All I have heard about Soy and the plant estrogens has been about controlling menopause symptoms. Some women say it helps, but from the studies I've read when done "blind" the benefits are questionable. I think that the amount of plant estrogens is not very high and the amount needed to be affective or harmful would have to be VERY large.
I am glad that more studies are being done though because I think that it is important to find out more about what natural foods and supplements can REALLY help and what is just hype. I think in many cases the hype causes psychosomatic response, not that this is bad thing as long the supplements etc don't hurt us in the end. The brain is very powerful and can even be "tricked" into sending out messages are beneficial to us.
Hope all goes well with your chemo.

I really don't have much to add here except that my dog suffers from too little estrogen so I buy her a soy based dog food. It would seem to me that if soy boosts estrogen and is used to ameliorate the effects of menopause then it would be contra-indicated for a person with breast cancer.

I hope you find your answer. I am sure there is a lot of information on line. Please let us know.

Hi Celtic,
First of all, I want to wish you the best in fighting the breast cancer. I just reached my 5 year milestone - I sure hope that you have the same great results as me.

I did a lot of research on taking soy, and you are right, there is no definitive answer. I have asked both of my oncologists, and they concurred, no clear-cut answer. If you go to Dr Susan Loves site (she's a well-known breast surgeon at www.susanlovemd.com, you can see what she wrote. I personally avoid anything that has a lot of soy in it. It's not a hardship for me. Good luck.
Here is an excerpt of Dr Love's advice. This is from her web site:

" Soy seems to act in a couple of different ways on the breast. In the lab, genistein (one of the active ingredients in soy) stimulates estrogen receptor-positive cancer at low doses and blocks them at high doses. In petri dishes and in animal models, soy definitely inhibits cancer growth. And a recent study out of Sanford Barsky's lab at UCLA indicates that it has this effect on cancer cells that are both ER-positive and ER-negative.

So, given what we know about soy, is it okay for a woman with an estrogen receptor-positive tumor to include soy in her diet?

I do not think there is a risk in having one serving of soy a day. However, at this point, the data is not sufficient to be sure. Barrie Cassileth, MD, who created the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center's Integrative Medicine Service's Herbs and Botanical Information Resource, feels strongly that women with ER-positive tumors should not eat soy at all. On the other hand, Mark Messina, PhD, who has studied soy for many years, feels that it is safe to eat soy if you like it, but that there is no evidence that it will improve your survival from breast cancer. I tend to side with Dr. Messina. I think it's probably safe for women with breast cancer, but the final answers aren't in yet. You will have to decide for yourself whether to try it."

Take care,
Lynne

Hi Lynne.

Congratulations on your milestone and I wish you many,
many more. Thanks for the info here. Experience and
knowledge along the way gives us power to survive.
I have only one more cycle of chemo and believe me
when I say I feel blessed. One of the other natural
sources sounding promising in preventing breast cancer
is flax seed oil. I guess I'm on a continues search for
information and will continue to learn more as time goes
on.

Thanks again.
Cheryl

You're welcome Cheryl. Glad that you only have one more cycle. Take care. Lynne

Why are you taking chemo for early stage breast cancer? I had early stage breast cancer and I did surgery and radiation and I've just passed the 7 year mile stone. I've not heard of chemo for early stage. You probably are going to be just fine. My docs weren't impressed with soy.

Hi Vannie

Sorry it has taken me so long to reply, the last chemo
treatment I had really knocked me down for awhile not
to mention it was in-between the holidays. Anyhow, to
answer your question about why I recieved chemo with
early stage breast cancer. I've gathered from a few health
care professionals that it depends on many things such as
the histological report as well as on the oncologists
individual practicing techniques here in Canada. I also
believe that each case is individual and I am very happy
with my oncologists but even happier I'm done chemo.

Congratulations on your 7 year milestone....I know I will
be there some day too. Meanwhile I have my radiation
treatments to begin next week but what happens to me now
does not matter because in the end I know I will be okay.
The power of positive thinking will get you everywhere.

Thanks for all your replies.

Cheryl

You are so right about the positive thinking. After chemo the radiation will seem like nothing. The worst thing about radiation was planning your day around it. It took longer to undress than actually receive the treatment! Be sure and wear a bra that you can toss in the end. That ink stains everything.

Celtic willow,

Congratulations on getting through the chemo.

Good luck with the radiation. I'm sending good thoughts and prayers for you.

I did not find the radiation difficult at all. I did not miss a day of work. The radiologist told me to drink water and/or take a walk when I felt tired. I just felt slightly more tired, especially towards the end. I have very sensitive skin, so towards the end, my skin got a little red. The nurse radiologist told me to use 100% aloe vero lotion from Wal-Mart and it helped. Not sure if they still carry it.

I didn't have vannie's problem with the ink.

Your positive thinking is great. I even used to imagine the radiation getting any "bad guy cells" that were still left in my body.

Please let us know how you are doing, and if you have any questions, please feel free to email me. Take care,

Lynne

Thank-you ladies for all your support.

Cheryl

my husband, doug, had breast cancer in 2001. it came as quite a shock to our family. he was having a bloody discharge from his left nipple for 3 months before he approached me with tears in his eyes.

upon going to several surgeons for opinions, we were met with much fear based haste to make decisions. one of the options presented to my husband was to remove his testicles. that wasn't an option on our priority list, and in, fact, even a biopsy was refused by my husband as there is a theory that once the cancer clusters are punctured, wayward cancer cells can travel throughout the body.

we did a lot of reading and computer research to find answers. my father bought doug several shipments of appropriate supplements and some of the powdered herbs, graviola and cat's claw. we got appointments with a D.O. , a chiropractor, an herbalist, and a counselor. doug started exercizing, eating simply and nutritiously, and meditating. one of the best resource books we read was susun weed's book, BREAST CANCER? BREAST HEALTH. susun's book helped him relax, become introspective, and regain health. she offers an informative description of an anti-cancer lifestyle, what it is to be diagnosed with cancer, explanations of diagnostic procedures, in home treatments as well as treatments offered by the medical establishment. She outlined 6 steps of healing which empowers the person with cancer to take the course of healing into their own hands.

here is a link to her site if anyone would like to visit:
http://breasthealthcancerprevention.com/

during this time, we visited a surgeon who specialized in women's health in the southern part of our state. she monitored the tumour's size and growth by ultrasound, something that had been discouraged in our own area. doug gave himself one year to treat the small in situ tumour on his own. at the end of the year, the cancer had not grown, but doug chose to have the tumour taken from his breast. he has been cancer free ever since...9 years.

alot of his well-being during that time with cancer he attributes to the philosphy shared in susun weed's book, his relaxed positive outlook, and his ability to not buy into the fear factor.
.

hi celtic willow!

hope all goes well with you!

i found some information for you on soy consumption in regard to breast issues:

http://www.susunweed.com/Weed_letter_Oct-01.htm#surprise

"The early Chinese did not eat soybeans, although they did eat other pulses, because they recognized the large quantities of a number of harmful substances which have been well studied scientifically. Some of the most detrimental are potent trypsin inhibitors which block the action of enzymes needed for protein digestion. Soybeans also contain hemagglutinin, which causes red blood cells to lump together.

Soybeans are also high in phytates, an organic acids which blocks the uptake of calcium, magnesium, iron, and especially zinc and contributes to widespread mineral deficiencies. In fact there are more phytates in soybeans than in any other grain, bean, or plant studied and these phytates are remarkably resistant to reduction techniques. Only a long period of fermentation will significantly reduce the phytate content of soybeans. The phytates and other anti-nutrients in soybeans are only partially deactivated during ordinary cooking and can produce gas, reduce protein digestion, and create chronic deficiencies in children."

and this on phytoestrogens:

http://www.susunweed.com/Article_Phytoestrogens.htm

i have found a vast amount of sensible and reliable information in susun weed's book, BREAST CANCER? BREAST HEALTH.

bright winter blessings, blackhawkwoman

I would focus on vitamin D deficiency. Very strongly linked to many kinds of cancer. Soy consumption link is pretty weak. Ignore it for cancer but do focus on fermented soy type for vitamin K2 if you can stomach it. The processed unfermented soybean is junk so ignore that.

http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/cancerBreast.shtml

http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/cancerBreast.shtml

Believe it or not, there is actual random control study proving vitamin d to be a potent cancer fighter. Apparently big pharma is trying to discredit it because it kills their profits, believe it or not.

Vitamin D council often recommend for therapeutic effect against cancer while on chemo or radiation treatment that you get to 90-100 ng/ml range which could mean taking 10,000 IU of vitamin D a day which is no different than spending 20-30 minutes outside at noon in your bathing suit without sunblock. Something most people don't realize. The daily recommended is only 400 IU which absolutely does nothing.

Once you beat the cancer, maintain vitamin d at 50-80 ng/ml to prevent cancer from coming back. That could mean 5000-8000 IU a day.

HI ALL.
WOW 4 YEARS LATER AND THIS POST WAS ON PAGE ONE. I ALMOST FORGOT I POSTED THIS. BUT HERE I AM AND CANCER FREE:).
THANK YOU FOR ALL THE INFO. I DO TAKE VITAMIN D AND HAVE
HEARD ABOUT ITS CANCER PREVENTION AND WORRY LESS ABOUT MY
SOY CONSUMPTION. WHAT I ENDED UP FOCUSSING ON WAS GIVING
BACK. I BECAME A HOSPICE VOLUNTEER AND DO WHAT IS CALLED
RADIANT TOUCH OR AUTHENTIC REIKI (A FORM OF ENERGY WORK
AND ALL MY TRAINING WAS AT HOSPICE). THE MOST RECENT COURSE
WAS ADVANCED PALLIATIVE CARE EDUCATION TRAINING AND WHAT I
FOUND INTERESTING IS HOW COMPLIMENTRY THERAPY IS BECOMING
MORE RECOGNIZED IN OUR WESTERN WAYS. WILL DO MY BEST TO
CHECK BACK NOW AND THEN.

RADIANT BLESSINGS TO ALL
CHERYL

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