Are You A Breast Cancer Survivor? Part 1: Preventing Recurrence

Stay healthy with these tips to prevent a breast cancer recurrence

1. Eat a highly nutritious, low calorie diet. This is the only nutritional intervention that has consistently demonstrated across all species to have the ability to extend a healthy lifespan. Therefore, proper portion size should be the basis of any nutritional protocol for cancer treatment and prevention. Keep in mind that your protein should be the size and width of your palm three times per day; and with the protein, at lunch and dinner, 1/3 of your plate salad (with olive oil dressing) and 1/3 of your plate highly colored steamed, baked, broiled or stir fried veggies. With your evening meal add a low glycemic carbohydrate; sweet potato, whole grain pasta or brown rice, beans or an oat based product. Having the carbohydrate with your evening meal with help to encourage the production of serotonin, our happy hormone important for our mood, memory and sleep patterns. Never go longer than 3- 4 hours without eating and eat ½ to one cup of berries every day for added antioxidant support.

2. Maintain a healthy body weight and lean muscle mass. Findings from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) reported that postmenopausal women not taking hormone replacement, general obesity was a significant predictor of breast cancer (an increase of 31%). In the Malmo Diet and Cancer Study, body fat percentage was found to have the strongest association with cancer risk. To significantly reduce your risk, have your body fat analyzed (either via skin fold testing or by bio-impedance but this may be less accurate). If you have increased levels of body fat, or possibly a deficiency of muscle, implementing measures to gain muscle and to encourage fat loss must be part of your wellness program. Eating as described in point number one will aid loss of fat, while doing a balanced mixture of cardiovascular and resistance training will help to encourage muscle mass.

3. Drink green tea. Consuming 4-5 cups of green tea per day significantly reduces the risk of recurrence of cancer.

4. Avoid exposure to excess toxins. Eat organic fruits, vegetables and meats whenever possible to avoid hormone-like compounds and pesticides. Organic produce has also been found to contain more flavonoids which are cancer fighting compounds. Eating a colorful diet is one of the best nutritional interventions next to caloric restriction. Choose 10 fruits and vegetables per day that are of various colors. Along with the colorful fruits and vegetables, having 3-4 glasses of red wine per week will provide a source or reservatrol, which helps to kill cancer cells. But too much wine is not a good thing, so do not exceed this amount per wee—and don’t have all them all on one night!

5. Limit sugar intake. There is no doubt that cancer cells need sugar to grow and survive. Eating sugar causes a decrease in the effectiveness of the white blood cells, our cells which fight infection, for six hours after consumption. Sugar also causes an increase in insulin. High levels of insulin have been linked to cancer of the breast, prostate, colon and uterus, as well as poor outcomes in cancer therapies. High insulin levels also compound fat gain. See your doctor and request a fasting blood insulin and blood glucose test and then a test of both of these two hours after eating breakfast. High insulin levels at either point in time suggest the presence of insulin resistance, a pre-diabetic condition which greatly increases the risk of breast cancer and heart disease. Avoid sugar completely and supplements such as conjugated linoleic acid and alpha lipoic acid may help to lower insulin levels by improving the body’s response to it. Along with the fasting insulin and glucose, you should also request a blood test for Insulin Growth-Like Factor – 1 (IGF-1). High levels of this marker were found to be associated with increased risk of breast cancer in studies. If your IGF-1 levels are high, exercise, it will help to improve your response to insulin as well as reduce your levels of IGF-1.

6. Prevent and reduce inflammation. Research has found taking an aspirin or ibuprofen twice per week can reduce the risk of breast cancer 22%-49%. I do not necessarily recommend taking these to reduce inflammation because they have other side effects associated with their use.

I do believe it is absolutely essential for all women recovering from breast cancer to see their doctors to request a highly sensitive C-reactive protein test. (This is an inflammatory marker, if elevated above 0.08, the chance of recurrence is higher). To reduce inflammation take a minimum of 4g of fish oils per day, avoid inflammatory fats (in dairy products, red meats, vegetable oils and peanuts) and consider a supplement of Nattokinase (an anti-inflammatory enzyme) if your C-reactive protein levels are higher than optimal.

7. Maintain a healthy balance of the good and bad estrogen. There are three types of estrogen: estradiol, estrone and estriol. It is the balance amongst these that is crucial for maintaining healthy cells in the breast, ovaries, uterus and cervix. I recommend a specific urine test (Estronex™ test by Metametrix Labs) for my breast cancer patients, as well as women who may be at risk for estrogen related cancers to assess the estrogen metabolites in the urine. One metabolite, 2-hydroxyestrone (2-OHE1), tends to inhibit cancer growth. Another, 16-a-hydroxyestrone (16-a-OHE1), actually encourages tumor development. A woman’s "biochemical individuality" determines which of these metabolites predominates. Studies have shown that measuring the ratio of these two metabolites provides an important indication of risk for future development of estrogen-sensitive cancers. The studies also show that this risk is modifiable. The Estronex™ 2/16 test from Metametrix Clinical Laboratory measures the ratio of these two critical estrogen metabolites from a single urine specimen. Estronex 2/16 ratios less than 2.0 indicate increasing long-term risk for breast, cervical, and other estrogen-sensitive cancers. Importantly, nutritional interventions, like a supplement of indol-3-carbinol can help raise Estronex 2/16 ratios and decrease long-term risk. Along these same lines, eat broccoli, at least 2 cups (5-7servigns) per week, for a natural source of indols.

8. Consume flaxseed daily. Many breast tumors are "estrogen sensitive," meaning that the hormone estrogen makes them grow. Aromatase inhibitors (AIs) help to prevent the growth of these tumors by lowering the amount of estrogen in the body. Estrogen is produced by the ovaries and other tissues of the body, using a substance called aromatase. AIs do not block estrogen production by the ovaries, but they can block other tissues from making this hormone. That's why AIs are used mostly in women who have reached menopause, when the ovaries are no longer producing estrogen. This new class of drugs may be slowly replacing tamoxiphen, which I do not recommend taking for a host of reasons. Flaxseeds have lignands which are natural aromatase inhibitors in the body. Take 2-3 tablespoons of ground flaxseed daily. Try adding them to your cereal, oatmeal, yogurt, salads, or smoothies. The fiber in the flaxseeds is also great for reducing inflammatory compounds in the body. Soy is also protective against breast cancer if taken in the right dose and in the right form. Tempeh is an excellent choice and tasty in salads and sandwiches.

9. Stay hydrated! Drink 8 – 10 glasses of water every day. The best type of water is reverse osmosis or spring water rather than distilled or tap water. Dehydration increases the risk of breast cancer significantly.

10. Use a whey protein supplement. Protein is essential for a healthy immune system, tissue healing and repair, muscle building and maintaining stable blood sugar and insulin levels. Whey protein, over other types of protein (soy, rice, bean) is a potent source of glutamine (an amino acid that is important for building muscles and healthy cells along the digestive tract as well as supporting the immune system), glutathione (a strong cancer fighting antioxidant) and it is the most readily absorbable and biologically available source of protein.

Stay tuned for part 2.