From the Daily Telegraph, an article about preventing cancer through diet: tinyurl.com/4lhjsj
Hi Phoebe, very interested ! read tele ! sophie i will try this !
This guy had a big article in the Mail’s You magazine on Sunday and it is on their website. It’s really interesting a she goes into stuff like the links between mind and body etc.
The list of foods is pretty much the same as in the book ‘Foods to Fight Cancer’, so it’s nice to see the scientists agree on this subject.
As I read through the article I thought - gee, I don’t wear perfume, I never wear clothes that need dry-cleaning any more, I eat everything on the list except pomegranates - I mean, who does? - including seaweed: that’s great! And then I think - yeah, and how come I got it in the first place? Maybe I haven’t sufficiently “resolved my sexual issues” - but at 50, I don’t suppose I ever will.
Thing is, I eat all of the foods on the list, have drunk green tea on and off for years (used to work for the Japanese who drink it all the time) but I still got BC. I honestly believe stress was a big factor in mines as I had a very stressful 5-7 year period leading up to this, including getting my house wrecked by a burst pipe and being homeless for a bit, problems with neighbours from hell living on either side of me, my dad developing dementia and me having to move 400 miles back home to look after him, then my dad’s death in a home. Things had just settled down and we had just started a business when bang! and I was hit with BC.
I now work from home and refuse to have high levels of stress in my life. People might think my life is boring (I had a very busy life in London for 20 years and worked in some very stressful environments as well), but at least I am alive and well.
We need to remember that it is all about risk. We can do lots of things to minimise the risk (eg diet & exercise) but we cannot eliminate it. So there will always be people who get breast cancer even if everyone followed all the best advice at all times. But there would be fewer of us.
I also read this article in the Telegraph with interest. It seems to back up what Jane Plant has been saying in her books. While I agree with the people who say it’s possible to still get cancer even though following this diet at least I feel I’m doing something to help my body to fight it, and, hopefully, lessening the chances of my cancer recurring. I’m still gradually getting into the diet as it’s quite a change from what I’ve been used to - not that I’ve been eating an unhealthy diet just not nearly so much veg and fruit. The main thing I miss is cream; I love cream cakes and puddings but am determined to have the occasional (very occasional) treat! I’ve reached the age (69) when quality of life is almost as important as quantity.
Val
I’ve just read the article, too, and having shovelled in most of what’s on the list for years (and probably more than my fair share of the red wine and dark chocolate!), I don’t doubt that it’s good for you and could well reduce risk. But I have to agree with Cherub - there has to be more to the breast cancer ‘picture’ than than this. I think the comment/observation about stress is a good one - chimes with my own experience, at least.
S
Elsewhere we read that soya is not good for oestrogen positive breast cancer! So what do we believe? I notice they talk vaguely about breast cancer as if there is only one illness but surely different types of breast cancer could have different causes and different potentially helpful diets?
Is it just those of us with oestrogen positive cancer who should avoid soya? Jane Plant keeps pushing it in her bookas though it’s wonderful. I don’t remember her differentiating between different breast cancers.
I’m sick of worrying about it.
Sarcath
Thanks to all for some really good comments.
I’m pretty good at doing most of what is mentioned in the article. I can also relate to “stress” as being one of the possible reasons I got BC.
Sarcath - I don’t do soya because I read somewhere that it was not helpful to oestrogen driven BC. If in doubt, I leave out.
Whilst I’m really not sure if buying mostly organic and eating all that is mentioned in the article is helpful to BC. But what it does do for me is that it makes me think I am doing everything to help myself and I’m helping to control my own future. Being four years misdiagnosed by a incompetent GP has made me realise I should take charge of my own life in some way and by doing my bit with supplements, juicing, organic eating (and growing my own veggies) etc I feel I’m giving myself the best possible chance of staying free of this disease. I was diagnosed at stage 3b and feel I am contributing to staying healthy and cancer free.
I do allow myself treats now and again. However, I do find my taste has changed. I now find I would much rather finish a good meal with say raspberries and fresh pineapple instead of something that wasn’t quite as good for you. Off to have my raspberries and mango! Oh just remembered, I always buy free-range or organic eggs. It’s important to me that I’m eating “happy food” and a battery hen has a very poor life.
Wishing you all well.
Jeannie
hi all
things like this really remind me of the old saying ‘everything in moderation’. My mum - and my huddy’s mum - have always said it, may be their generation - there is only a year between them. Any how, what I want to say is that I have eaten and drunk everything on that list for years, except seaweed…I don’t think he meant the stuff from the chinese!!! Still I got it aged 43…just one of those things I say. My mum, who hates garlic, tumeric, red wine, green tea, aubergines and actually most of that list is 77 and is rather healthy. Hubby’s mum, likes most of the list and has done so years…yep, she got it aged 65.
So, what I am trying to say is…we just don’t know. We’ve all heard the one about the neighbour or whatever who started smoking at 14 and lived til they were 97.
I don’t drink much and when I do it’s usually a nice pinot noir, I love all the foods on the list, I am in good shape and am not over weight, so did I get it because I’ve enjoyed the occasional social ciggy??
I’m inclined to agree with cherub, stress is a big thing, but even that doesn’t work with my mum’s life. She’s had so much of it and from a young age too…my goodness she must be a medical marvel!!
Scarlet.
When I was having all the neighbour problems I kept getting everything that was going round, only with knobs on - I mean I couldn’t just get flu,it would be uber flu and I’d be signed off work for a fortnight. Same after my house was wrecked in the flood - we had to live in a hotel room for ages as we couldn’t find a house in the area to rent, when we did it was a place that hadn’t been decorated for 30 years and was pretty disgusting as it had belonged to an old man who had been a pipe smoker, hence tar on all the walls! During that period my dad wasn’t very well having suffered heart failure then severe gout and I was coping with a flooded house and trying to get up to Scotland as often as I could for long weekends to take care of my dad’s situation (I have 3 siblings who were more than happy to let me do all this, 2 of them were 10 minutes from dad!) It took 18 months for my house to be renovated as it had to be done twice due to trouble with the neighbours, then I had to look after dad full time which meant living 450 miles away from my OH and seeing him once a month if I was very lucky. My dad then went into hospital followed by care on account of dementia. Had I been diagnosed 7 days later it would have been exactly a year on from his death.
This is why I think stress was a huge factor in my cancer. I’m currently having counselling and the psychologist thinks it’s not just the cancer that has had an affect on my confidence levels, it is a combination of factors going back to my house being flooded. The damage and the loss was so devastating for us at the time I don’t think I really got over the shock properly before I had to start dealing with my late dad’s situation.
That old saying ‘everything in moderation’ may well as scarlet says be the wisest advice around diet and cancer.
I think it is so important to realise that there are humdreds and hundreds of research projects relating to diet and canccer and changign one’s eating habits on the basis of a single report doesn’t make sense.
As far as diet and breast cancer is concerend there is now some evidence that following a low fat diet may make a fairly modest difference to whether cancer recurs in earlly stage (stage 1 and 2) breast cancer in er- and pr- cancers. (not er+ and pr+) The evidence also suggests that a low fat diet in conjuction with regular exercise may make a bit of difference. (again in er- and pr- cancers)
In general though the usual rules about a healthy diet: plenty of fruit and veg; not too much red meat, a balanced diet, is best. I eat reasonably healthily with loads of treats and don’t think what I eat is going to make any difference to the progression of my cancer, though eating what I enjoy does help my mood.
Most cancer patients believe ‘stress’ played a role in their getting cnacer. In fact an analysis of many many studies shows no proven link whatsoever between stress and breast cancer. Indeed there are some studies which show that stress after an initial diagnosis may statistically reduce the chances of recurrence! Personally I think connections between stress and breats cancer are utterly unfounded.
Jane
Nevertheless, I notice a correlation between my cancer stirring and the level of psychological + physical stress I have just undergone. Daily moderate level stress is normal - sudden and exhaustive stress leading to the release of abnormal levels of hormones is not. The problem with research into stress and its effects is that it is almost impossible to quantify and I would say impossible to measure. One person’s extreme stress is another person’s minor hiccup. It is one of those subjects that can be argued indefinitely, as much as the protective effects of foods.
I think the correlation between stress and cancer is that in times of stress people sometimes tend to do things like eating, drinking and smoking more; stress can also cause periods of physical and psychological exhaustion and depression. We went into all this on a stress reduction course I was asked to be a volunteer on via my breast clinic last year (it was taken by a psychologist over 6 weeks). I certainly went through a lot of this when I was dealing with having a flooded house and a sick parent at the other end of the country and I think something had to give out at some point. My OH was having horrendous problems with his boss at the same time and was worried he was going to have a heart attack by the time he was 45. It’s the main reason for my OH now being self employed.
I think I was probably going to get BC anyway on account of being Her 2+, because as far as I know this is caused by a gene that should switch off at the age of 28 but which doesn’t, therefore it is faulty. However, I do wonder if I would have been diagnosed at a later age had I not suffered a very long prolonged period of stress.
There is probably only one anti-cancer diet and that is not eating anything at all, thus dying of starvation rather than cancer. There are a number of men, women and children in the developing world who are already on this diet. Don’t forget about them.
My advice, for what it is worth:
Eat sensibly;
Have the occasional glass of wine;
Don’t spend all your time living defensively;
Take the occasional risk.
I for one think stress cannot be underplayed so although the thought of it stresses me I am aware its not good for me and am trying to seek out calming techniques.
I had a prem baby 2.5 years ago born at 30wk , spending 6 weeks in special care . I still had to get up in the middle of the night to express milk throughout and I do wonder if this played a factor. I know women have prem babies all the time but its pretty tough going and I had a heart rate of 170 bpm for 30 mins the day before I went into labour. Had a cardiac team around me massaging pulse points and was rigged up on a heart moitor giving birth . I was told I had short circuited ! It was a major stress on the body and although I am fine now I do wonder if there was a relation. Plus there was the stress of trying to get pregnant in the first place , two miscarriages etc.
My breast milk initially was like dishwater , a very strange colour and my immediate reaction at the time was cancer but they assured me it was fine. I think I wasnt looking back and may have spared myself chemo if I had investigated but my primary thoughts were for my tiny baby .
My OH lost his parents wthin 4mths of each other and his mum didnt even have cancer initially , It was her husband who was getting treatment but then she was diagnosed 6mths before she died - as she was caring for her sick husband. She died before him. I’ll just round off this depressing post with the fact she died on xmas day of stomach cancer and he died Easter ages 52 and 53. Life is bloody s*** sometimes . I think I should have posted this somewhere else but for me and my hubby we are sure that stress was a factor in her getting cancer and for her husband the fact she died led to his early death.
Cally
I just thought of something else…
Whilst I accept that there is no scientific evidence to relate stress to breast cancer, it does seem that, (on this site), stress has been mentioned as being prevelant prior to diagnosis. However, I personally believe that being alive is stressful, especially in this day and age, and really we all cope differently with the stresses of day to day living and likewise we have different coping mechanisms with the big stresses in life.
My thought was this; what is the evidence with regards to physical stress? Has any research been done? I just wondered because when I was about 18 I was running up the stairs, you know when you’re young, two at a time…I was belting up the stairs and I don’t know how, but I mis-judged the position of the top bannister and bounded straight into it, left boob first. It hurt so much that I nearly fell backwards down the stairs. I heaved with the pain and had to sit on the top step for a good few minutes. Some years later, I had my second child and after a painful delivery went into a shock like state. It was rewally horrid, I was shaking and sweaty, and they monitored me for about an hour. I breast fed all three of my babies, and my second baby latched on beatifully. I started to feel unwell about three weeks into breast feeding and we realised quite quickly that I needed a doctor. It turned out to be mastitis and it was in the same boob that I had bashed on the bannister. A couple of years later I had a fibro…what-do-you- call thing removed from the other breast and because I was 29 and in those days ‘too young’ they didn’t do a mammogram but did have a good feel and a look on ultra sound at both boobs. They commented that my left boob had some internal scar tissue from the mastitis and had an area that was ‘naturally lumpy’
Sorry, this has turned into a novel!!! Anyway, needless to say I stayed vigilant and was always aware that my left boob did indeed feel slightly diferent to my right…but we are all different aren’t we?.. I was 43 when I found a tiny, tiny lump in my left boob near the nipple. The tiny lump, funnily enough, turned out to be nothing…but hidden, deep within was a 4cm tumour that the mammogram and consequent scan did pick up.
So, I would be interested to know if physical stress could have anything to do with it.
Of course like most I suppose I am looking for an answer to an unanswerable question…it just happened, but interesting subject.
Love Scarlet.
I was at my local cancer centre last night and was talking to one of the staff there. She was formerly an oncology nurse in a big teaching hospital and is now counselling cancer patients; she is combining her job with studying for a PhD to do with stress in cancer patients. She told me last night that the research is showing that oncologists do now know there is a link between people who have suffered a high level of stress and getting cancer, but they don’t yet know how it is triggered apart from it being to do with the immune system. They also want to do research into why some people with stressful lives develop cancer and others don’t.