Please can you let me know the current view of taking Starflower Oil to help with pain from cysts, when you are taking Letrozole?
I had surgery and radiotherapy for lobular cancer that ended in April. My other breast contains lots of tiny cysts, which the radiologist told me when I went back in June for the burning sensation I was getting, assuming that I had cancer in my other breast. She did mention Starflower Oil to take, I think, but I’m not sure she’d noticed I was on Letrozole as I went in as a ‘new patient’ to be seen quickly.
Hello yorkie1961
Thank you for posting.
Breast cysts may cause breast pain. Some women find starflower helps with cyclical breast pain. There is some evidence that starflower oil may help with breast pain. However, most herbal supplements don’t have to comply with the same regulations or rigorous testing that conventional medicines do, and some can interfere with conventional medicines including cancer treatments such as letrozole.
You can search this American website, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre, for information about individual supplements. Each has sections on existing evidence and what known interaction there is with other medications. In America, Starflower oil is known as Borage. Although there are no interactions listed with letrozole, we would suggest you speak to your breast care nurse, treatment team, GP, or a pharmacist before taking it.
You can also search herbal products and supplements on the European website Complementary and Alternative Medicine for cancer and on the American website Medicine Plus
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Angela
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