oestrogen receptor positive - how do I know if this is me?

[Catfeeder]

hello

I hope the warm weather has brought some joy into your lives the last few days ladies

I’ve been reading a little about oestrogen and adjusting diets specific to our cancer diagnoses. I am epithelial endometriod and wondering how we know it’s applicable and appropriate to avoid certain foods

Would my oncologist or other health professionals know and therefore if no one has mentioned I assume it’s not applicable to me?

thanks for any replies in advance x

[Saintgermain]

Hello Catfeeder

I’m Endometroid 3B NED I’m in the states my pathology report said I was ER positive I was told Endometroid typically is I chose not to take a Aromatase inhibitor but try to follow a low estrogen diet and take certain supplements there’s books on Amazon on it or you can google low estrogen foods and ones to avoid

[Catfeeder in reply to Saintgermain]

thankyou, especially for the inhibitor advice, x

[SarahBa in reply to Catfeeder]

Hello Catfeeder, as Saint Germain correctly said endometrioid is typically ER positive however I would ask what was written on your pathology report.

I too was diagnosed with endometrioid OC and was ER+. I am stage 1c2 and aromatase inhibitors were not suggested to me however I too follow a low oestrogen diet and take certain supplements to lower my oestrogen levels naturally. If you are wondering which supplements are best to take to lower your oestrogen levels these are DIM and calcium-d-glucarate. You may also read conflicting reports regarding flaxseed/linseed however the correct advice is to take two tablespoons of ground flaxseed/linseed a day as oestrogen will bind to it and it will help it leave your body. I add flaxseed to my porridge every morning.

Please continue to ask if you have any more questions.

[Catfeeder in reply to SarahBa]

Thankyou, I have an oncology appointment next month, so it gives me time to get a little bit of research and my questions ready

I am stage 1C3, nearly two years NED following debulking surgery and 5 rounds of carboplatin, and want to proactively be as healthy as I can and not tempt anything back by my lifestyle etc

I have porridge daily and do have some flaxseed, so I’ll get adding to that. I don’t have much diary, I use oat or pea milk, but I am sure it won’t be as simple as not eating diary 😂

Do you have any specific book on low estrogen diet that you would recommend please? X

[SarahBa in reply to Catfeeder]

I'm sure other people will suggest a good diet but for me it is to avoid dairy, eggs and red meat. I do have fish and poultry in moderation as I couldn't go totally plant based. I've sent you a private message with some other suggestions too as I didn't wish to go off topic with your thread x

[Catfeeder in reply to SarahBa]

thankyou again x

[delia2]

Hi. You can ask your consultant or nurse if your tumor is ER positive. Maybe that type always is, but it would be good to know. Often doctors are not that interested in nutrition but your hospital or Macmillan center may have more information. Also Ovacom might have a pamphlet about it.

[Catfeeder in reply to delia2]

Thankyou, I’ll check out the pamphlets now x

[OvacomeSupport Partner My Ovacome Team]

Good afternoon Catfeeder

Thank you for your question. I can see some members of the forum community have shared their experiences with you which I hope have been helpful.

As Delia2 has mentioned above, your oncologist or clinical nurse specialist should be able to provide clarity about whether your cancer is oestrogen receptor positive and what this means in relation to your individual diagnosis and medical circumstances. Please do let us know if we can support you to plan or prepare for any upcoming appointments with your clinical team.

The topic of diet and oestrogen has been of interest amongst our membership as some media reports have suggested that foods containing soy can increase the risk of certain cancers – or may be unsuitable for people with certain cancer diagnoses. These concerns arise from the fact that some foods contain isoflavones, which are often defined as phytoestrogens (chemicals found in plants similar to oestrogen). As many ovarian cancers are driven by oestrogen, the Ovacome support team are sometimes asked whether consuming products that contain isoflavones is safe for those diagnosed with these cancers.

Currently, the evidence is that there are health benefits to consuming isoflavones in various forms, and that in particular, eating moderate amounts of soy is safe, including for those diagnosed with cancer. Although there are similarities between isoflavones and oestrogen, they don’t behave in the same way in the body and their effect is much weaker. The studies that suggested a possible connection between soy and oestrogen-driven cancers were carried out in laboratories or on animals using higher doses of isoflavones than are found naturally in soy.

Our Autumn/Winter magazine of 2018, specialist oncology dietitian Rachel White wrote a comprehensive article about soy, isoflavones and phytoestrogen that I hope will be of interest to you. It can be found on page 10 of 16 through this link: ovacome.org.uk/Handlers/Dow....

In December 2021, Ovacome hosted a webinar with dietitian Adele Hug who discussed the most current advice on diet and nutrition for people living with cancer, and addresses some of the common misconceptions around this topic. I hope you will find this of interest. This included a section about phytoestrogens and soy which can be viewed at approximately 9 minutes into the webinar. The recording can be found here on our YouTube channel: youtube.com/watch?v=ghsVRM5...(Not working as expected?). Adele explains that consuming phytoestrogens are safe and probably protective, including for people with ovarian cancer.

In addition, the Association of UK Dietetics also has some information about soy on their website, including a section about soy and cancer. This is available through this link: bda.uk.com/resource/soya-fo....

Cancer Research UK have a range of resources about diet and cancer which can be found here: cancerresearchuk.org/about-.... This includes a page about food myths and cancer, with some additional information about soy, isoflavones and oestrogen.

Macmillan also provide information about healthy eating and cancer, which can be found here on their website: macmillan.org.uk/cancer-inf....

If you would like to access personalised advice about diet, your clinical nurse specialist or oncologist may be able to refer you to a specialist oncology dietitian for further guidance.

I hope this information is helpful. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have further questions or would like to talk things through. We’re here Monday – Friday, 10am – 5pm, to help with queries or just have a chat about anything that’s on your mind. You can reply directly through this forum, email us via [e-mail] or give us a call on 0800 008 7054.

Best wishes

Annie - Ovacome Support

[Catfeeder in reply to OvacomeSupport]

Thankyou Annie, lots of info there for me to digest x