Newbie stage 4 looking for support and guidance
Hi all - My name is Jill and this is my first post. I was just told I have stage 4 uterine CA (serous) with mets to the omentum and peritoneum. The biopsy of a retro abdominal mass came back came back as “poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma of muellerian origin”. Doc says surgery is not an option because the mets in my belly are so diffuse she wouldn’t be able to get all of it. Instead, my GYN-Onc recommendation is 6 cycles of carbo-taxol with immunotherapy. Pathology info was just sent off to to CARIS. Doc said she’s hopeful that chemo etc could buy me a few years. 2nd opinion at Emory in Atlanta is pending but I’m unfortunately not expecting a different prognosis.
When it comes to healthcare, my husband and I prefer holistic/naturopathic interventions rather than mainstream medical approach’s whenever feasible but right now I’m terrified about the idea of declining her recommendations. Does anyone have experience with non-chemo approaches to stage 4? This is all new to me and incredibly overwhelming (diagnosis was literally just confirmed yesterday). I would love to hear about any and all experiences from anyone with a similar diagnosis. I literally know nothing about cancer to the point where I don’t even know what questions to ask.
-Jill
53y/o from Georgia, USA
Comments
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Welcome JillfromGA. So sorry to read about your diagnosis but you are in a good place. It is overwhelming to hear. you have cancer. There are lots of questions you can ask. As I read your post, you do have some mullerian type cells. This is also called MMMT or carcinosarcoma. It is different from serous, so you can ask if you have two different types of cancer. You can ask for genetic testing of your tumors. Treatment has improved greatly. Immunotherapy is an option too. If you are on FB there is a very active group for MMMT uterine cancer. You can join that group and get more help and education. Please feel free to come here for support and guidance. There is one member who has used natural remedies along with chemotherapy. If you do, you need to tell your gyne oncologist what you are taking and ask their guidance too, as some of the supplements interact with medical treatment.
Sue
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Jill, I am so sorry. I can imagine the shock. I cannot give you any holistic approach at the only path and while it seems like you need to decide quickly, ask the gyn onc what genetic testing was completed to determine WHICH immeunotherapy (IO) is the best one. If you have dMMR some of the new IOs are more responsive.
Sue's suggestion on the FB page will probably be very helpful too. There is one woman on Ovarian board who was dx Stage 4, here is her story and maybe she can be of assistance. She used both traditional and naturopath. She just posted the below (14 years NED (no evidence of disease). Maybe try reaching out to her directly.
https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/327699/14-years-ned#latest
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Thank you so much Sue - I will certainly ask about MMMT and check out the FB group. I truly appreciate you taking the time to respond💜
-Jill
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I’m so sorry this has happened to you. As No Time suggested definitely read Tethys’s story. I would want traditional medical treatment in your place but would certainly be willing to combine it with her approach. She is very knowledgeable and it works for her. I recall that there is a lot to it and suspect that finding the right person to work with won’t be easy.
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Thank you Connie - I’ve decided to do both traditional and alternative. I look forward to connecting with Tethy and keeping in touch with everyone. I hope you are well and strong - let us all keep fighting💜
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I'm really sorry your in this boat also. Or maybe as they say, same storm, different boat since we all seem to have our own individual challenges with this beast. I was diagnosed with cervical cancer stage 4 in April of 2023. They were wrong, it was uterine/endometrial. I had radiation which destroyed the met I had on my sacrum and knocked back several lymph nodes and the original tumor but they weren't gone. I switched to Sloan Kettering at that time because I didn't trust my oncologist and it was the best decision ever. SO much better. I received six rounds of carbo/taxol which took away some lymph nodes and shrunk the original tumor. I'm now on Keytruda and Lenvima combo .
There are many things that people are doing alternatively for cancer and it's very overwhelming because you're going to get bombarded from friends and family who all have their own advice for you. I had friends bombarding me with messages, telling me not to do chemo, to check out Chris Beat Cancer (um, yeah, different cancer..totally different stage of the different cancer...and he's making money at it), to eat certain things to not eat certain things, in fact don't eat at ALL and just starve it out, spend $50,000 to get treated in Mexico...to take this and that etc and literally sent me Barbara O Neil videos daily. It was awful! It is an absolutely endless rabbit hole of things you could always add. And it can also literally drive you absolutely mad because it's so confusing. I wish people who were well meaning understood the impact of a diagnosis like this and that bombarding someone with the billion things they should be doing because they saw a tik tok video to beat it is a huge mental burden on a person who is trying to process what is happening to them.
I will say a couple of things I'm taking - one is Fenbendazole. You can check out Joe Tippens video for this on Youtube. There are Facebook groups for the protocol. It's harmless, I've never had any side effects and I mean...why not. It's stage four..might as well. I'm also taking mushrooms and turkey tail mushrooms. Tudca can help keep your liver bile flowing while processing toxins like chemo and serrapeptase can help break up and dissolve fibrous tissue such as scar tissue. Unfortunately after three months off chemo, in February, they discovered a liver tumor and a lymph node under my diaphragm. Not the news I wanted to hear especially after giving this my all. Doctor added 20mg Lenvima oral chemo to the immunotherapy. The first few days were rough but it really hasn't been all that bad and I'm pretty much doing normal stuff now.
My advice to you is don't let yourself become overwhelmed with the alternative stuff. There are literally a million things you can do. Just pick something and keep your blinders on to stay focused. Right now this is still all really new to you. Give yourself some time to breathe and process. When you are ready to look at The Fenben groups on Facebook are a good place to start for alternative but don't let yourself become overwhelmed. There are many opinions on those groups and many of them are very hostile to any western medicine approaches and are very vocal about it, so just guard your mind, or as they say, eat the meat and spit out the bones! I have found that vegetable juicing helps me feel a lot better. Being on all the immune support like the mushrooms has kept me otherwise healthy during the past year as far as cold and viruses. I had one bout with covid while on chemo and I threw it off in three days even with low neutrophil counts. I have not had any colds or other illnesses in the past year and I have definitely not sequestered myself even while on chemo. So there are things you can do to keep yourself healthy through treatment as well.
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Thank you for such an insightful post Sunny. You nailed it perfectly. I know people mean well and think they’re helping but you’re 100% right…all cancers are not the same just like all treatments (and our responses) are not the same. I very much appreciate your warning/advice to guard my mind and do everything I can to avoid overwhelming amounts of information. All of our journeys are unique and respecting that is essential.
I’m so sorry you were led down the wrong path early on - how devastating to put all your trust into someone who is literally dealing with life and death and find out they were wrong. I can’t even imagine how that made you feel but I’m very happy to hear you found a team that you trust. My GYN ONC is very young (which made me nervous thinking about lack of experience etc) but her training is solid and she seems extremely knowledgeable and very caring. She said she has no ego in the game and will refer me out if she ever feels my outcomes could improve elsewhere. She is also helping me get into see the head of GYN ONC at Emory in Atlanta for a 2nd opinion. I really appreciate you sharing your experience. I will remember your situation and not hesitate to travel elsewhere for treatment if I begin to lose confidence in my team for any reason.
After giving it much thought and prayer I’ve decided to move forward with port placement to start chemo/immunotherapy ASAP and will use naturopathic “stuff” to help my overall health and hopefully minimize side effects. My doc knows I like research so she sent me info about the Ruby findings that showed some promise for stage 4 uterine by adding immunotherapy to the chemo regimen. Like you said - it’s stage 4 so **** it - if I have to take poison to hopefully buy me a few years bring it a on.
Sorry you’re in this battle too. It sucks and it’s not fair but you sound like a fighter and I will add you to my prayers for complete healing. Thank you again for responding to my post - your support and new friendship means the world to me💜
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Yes the first few months were horrible. First my gyn said it was a fibroid and leave it alone. I said no, this hurts a LOT. So she did a biopsy which went to Labcorp and came back as cancer but they didn't know the type. I went to St Lukes hospital in PA to oncology and there the oncologist said he was 99 percent sure this was cervical since he could see the tumor. So they proceeded to treat it as cervical while sending my slide to U Penn in Philly to determine exactly what it was. Upenn lost the slides, St Lukes didn't follow up - etc etc etc etc. And they put all the burden on ME to find out where they were and what was happening. Oncologist at St Lukes was impossible to EVER get hold of. In fact his office was impossible to get hold of. I rarely saw him, only in occasional telehealth visits. If I called with complications from chemo it was endless holds with music playing on the phone etc. I had a nurse navigator who helped me and first and then one day just didnt take any more of my calls and ghosted me completely while I was in the middle of being told I needed a stent placed in my ureter due to the location of the tumors. The trauma of all this was unbelievable. I finally talked to someone at Blue Cross who said 'Go to Sloan Kettering. I worked for them. Just go there. You won't believe the difference." I did and I can't believe the difference. Everything is like clockwork - they communicate constantly and they handle just about everything for you. The Lenvima is extremely expensive but the nurse sat down with me and said "This is how we get it approved by your insurance - and this is all my job, you don't need to worry about any of it". She handled everything. They even have their very own triage center so that you don't have to go to the ER if you have a problem. You can even call 24/7 and a doctor on call will call you back. I'm mad that I didn't go there at first but I had no idea what I was doing and that things were so complicated.
Honestly, if you have a doctor who's communicating with you and is available, and you have a nursing staff there to help you, it will make things SOOO much better! It really makes all the difference.
I hope you have a good day today! I have cried every day , sometimes ALL day until I'm dehydrated for the past year . I'm finally moving out of that and into a place of faith. I know God has me and I refuse to be killed by cancer before I fulfill the number of my days!
The port will be beneficial to you . Mine has given me no problem . It's SOO much easier having CT scans and blood draws etc.
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My husband literally just sent me a link to to the Joe Tippens info and it certainly sounds like a no-brainer to give it a shot. My heart really hurts for your experience but you sound like a true warrior. I can’t imagine how I would feel if phone calls weren’t returned and endless hold music played in my ear. No one should ever have to deal with that LEAST of all someone in a dire state. I would love to stay in touch and will pray for both of us to have happy endings to our shared nightmare.
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Dog dewormer is not a supplement.
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Thank you very much for your input. With an inoperable stage 4b cancer threatening to take me away from my son and husband, I will be considering a lot of things that many will disagree with but respectfully, I have that right. I read your story and I’m incredibly happy for your outcomes to date. I pray that you stay cancer free and that I too can celebrate some of the life affirming milestones that you’ve reached since your journey as a cancer survivor began💜
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I get so angry at people who take advantage of people in such a vulernable state. I agree that everyone has a right to choose what they want to do, but I worry that precious time is spent on empty opportunities.
I remember several women traveling to Germany for heated chemo. I asked my oncologist about it at the time and she said, sadly, no. I was being monitored and was more interested in learning more from what women/loved ones were saying. Unfortunately it did not work for those dear ladies, both I remember to this day.
Hopefully CSN doesn't delete this, but I know they would reach out if/when they do. Anyone who comes here has certainly gone through the gamut of emotions. Cancer is a beast and there is much work to do.
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You absolutely have the right. I also hope you celebrate milestones. There are just some people who try to take advantage of the situation with very expensive treatments that don't work and sometimes delay treatment that could help. You have to make those choices.
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Hi Jill,
I know you said a second opinion at Emory in Atlanta is pending, but I wasn't clear whether that was for a review of your pathology, or if you were going to Emory for a second opinion by another gynecologic oncologist on treatment. I saw two gyn-oncs after my diagnosis to find out if the second doctor agreed with the first as to treatment. Also, my childhood friend was diagnosed with stage 4B, grade 3, endometrial adenocarcinoma in 2017. I know you've been diagnosed with serous, but grade 3 adenocarcinoma is considered a type II cancer like serous. My friend had surgery shortly after diagnosis, despite abdominal metastases. Because she was diagnosed in 2017 and immunotherapy had not yet been approved for endometrial cancer, she went through chemotherapy (carbo-taxol), anti-angiogenesis treatment (Avastin), a clinical trial, and then after Keytruda was approved for endometrial cancer, she was on Keytruda (initially with Lenvima until the side effects required its discontinuation) for three years. She has had no evidence of disease whatsoever for approximately two years now.
Has your gyn-onc said that the plan is to revisit the issue of surgery after you finish with chemo-immunotherapy? I know there is controversy regarding the optimal management of stage 4B endometrial cancer, which is why I thought a second opinion on treatment would be a good idea. Also, here's a recent study I came across which, in case you haven't already seen it, might provide some guidance or least give you some food for thought: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10649928/
Wishing you all the best,
MoeKay
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Hi MoeKay - thank you so much for the info you provided. I guess the second opinion is for all of the above but mostly re: treatment. I really don’t expect the results/pathology to change but I do want additional input on treatment. I was really disappointed that surgery wasn’t an option - intuitively I feel like it should be taken out of my body ASAP but I’ve been told that “sub-optimal de-bulking” can actually make outcomes worse. She did say that it could be a possibility If I respond well to treatment. I believe I will be scanned after 3 cycles and if I’m really doing well surgery could be an option. If not we would take a look again after the 6th cycle.
I also still don’t have a firm grasp on the details of my pathology. Before the omentum biopsy came back both my regular gynecologist and my GYN-oncologist thought it was ovarian so I was very surprised when the oncologist said it was uterine. I do not fit the clinical picture of uterine but I DO fit ovarian so I’m very confused. I’m also not certain it’s serous - I wrote that down during our meeting but the path report says “metastatic poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma of muellerian origin. tumor cells are positive for PAX8, ER, PR, and P16 consistent with endometriosis carcinoma however serous carcinoma cannot be completely ruled out” I have no idea what any of that means. The CARIS report is still pending - I assume that will provide the definitive diagnosis?
please let me know if any of that makes enough sense to you that you could explain it to me! Thank you for the article you included - I’m going to read it now. And thank you again for taking the time to message me - it means a lot💜
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Hi @jillfromGA - I was diagnosed with stage 4 endometrial cancer in 2022 (mixed clear cell & endometrioid histology, currently No Evidence of Disease after surgery + chemo + radiation). I'm sorry to hear that you're in a somewhat similar position. The amount of questions with something like this can be overwhelming. The only advice I have is to get all your questions written down, and if possible send them to your oncologist before you meet with them so they can be prepared to answer all your questions.
the path report says “metastatic poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma of muellerian origin. tumor cells are positive for PAX8, ER, PR, and P16 consistent with endometriosis carcinoma however serous carcinoma cannot be completely ruled out”
Unfortunately, that mention of "endometriosis carcinoma" seems like it may be a typo for "endometrioid carcinoma". (I really struggled with a couple of typos in my own pathology report.) There are endometrioid histologies for both endometrial and ovarian cancers. ER and PR are for estrogen and progesterone receptors and are commonly tested for in gynecological cancers. Both being positive most often indicates an endometrioid histology but it isn't clearcut. Sometimes other histologies are positive for those also. Often to diagnose as serous carcinoma there will also be a test for P53. I haven't heard of PAX8 or P16 before, but those may be tests to determine the origin of the cells since they weren't located on the ovary or uterus when tested. I definitely don't have all the answers, and I still ask my oncologist new questions that I come up with every time I have a check-in appointment.
The Caris test should help your oncology team determine which available treatments are most likely to be effective for you more so than the histology determined from the pathology report.
I don't have any advice on adding alternative treatments. I do wish I had paid more attention to my nutrition during treatment. When I checked in with my primary care doctor a few months after treatment, I was put on supplements and almost immediately was feeling much better. If I had someone to perform extra monitoring and provide more holistic guidance on my health during treatment, I'm sure that would have helped out.
Wishing you the best for an effective treatment and general health.
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Thank you so much for your response pik3r1. I’m so happy for your current status and feel very uplifted by your story. The more I read the more questions I have but I’m chipping away at this a little at a time. I have my 2nd opinion 3/19 and the first thing I’m asking about is surgery. I know that’s the first line of treatment and I see so many women including that in there success stories so I’m especially disappointed that my doc doesn’t feel that I’m a candidate. At only 53 with no medical history at all I just don’t understand that piece. I think it has to do with peritoneal carcinomatosis. I was picturing 1 tumor in each area of metastasis but she said it’s more like freckles - a lot of little ones spread over a larger surface area. I guess that makes some sense as to why they can’t be removed but hell…can’t they just scrape the whole surface???? And that’s why I’m not a surgeon LOL! Anyway…thank you again for responding and I look forward to following your story! Best of luck and many blessings toward your healing ❤️🩹
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Hi Jill from GA - I'm Ruth, Stage 3C Ovarian. And yes - I hear you - dealing with this is shocking and very, very tough emotionally. It's SCARY, and needs to be dealt with swiftly and by the right cancer center. And I'll echo what others have said - I went immediately to Sloan Kettering, and followed their advice TO THE LETTER. I had so much abdominal metastases (colon, bladder, stomach, spleen, appendix, diaphragm) that surgery wasn't an option at first. I went on 4 rounds of carboplatin/Abraxane chemo and responded VERY well - just before surgery, my CT scan showed "reduced, resolved, resolved" etc. Surgery was very successful, it was considered a "complete" debulking. This was followed by 3 more rounds of chemo, just to be safe. All this wasn't an easy road by any stretch, but I figure if anyone knows how to beat this - they do. Just had my final CT scans this week - ALL CLEAR! Bloodwork - just about everything within normal limits. CA125 - down to 44. So, sure, it's a rough road, it's essentially poison-- but it killed the cancer. Now on immunotherapy for a year and a half - Avastin. My doctor tells me there's a likelihood it will come back, but not necessarily. My best advice for you--this disease needs serious weaponry. Big guns. Nuclear level stuff. You'll survive the other side of treatment! I wish you the absolute best. Don't ever give up hope! You can do this.
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Jill,
I'm sorry about your diagnosis but am so happy my story made you feel better (takingcontrol58). Stage 4 cancer does not have to be a death sentence. But cancer drugs alone will not heal Stage 4 cancer. If cancer drugs cured cancer, we still woudn't be searching for the cure.
The best place to research metformin is www.pubmed.gov- this is the site of the NIH and it contains all of the published medical articles from the medical community. There are many other sources of information on metformin, but this is the site doctors are supposed to read. I have done much research on cancer over the years. Metformin targets many of the key processes in the body that need to function properly so that cancer does not form. I can't list them all here. It is well known to correct metabolic dysfunction, and your metabolism is the engine that runs your body. Even though many researchers use the drug, they do not use it for cancer treatment because it is not FDA approved as a cancer drug- it is an old drug and cheap and does not make money for the cancer complex. It was discovered to have anti-cancer properties in 2006. You will probably have to get metformin from an internist or endocrinologist- but the good cancer doctors know all about the drug. My integrative doctor was well aware of metformin in cancer treatment. When someone tells you not to try it, they have no idea of all its benefits. First, let me summarize some of the well known things metformin is prescribed for:
1) lowers glucose
2) lowers insulin - I had high insulin (you need to test your blood for this)
3) lowers insulin growth factor hormone 1 (IGF-1)-key driver of many cancers - I had very high IGF-1 (you need to test your blood for this)
4)treats pre-diabetes (so you don't become diabetic) - I was pre-diabetic (measure your hemoglobin A1c)
5) first line drug for type 2 diabetes
6)treats insulin resistance (when your body does not use insulin properly -I was insulin resistant
7) prescribed for PCOS (caused by insulin resistance)
***insulin and IGF-1 are key hormones involved in cancer that oncologists don't test
Metformin worked well for me because I had many of these metabolic issues- and metformin corrected them. It was an excellent targeted drug for me. But the drug does so much more. The researches know this and many use the drug themselves.
To heal cancer, you have to identify all the sources of your cancer- health issues, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, excess metals and chemicals, hormone imbalances, emotional issues- you have to determine what toxins are in your body that created an environment for cancer to grow and address them. And that mostly requires the use of non cancer drugs, supplements and lifestyle changes. Oncologists do not take this approach which is why they frequently say there is nothing more they can do, which they have done very little. If I had used the additional cancer drugs my oncologists wanted me to use, I believe I would not have survived. I only had 6 infusions of Taxol/Carbo. No other cancer drugs. Just metformin, low dose aspirin, doxycycline, supplements, major lifestyle changes and faith in God. I made my own decisions as to what cancer treatments I would use, going against the recommendations of three top oncologists.
Metformin also targets many of the key processes involved in the formation of cancer-
1) inactivates the PIK/Akt/mTor pathway (the pathway that controls metabolism) 90% of all endometrial cancers have a mutation of this pathway
2) targets cancer stem cells - the cells that cause metastasis - no cancer drugs for this
3) targets angiogenesis--the creation of blood vessels that feed cancer cells to turn into a tumor (crab like appearance)
4) helps manage autophagy- cellular recycling of our cells - you have to clear out the garbage to make room for new cells- or the old cells become food for the cancer
5) helps lower estrogen
There are so many other biological processes that metformin addresses, I can't go into here.
You can go to pubmed.gov and search metformin and cancer or metformin and endometrial cancer- I think there are over 7000 articles posted. You can print out specific articles and bring them to your doctors. It is well known to be helpful for gynecological cancers, particularly endometrial cancer.
Caris Research- it is important that your tissue was tested for genomic mutations. I personally believe Foundation Medicine is the best company as it tests over 325 genes and provides an excellent detailed report. I never saw that Caris tested this many genes, though their testing could be updated. You should find out what test they ordered for you. Hopefully they didn't just order the test to qualify you for immunotherapy- you need much more data. Once you identify your genomic mutations, you can research what cellular processes those genes control and determine the best way to address them (and it will probably be with non-cancer drugs and supplements).
I have been counseling and working with cancer patients since 2016 to help them create a realistic plan to heal their cancer. I would be happy to answer more questions in detail- you can send me a personal message.
The best chance of long term survival is to get involved in your cancer treatment from the first day of your diagnosis and start addressing all your health issues as soon as you identify them- you need to heal your body to heal your cancer. And there are many options for cancer patients that oncologists won't discuss.
I am a living, breathing cancer-free example of how if you can find the right targeted treatments to address the causes of your cancer, you can have miraculous results. I will celebrate my 10th anniversary this fall.
Takingcontrol58
Linda
1 -
Jill,
I'm sorry about your diagnosis but am so happy my story made you feel better (takingcontrol58). Stage 4 cancer does not have to be a death sentence. But cancer drugs alone will not heal Stage 4 cancer. If cancer drugs cured cancer, we still woudn't be searching for the cure.
The best place to research metformin is www.pubmed.gov- this is the site of the NIH and it contains all of the published medical articles from the medical community. There are many other sources of information on metformin, but this is the site doctors are supposed to read. I have done much research on cancer over the years. Metformin targets many of the key processes in the body that need to function properly so that cancer does not form. I can't list them all here. It is well known to correct metabolic dysfunction, and your metabolism is the engine that runs your body. Even though many researchers use the drug, they do not use it for cancer treatment because it is not FDA approved as a cancer drug- it is an old drug and cheap and does not make money for the cancer complex. It was discovered to have anti-cancer properties in 2006. You will probably have to get metformin from an internist or endocrinologist- but the good cancer doctors know all about the drug. My integrative doctor was well aware of metformin in cancer treatment. When someone tells you not to try it, they have no idea of all its benefits. First, let me summarize some of the well known things metformin is prescribed for:
1) lowers glucose
2) lowers insulin - I had high insulin (you need to test your blood for this)
3) lowers insulin growth factor hormone 1 (IGF-1)-key driver of many cancers - I had very high IGF-1 (you need to test your blood for this)
4)treats pre-diabetes (so you don't become diabetic) - I was pre-diabetic (measure your hemoglobin A1c)
5) first line drug for type 2 diabetes
6)treats insulin resistance (when your body does not use insulin properly -I was insulin resistant
7) prescribed for PCOS (caused by insulin resistance)
***insulin and IGF-1 are key hormones involved in cancer that oncologists don't test
Metformin worked well for me because I had many of these metabolic issues- and metformin corrected them. It was an excellent targeted drug for me. But the drug does so much more. The researches know this and many use the drug themselves.
To heal cancer, you have to identify all the sources of your cancer- health issues, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, excess metals and chemicals, hormone imbalances, emotional issues- you have to determine what toxins are in your body that created an environment for cancer to grow and address them. And that mostly requires the use of non cancer drugs, supplements and lifestyle changes. Oncologists do not take this approach which is why they frequently say there is nothing more they can do, which they have done very little. If I had used the additional cancer drugs my oncologists wanted me to use, I believe I would not have survived. I only had 6 infusions of Taxol/Carbo. No other cancer drugs. Just metformin, low dose aspirin, doxycycline, supplements, major lifestyle changes and faith in God. I made my own decisions as to what cancer treatments I would use, going against the recommendations of three top oncologists.
Metformin also targets many of the key processes involved in the formation of cancer-
1) inactivates the PIK/Akt/mTor pathway (the pathway that controls metabolism) 90% of all endometrial cancers have a mutation of this pathway
2) targets cancer stem cells - the cells that cause metastasis - no cancer drugs for this
3) targets angiogenesis--the creation of blood vessels that feed cancer cells to turn into a tumor (crab like appearance)
4) helps manage autophagy- cellular recycling of our cells - you have to clear out the garbage to make room for new cells- or the old cells become food for the cancer
5) helps lower estrogen
There are so many other biological processes that metformin addresses, I can't go into here.
You can go to pubmed.gov and search metformin and cancer or metformin and endometrial cancer- I think there are over 7000 articles posted. You can print out specific articles and bring them to your doctors. It is well known to be helpful for gynecological cancers, particularly endometrial cancer.
Caris Research- it is important that your tissue was tested for genomic mutations. I personally believe Foundation Medicine is the best company as it tests over 325 genes and provides an excellent detailed report. I never saw that Caris tested this many genes, though their testing could be updated. You should find out what test they ordered for you. Hopefully they didn't just order the test to qualify you for immunotherapy- you need much more data. Once you identify your genomic mutations, you can research what cellular processes those genes control and determine the best way to address them (and it will probably be with non-cancer drugs and supplements).
I have been counseling and working with cancer patients since 2016 to help them create a realistic plan to heal their cancer. I would be happy to answer more questions in detail- you can send me a personal message.
The best chance of long term survival is to get involved in your cancer treatment from the first day of your diagnosis and start addressing all your health issues as soon as you identify them- you need to heal your body to heal your cancer. And there are many options for cancer patients that oncologists won't discuss.
I am a living, breathing cancer-free example of how if you can find the right targeted treatments to address the causes of your cancer, you can have miraculous results. I will celebrate my 10th anniversary this fall.
Takingcontrol58
Linda
0
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