Let's review the supplements

Alice re dry toast.

CLA which is found in animale fats from grass fed ruminants which includes butter is indicated in several trials as a benificial factor for BC, at about 1%of diet.

You can look it up on Life extension, or for trials on NCBI enter say"breast cancer CLA" in the search engine or look on google.

There is also suggestion in trials that a limited amount of diary fats can be benificial in weight loss / calcium intake implications etc.

In the absence of definitave answers these things must be for each individual to reasearch and make their own decisions, but there is certainly enough suggestion of benifit to justify consideration.

RB

Re glty's link re melatonin


Again another potentially benificial agent that appears to act in the area of lipids and insulin.

RB

http://groups.google.co.uk/group/sci...99cb3673714b7c
ABSTRACT

Melatonin also reduces serum lipid levels in mammalian
species, and helps to prevent oxidative stress in diabetic subjects.
Long-term melatonin administration to diabetic rats reduced their
hyperlipidemia and hyperinsulinemia, and restored their altered ratios
of polyunsaturated fatty acid in serum and tissues. It was recently
reported that melatonin enhanced insulin-receptor kinase and IRS-1
phosphorylation, suggesting the potential existence of signaling
pathway cross-talk between melatonin and insulin. Because TNF-alpha has
been shown to impair insulin action by suppressing insulin
receptor-tyrosine kinase activity and its IRS-1 tyrosine
phosphorylation in peripheral tissues such as skeletal muscle cells, it
was speculated that melatonin might counteract TNF-alpha-associated
insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes. This review will focus on the
physiological and metabolic effects of melatonin and highlight its
potential use for the treatment of cholesterol/lipid and carbohydrate
disorders.

[Karen t]

Re this statement: Please note that current thought suggests limiting any anti-oxident supplimentation DURING chemo. These would include Curcumin, CO-Q10, Flaxseed oils etc.

I am on Herceptin and Navelbine combo, as my onc said, "for as long as it continues to work." Under these circumstances, what should I be doing about supplements?

Your input is very much needed since I don't feel that it's forthcoming in the regular medical setting.

[cmn]

Hi - I take a 21 mg dose of time release melatonin under the close supervision of a UCLA MD. He recommends Douglas labs. I used to take 3mg on my own up until my doctor's recommendation. I have found that there is an initial adjustment period, the strange dreams pass after a couple of weeks. Now I enjoy more vivid dreams. Regards, Carol

Karen T please see the post / link on curcumin which you might like to show to your onc.

From memory the trial suggest curcumin shows a strong synergy to taxol.

I have also seen suggestion that omega three may have synergisitic action.

I have also seen suggestions other supplements work in synergy.

Try searching on "NCBI" entering the terms of interest into the search engine - eg chemo type and supplement.

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

I think you have to look at things one by one for your particular circumstances, and discuss them with your onc. There is so much information out there it is difficult for anybody to keep up with all aspects.

RB