Estrogen receptor

MJ5 said:

Estrogen receptor
The tumor biopsy I had showed that tumor was highly estrogen receptor positive, so my oncologist told me to avoid soy.

Most of what I have read about soy bean crops in the U.S. is that they are genetically modified that the crops are either sprayed heavily with the pesticide roundup, or that the genetic modification to the seed makes the seed produce its own Roundup.

I switched to almond milk several years ago. It tastes way better!

MJ

My endo tumor wasn't tested,
but my breast cancer was - so "they" assume the endo cancer was also ER+. I asked my oncologist about soy when first being treated for breast cancer. She said that recent studies showed that there is no definitive evidence that soy should be eliminated, something about identical results for groups consuming soy and eliminating soy. She did say to watch my intake, but if say I wanted some Chinese food, go for it - on occasion. I hate tofu, so no problem there. Don't like soy milk, either. I do avoid prepared foods because most of them have soy.

I think we need to be aware of potential bad things and do our research and make informed decisions about how we deal with them. I probably avoid soy more than necessary by someone's criteria.

I'm on Arimidex for breast cancer and so in my little brain, I've decided it's a good thing for the endo cancer too. My endo cancer was low stage, low grade, but it still makes me feel good to think I have some protection on board, whether it's true or not and whether I need it or not.

Suzanne

Rewriter said:

Almond milk
I just want to put in a plug for almond milk. In looking for ways to get more non-dairy calcium, I bought some last week. For a day or two, I mixed three parts of almond milk with one part organic skim milk; it tasted great. Now, I can drink almond milk without cutting it with something else. In fact, I sometimes mix it with fruit (no sugar) and make some of the best milkshakes I've ever had. The fact that almond milk has no soy and contains 45 percent of the RDA of calcium in one cup makes it all the more delicious.

Thanks for the tip, Jill
I never thought of "cutting" a new milk with cow's milk as a way of phasing it into my diet. What a great idea. Almond milk is on my shopping list for next week. Must remember to buy the one with no added sugar though!
Thanks again
Helen

Gracegoi said:

ER negative
Fayard,

My tumour was entirely upsc . My oncologist said UPSC is er negative so If I wanted estrogen replacement therapy on a low dose I coud have it. Here is an old thread about your question . I have been wondering how "Live now" is doing. I miss her . Shes a real hoot to read .

http://csnbeta.cancer.org/node/169399

here is an artical about er pr positive or negative for UPSC.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8005733


Grace

Estrogen+
This is my first post, so I hope I am doing this correct!

I had(have)stage 1A endo adenocarcinoma grade 2/positve pelvic washing. I had a radical hysterectomy May 17, 56 lymph nodes removed all clear.

My tumor was + for estrogen so my Dr has me on Megestrol.

I too am concerned about soy. Also does this put me at higher rish for breast cancer? There is no family history of it and so far so good. I have a mammogram on the 31st.

Gracegoi said:

Hi Cookie
Megace is prescribed to those who have had breastcancer that is known to be estrogen positive so that may help eliminate your fears of getting it.

couldn't help but notice the positive washings so I did a little reading . There was one woman here who was in the same situation as you and was prescribed the same for her pelvic washings. I belive she was concerned about the side effects of megace. It always bugs me when women who may struggle with thier weight (And many women do) are given a drug that makes it harder in that area. Estrogen is stored in fat cells.

There are women who use tomoxifen and even uses both off and on.

Here is a link about megace and washings

http://csn.cancer.org/node/206969

It obvious the main wish of everyone here is that they get the best of care .

Since I got cancer its so easy for others to implant fear as to what I am or am not doing both on and off the internet because of thier brand of concern. See I just did some of it myself.

Good luck with your research and your mamogram.

Take care

Grace

my tumor.....
,,,,,was mildly estrogen positive and I am on Arimidex. No breast cancer, but have it in my family. I was told that Arimidex is the least likely hormone suppressant to cause a weight gain. I think it is also the newest.

Is Megace a hormone suppresant?

carolenk said:

Megace is an appetite stimlulant
JoAnn

Megace is a synthetic progesterone. I think one of it's primary anti-cancer uses was to protect women on HRT from getting endometrial cancer. The exact way Megace works is not really understood but you could think of it as a hormone suppressor or anti-estrogen therapy.

What concerns me about the drug is that it has the potential to flip a pre-diabetic into diabetes. It given with recurrent or metastatic cancer as as palliative treatment only. I think doctors want to prescribe SOMETHING for patients--they hate to say "there's nothing left to give you."

The literature on Megace list it as having steroid-like effects and that abrupt withdrawal of it can be dangerous due to adrenal suppression. I would feel safer on Arimidex--even though it probably costs a fortune.

Arimidex
I get the generic form of this - Anastrozole - and take one per day. It is $27 a month retail (with insurance) and would be $17 every 3 months through my mail in pharmacy.......but I have not yet gotten around to switching it over.

Fayard said:

JoAnn
Your tumor seemed to be just like the one I had, mildly estrogen receptor.
I have not been prescribed anything. My tumor was stage 2, grade 3.
I wonder why you are in Arimidex and I am not?
Is there a protocol for this?

My oncology told me that he did not want to put me in any hormone medication for the next 3 years.

Aromatase inhibitor
Fayad

From your photo, you look like you wouldn't benefit from an aromatase inhibitor drug (which is NOT a hormone but an enzyme inhibitor). You don't appear to have much fat on you--fat stores hormones. Arimidex blocks the enzyme "aromatase" the converts testosterone into estrogen.

I suppose you could ask to have your estrogen & testosterone levels checked by blood test. I have seen a 76-year old female who had the testosterone level of a woman 40 years younger--she was still sexually active & getting testosterone thru semen. So I suppose it's worth checking into if you have a male sexual partner.

JoAnnDK said:

why
Fayard, my tumor was stage IIIc, Grade3, with one lymph node being dirty. Little invasion, clean margins. I was doing some reading about hormone suppressors for breast cancer. I asked my gyn onc at Hopkins "why do they use hormone suppressants for breast cancer and not for gyn cancers?" She thought that was an interesting question and said she could put me on it and it would be a trial for her.

Fast forward a month to my gyn onc near home. I posed the same question to him and his response was the same. So I am taking it.

I was just using common sense. If the hormone makes a tumor grow, doesn't it make sense to suppress this hormone?

JoAnn
Did you have hormone testing? I did and results were mostly ER and PR negative. I recall my doc saying that hormone therapy would not benefit me. Just curious.

Mary Ann