My oncologist disagrees with my NMD doctor who prescribed me with TURMERIC 500 MG/MSM 125 MG/2 capsules a day; and FERMENTED WHEAT GERM (FWGE-SC/METATROL- GLUTEN FREE 20.5 mg (two capsules one hour before meal) because she said these two if in high quantities can have pro-estrogen effects. My cancer is estrogen-fed cancer.
She suggested instead of these supplements, she suggested cook or sprinkle on food.
She also is against IV Vitamin C 50 grams weekly, because it is antioxidant, not recommended on high doses for those with anti-cancer therapies and it interact with medications and increase toxicity or decrease benefits. I am on Ibrance 100 mg and Letrozole 2.5. This was recommended by my NMD.
My NMD says turmeric and wheat germ are anti-cancer properties.
Your inputs? My NMD and my oncologist don't agree on same things.
Thank you for your help here. Barbara
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Lifespring67
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Oncologists are wary about advising anything other than Standard of Care treatments. There have not been robust clinical trials done on any of the complementary treatments so they would not risk recommending them.
I am on the same treatment and take curcumin at quite a high dose and am going to start IVC. When given intravenously at high doses, it acts as a PRO-oxidant which theoretically can kill cancer cells. The advice is to not take antioxidants at the same time as IVC.
I was considering fermented wheat germ but it seems quite expensive and not easy to get in the UK.
I have written quite a bit about turmeric curcumin supplements, and I have done a lot of asking around. Turmeric and other anti-inflammatories have phytoestrogens. The controversy is whether they contribute to estrogen and therefore should not be taken by ER+ or whether they block the estrogen that is bad for us. I have asked my oncologist, another one at MSK, looked at medical websites. Finally, I asked my onocology nutritionist. She said in food is fine. Supplements are not. There is indeed not enough specific research, but high doses of turmeric in supplements can cause liver damage. Vitamin C and D supplements should be guided by the levels they measure in your blood tests. Too much is not good. Within the low normal range is best for us.
You can choose to ignore your oncologist, attribute motives to their resistance to supplements. I wouldn't.
I would go with what your onc says. I have considered going to a naturopath too, but then read about issues with turmeric and vitamin C and other supplements. Remember that these supplements aren't FDA approved either.
Exactly! My oncologist is not knowledgeable about these things, but I am fortunate to have a nutritionist in the same practice who sees only people with cancer, especially mbc. She pointed out that supplements are unregulated. Stick with what we know.
I consulted an integrative oncologist and she said use turmeric in food as a spice, about 1/4 tsp per day. The concentrated supplements are not good--I think of them as highly processed foods. Who knows what is really in them? No regulations there. And my ortho for knee arthritis said that the turmeric tabs can cause cardiac issues in older women. Also have read it is very, very hard to do any clinical trials on how foods affect us. If you need cooking ideas the "Cancer-Fighting Kitchen" is a great cookbook! Lots of new and tasty recipes! Best to you!
im not at all surprised they don't agree. They are from different disciplines. An oncologist is unlikely to endorse anything other than pharmaceutical drugs. That's what they've been taught.
Like many have said, my oncologist said tumeric supplements are an absolute no for er/pr + breast cancer patients. I was taking these for their anti inflammatory benefits and was told to stop my tumeric supplements when I had my stage IV recurrence . She also said adding tumeric to food was fine . She happens to be from India but went to medical school in the US and practices in the US.
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