<>< Romans 8:28
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07-18-2009, 08:05 AM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,843
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You may find this thread helps.
One way olive oil may work is by displacing Omega 6.
It also contains plant antioxidants.
I would put the need for DHA and EPA and reducing the Omega 6s above olive oil in priority terms, which is not to say olive oil is not good too.
http://her2support.org/vbulletin/sho...ght=greek+diet
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07-19-2009, 04:48 PM
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#11
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Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Noosa, Australia
Posts: 7
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Here's an interesting article recommending a simple daily drink of a whole lemon, blended with olive oil and water. I have one every morning to reduce acidity and get a daily dose of EVOO.
http://ezinearticles.com/?How-The-Simple-Lemon-Can-Heal-The-Liver-and-The-Body-and-Benefit-Those-With-Cancer-and-Hiv-/-Aids&id=395444
__________________
dx May 08, age 45
invasive ductal carcinoma 13mm
er- pr- her2+++
grade 3, no node involvement
2 lumpectomies June 08/July 08
FEC x3 Taxotere X3 (finish Dec 08)
Start Radiation & Herceptin Jan 09
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07-19-2009, 11:54 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Sardegna, Italy
Posts: 362
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thank you - great info!
This article is great - I will start this immediately. I have organic cold processed olive oil that we buy here locally in Sardegna - so will be using that - and my fiances mother has a lemon tree, so I know the lemons are organic --- (a key I read about another process when getting the vitamins from the peel of oranges) but sounds great!
I do take about 3 tablespoons of fresh squeezed juice every morning (empty stomach) with a powdered product they sell here in the health food stores in Italy that helps balance the PH in the body .... and they recommend that you take it with fresh lemon juice. But will add this lemon/olive oil/water cocktail to my morning gig!
Thank you so much!
Also, another website I just found on alkaline and PH and health issues is:
http://www.i-amperfectlyhealthy.com/Water.html
Has a bunch of information and interesting stuff too!
Karen
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07-22-2009, 12:50 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 73
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I also have to start with herceptin next month, so all this is important information. We have a lemon tree too. I don't know anything about PH yet, thought it had to do with the skin only. What you have to do stabilizing PH?
__________________
Maouno
Called after a reindeer.
July 2008 after 12 years second time BC.
Other side, new case, lumpectomy 8 aug 2008: 1 cm, no nodes. Postmeno. Er+Pr-Her2+++
Oncotest high risk, Muga 51, port placed Dec. 2008, chemo CMF started 18 nov during 6 months , 6 rounds of two treatments. Finished rads April 2009, started Herceptin late: 10 Sept 2009. Muga 63.
Finished herceptin 5 sept 2010.Port taken out 19 oct 2010!!
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