I don’t post much but i do read a fair bit and I’ve been following this thread with interest. I would like to make it clear that i am not ‘taking sides’ but i am really sad to see that a member has left the forum. Could I please echo Leah’s comments re thinking about, and re-reading replies before posting them. I like to give the benefit of the doubt, but some of the comments posted are not doing the ‘posters’ any favours. i would like to think that this is unintentional.
One of the reasons that i don’t post much is that I’m not very good at communicating in the written form. I much prefer face to face when I can see ‘body language’ as well as hearing the words. It’s so easy to unintentionally ‘send’ the wrong message when you can’t see the person.
Yes I do take olive oil. I use olive oil as a margarine susbstitute and its yummy. I also use things like hemp seed oil in salad dressings, oily fish and eat avocados too. So I do quite a lot to improve my fats.
Well said janail , i too also find it very sad when debates are not always discussed in a respectfull manner , i think and hope that most people here will remain respectfull of one another even when their views may differ, but i do also feel that some of the posts ofen come accross in a bit of a patronising tone and sometimes feel quite angry or sarcastic which is totally uncalled for.
Melly, i realy hope that you will reconsider staying on the forums and continue to take part in the debates aswell, i know you find these Topics interesting too, i for one have always valued your posts as you have always made some very good points in your comments, and i certainly would not like to see you leave the forums so please reconsider Mel.
I do think mabe Gretchen should apoligise to Melly , as i feel the tone of the post did come across as not very nice earlier ,
Lets all please try and remember the community guidelines when debateing all these issues ,they were formed and set up for a very good reason, then hopefully we can all have a informative dissucssion without resorting to any upset to any poster.
Can I please make a comment on your comment below:
‘Cancer research UK has a list of definate/possible/and unlikely risk factors for anyone who is interested so that is a good place to start if anyone wants more information .i dont think it is entirely accurate to say that this information ,if not told to you by your med teams is not easily available to find for anyone who wants to research these issues.’
I don’t disagree with what you say here and for many people that is fine. However, not everyone has internet access, some may have English language difficulties, educational difficulties, not used to accessing services/information etc. I do think that mainstream information about risk (alcohol, weight etc) should most definitely be passed on either by the Oncologist or BCN.
I agree Elinda - we shouldn’t have to search out this information for ourselves. Many people, myself included, take months after dx before they feel able to do any internet searches - it’s all too frightening initially. And the problem of people being offended could be easily dealt with - oncs could simply ask “would you be interested in information on lifestyle changes that could improve your outcome?”. If anyone says no, fair enough - but if introduced in a non-judgemental way, it should be possible to offer advice without offending. And at least patients would know there is an issue that they could investigate.
Linda - I do take your point about having cast iron research that proves a link with diet and cancer, and if you are sceptical, I am sure it would take that to alter behaviour. But I don’t think any such research is taking place, and even if it were, it would be too late for many of us. I’m not trying to be overly dramatic, but the median life expectancy for someone with my dx is two years - I plan to be around a lot longer than that, but you can appreciate perhaps why I can’t wait for overwhelming proof - I need to do something now. I am willing to take a punt and hope I am right. So I have cobbled together a diet as best I can from reading as widely as possible - but I refine it all the time, not least from stuff I have learnt here. I am seeing a specialist in cancer nutrition next week, so hope to fine tune some details - although I already know that we agree on about 80% of it. If you have any specific questions, please let me know and I will happily ask them.
Hi elinda,
I agree with you that not everyone will have access to the internet and some people may also have English language difficulities ,so not everyone will be able to access websites such as cancer research uk, though i expect for those that are interested in researching this desease ,they could find a lot of this information available at their local libraries both in books and by accessing the internet there with help.
All the BC charities as far as i know provide a vast selection of booklets with info on all aspects of Breast cancer ,which are free of charge as is there telephone service which can also be used to gain knowledge and information.
Im not sure that what you and a few of the other posters here have expierenced in regarding this kind of basic information on known risk factors for BC from your med teams is the norm , everyone i know who has been DX with breast cancer has been made awear of these issues ,i guess as in life there will always be a few oncologists who are not so forthcoming with information ,but i would hope that for anyone who would like to discuss any BC related issue that is important to them that someone in their med teams would be willing to sit down and take the time to discuss these things with their patients.
Hi Finty,
I can totally understand your reasons for trying all the available options in the hope that it can help in halting the progression of BC and i sincerly hope that the dietry methods you are useing will be of great benefit to you ,or at least untill there are better medical treatments available to us anyway, or even better still a cure possibly one day.
Best of luck to you also when you see your specialist in cancer nutrition next week ,i hope he/she can be of further help and that all gos well for you, thanks for the offer of any questions that i may have ,i think the only question that i would like answered is “why if these dietry changes are proven to be beneficial in breast cancer fighting/progression are the medical profession not useing them as a treatment” im not sure he will be able to give you a straight answer on that one but thats the question i would like the answered anyway .
Thanks
Linda
hi melly, I really hope you will reconsider joining.
…and to the others I just thought I would confess that tonight I ate for supper:
1 packet crisps, 1 pepperoni, some grapes, a bottle of water and some cashews and raisins. Any comments ladies? Shall I start a new thread?
Sarah
Who on earth are you to suggest that I apologise? If you read back it was Mel who sent a shreiking rant in full caps at me, because she disagreed with what I said. She should apologise to me for yelling.
Can I please remind you all of the BCC Community Guidelines when using the forums and in particular these sections:
Be kind to each other.
Many people using the forum are going through difficult times. A few words of kindness can go a long way. Be especially nice to new posters – it can be very nerve-wracking to post on the forum for the first time.
Give each other the benefit of the doubt: it can be very easy to misinterpret other people’s comments, especially when read or written in haste. Sarcasm and humour are particularly easy to misunderstand.
Please don’t post comments just to annoy or inflame other users.
Celebrate difference and disagree respectfully
A wide range of people with very different experiences use the forum. Differences and debate are very welcome, but this is no place for personal attacks. Please make your points politely and respectfully. Equally, be prepared for people to disagree with you and try not to take it as a personal attack when it is not meant that way.
well, im going to be a bit naughty tomorrow too as i have a lunch date with the lads at Fifteen Cornwall lol, my son was one of Jamie Olivers Chefs (lovely fella ) ,so i will definately be enjoying my lunch there again. Not sure what il be haveing yet ,but it will definately be something very yummy and is usealy always followed by a selection of italian cheeses,i just cant resist!! food to me is one of lifes greatest pleasures .
Sarah,your supper sounds a bit like mine lol
Take Care
Linda
actually I’ staying in a B&B cos of work and couldn’t be bothered to go out by myself for a ‘proper meal’ so hence the crisps etc, but can’t say I didn’t enjoy them!
Have a lovely lunch tomorrow.
Sarah
I would just like to say it is such a shame that, once again, a thread on diet has become personal and so another member has decided to leave. Why on earth can we not just respect the fact that everyone has their own opinion based on whatever information or ‘evidence’ they have come across - or even none at all?
As Linda and others have said, there is no need to make people feel uncomfortable just because they do not agree with everything that is said. We have a right to put our views across as well. As I have said before, research often disproves other research on diet, if you look long enough. There are just too many variables.
Please don’t leave, Mel. That’s Mel, by the way, not Me !!!
As regards the watercress, be careful if you have thyroid problems. Watercress may contain too much iodine for some.
Hi Ann,
Hope your doing ok, its lovely to see you back on the forums ive missed reading your posts ,thanks for the info on watercress its something im pleased to know as ive been haveing 3 monthly thyroid blood tests as i was found to have nodules on my thyroid after a CT scan picked it up. I am at present borderline but have been told i will eventualy become hyperthyroid, so thanks for that info.
In an ideal world information should be passed on including where to access information. I live in a rural area so I don’t have access to a library or indeed anything much except our fabulous medical practice. However they didn’t pass on information probably because they weren’t aware of it.
Because of where I live my treatment occurred partly in one hospital and then in another (about 50 minutes away). It was only when I went to this other hospital 6 months into my treatment that I realised there was a Macmillan centre there and also a huge range of information.
No-one told me how to access information, no-one told me about Macmillan centre or breast cancer care. I asked about diet and was told there was nothing I could do - and yes, I was definitely overweight at the start of my treatment. Also Er+ 8/8 with lobular so alcohol is a definite risk factor.
For me it was fine as I was able to research things myself and was able to get what I needed. That isn’t the same for everyone though.
Incidentally, a neighbour of mine saw the NHS surgeon about prostate cancer and was given no info. He then went privately and was given a full range of info and diet sheets etc.
I found this piece of research today, which may interest some of you, particularly as this thread started as a discussion of red meat. I was looking for evidence that cancer rates are lower in vegans, and found this:
I’ve been following a near vegan diet (I eat eggs and fish), as this is the advice of most of the cancer diet books I have read. I am perfectly happy with this advice, and understand why a highly plant based diet is desirable, but haven’t really understood whether small amounts of animal products are harmful, particularly innocuous foods like chicken and fish. I am also interested in the role of IGF1 (insulin Like Growth Factor) which seems to have a connection with breast cancer. This piece of research seems to point towards an answer, connecting these two issues. It compares circulating IGF levels of vegans, vegetarians and meat eaters and it finds that IGF1 levels are significantly lower in vegans, and also the levels of the binding protein are significantly higher - meaning even less IGF is available to enter tissues as it has bound to the protein. It links the lower IGF levels to lower intakes of non-essential amino acids in animal protein.
Thanks for posting that Finty. I was curious too about this and what the potential benefits of a more vegan diet were apart from being lower in fat. I’ll have a read.
