~Breast Cancer, Part 7 - Summary

SUMMARY

When considering breast cancer treatment options, physicians and patients alike must sort through an overwhelming amount of information. This protocol attempts to simplify complicated scientific research and bring to the forefront the most up-to-date, multimodality approach to cancer treatment. It integrates surgery, anticancer drugs, irradiation, hormone therapy, nutritional supplementation, and diet modification in a comprehensive approach to counteract breast cancer.

As discussed in this protocol, cancer growth is based on many complicated interactions via numerous physiological pathways within the body. Despite the huge strides in scientific research, there are still many unanswered questions regarding cancer's growth and development. What we do know is that there is overwhelming research supporting an integrated approach to the treatment of cancer. Additionally, research supports using nutritional supplementation to improve the efficacy of chemotherapy drugs and radiotherapy (see the Cancer Chemotherapy and Cancer Radiation protocols for more information). In fact, combining certain supplements can create a synergism that can effectively block or impede certain cancer pathways.

Therefore, the supplementation regimen following is suggested. As always, consult your physician before beginning any nutritional supplementation regimen.

• Cruciferous vegetable extract, 1-2 capsules per day. Curcumin, 400 mg three times daily (as highly absorbable BCM-95™).
  
  
• Lightly caffeinated green tea extract, three 725 mg capsules, two times a day with meals. Use decaffeinated green tea extract if you are sensitive to caffeine or want to use a less-stimulating version with the evening dosage.
  
  
• CLA or CLA with guarana, 3000 to 4000 mg daily of CLA and about 300 mg of guarana, early in the day.
  
  
• Melatonin, 3 to 50 mg at bedtime.
  
  
• Powders (broccoli, cabbage, and other cruciferous vegetables that provide sulforaphane and other cancer-fighting plant extracts), 1-2 tbsp daily.
  
  
• Se-methylselenocysteine, 200 to 400 mcg daily. CoQ10, three 100 mg softgels in divided doses. Note the caution stated in this protocol.
  
  
• EPA/DHA with Sesame Lignans, 8 softgels daily, in divided doses. Take with nonfiber meals.
  
  
• Vitamin D3, 4000 to 6000 IU taken daily with monthly blood testing to monitor for toxicity. Reduce dosage at 6 months.
  
  
• Water-soluble vitamin A, 100,000 to 300,000 IU daily with monthly blood testing to monitor for toxicity. Reduce dosage at 6 months.
  
  
• Vitamin E succinate (tocopheryl succinate), 1200 IU daily. Gamma tocopherol, 1 capsule daily.
  
  
• Vitamin C, 4000 to 12,000 mg throughout the day.
  
  
• Gamma linolenic acid, 4 capsules of Mega GLA w/Sesame Lignans.
  
  
• Whey protein concentrate-isolate, 30 to 60 grams daily in divided doses.
  
  
• Calcium, magnesium, and bone-protecting nutrients. Take 5 capsules at bedtime.
  
  
• Vitamin K, 10 mg daily.
  
  
• Silicon, 6 mg daily.
  
  
• Multinutrient formula, daily.

Reminder: Bisphosphonate (injectable Zometa or Aredia) drug therapy is strongly encouraged for all breast cancer patients as well as aromatase-inhibitor therapy (Arimidex, Femara, or Aromasin) if appropriate.

Note: If chemotherapy and/or radiation are being considered, refer to the Cancer Chemotherapy and Cancer Radiation protocols. Also refer to the protocols titled Cancer Treatment: The Critical Factors and Cancer Adjuvant Therapy.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Contact the American Cancer Society, 1 (800) ACS-2345.

Sources for National Cancer Institute Information.

Cancer Information Service, (800) 4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237); TTY (for hearing impaired callers), (800) 332-8615

NCI Online /Internet, use http://cancer.gov to reach the NCI website.

CancerMail Service, to obtain a contents list, send e-mail to cancermail@cips.nci.nih.gov with the word "help" in the body of the message.

STAYING INFORMED

The information published in this protocol is only as current as the day the manuscript was sent to the printer. This protocol raises many issues that are subject to change as new data emerge. Furthermore, cancer is still a disease with unacceptably high mortality rates, and none of our suggested regimens can guarantee a cure. The Life Extension Foundation is constantly uncovering information to provide to cancer patients. A special website has been established for the purpose of updating patients on new findings that directly pertain to the published cancer protocols. Whenever Life Extension discovers information that may benefit cancer patients, it will be posted on the website www.lefcancer.org. Before utilizing this cancer protocol, we suggest that check www.lefcancer.org to see if any substantive changes have been made to the recommendations described herein. Based on the sheer number of newly published findings, there could be significant alterations to the information you have just read.