Knockout by Suzanne Somers---has anyone read book

The Soy Issue
Research is ongoing about the relationship between soy and cancer. Soy has components that act very much like hormones in the body, and a few studies have shown that those components are correlated with an increase in hormone-sensitive cancers. If your BC is hormone-sensitive, then you should probably avoid soy, and you may want to avoid soy anyway just to be on the safe side. However, it isn't clear that soy increases the occurrence (or recurrence) of hormone-negative cancers; it may be entirely unrelated to those.

Have you discussed the Oncotype DX test with your doctors? It can help you make the decision about chemo by providing information about the potential benefit of chemo in relation to your cancer (either very little or a great deal). If your cancer is hormone-sensitive, you may be able to avoid chemo by taking Tamoxifen, but if your cancer is not hormone-sensitive, Tamoxifen will be of no benefit and chemo may really be necessary.

You might want to pick up "Dr. Susan Love's Breast Book" and read the last chapters pertaining to cancer diagnosis and treatment. It offers very helpful explanations of the various terms, pathology reports, risks/benefits of various treatment options, and so on, and it can give you a good list of questions to ask your doctors to help you make your decisions.

Good Luck!
sandy

LadyParvati said:

The Soy Issue
Research is ongoing about the relationship between soy and cancer. Soy has components that act very much like hormones in the body, and a few studies have shown that those components are correlated with an increase in hormone-sensitive cancers. If your BC is hormone-sensitive, then you should probably avoid soy, and you may want to avoid soy anyway just to be on the safe side. However, it isn't clear that soy increases the occurrence (or recurrence) of hormone-negative cancers; it may be entirely unrelated to those.

Have you discussed the Oncotype DX test with your doctors? It can help you make the decision about chemo by providing information about the potential benefit of chemo in relation to your cancer (either very little or a great deal). If your cancer is hormone-sensitive, you may be able to avoid chemo by taking Tamoxifen, but if your cancer is not hormone-sensitive, Tamoxifen will be of no benefit and chemo may really be necessary.

You might want to pick up "Dr. Susan Love's Breast Book" and read the last chapters pertaining to cancer diagnosis and treatment. It offers very helpful explanations of the various terms, pathology reports, risks/benefits of various treatment options, and so on, and it can give you a good list of questions to ask your doctors to help you make your decisions.

Good Luck!
sandy

Chiming in with LadyParvati on soy issue
Hi, Tina -

I've discussed The Soy Issue very directly with both my oncologist and a 2nd oncologist who is a breast cancer specialist, and my understanding is this:

Women who live in countries where the diet includes lots of soy (such as Japan) have a lower occurrence of breast cancer than US women. BUT, this does not appear to be the case if you just start giving US adult women lots of soy, or for Japanese women who grow up in the US.

Current theories for this lower rate of breast cancer in Japan is that the protective benefits of soy may come from 1) eating it before or during puberty, and/or 2) mothers eating it while pregnant with their daughters.

But LadyParvati's right -- these are just theories, and research is still ongoing. Both the oncologists I asked told me the same thing: It's not necessary (and it's darn near impossible) to eliminate soy entirely from your diet. They told me to avoid soy-based foods such as soy milk, tofu, and edamame -- in other words, "don't go looking for soy." But, as my oncologist said, "If you have a little soy sauce on your Chinese food once in awhile, don't stress about it."

Hope that helps,

Traci

Dot53 said:

Tina
I have read both her books, Knockout and Breakthrough.. and found them to be enlightening. I did not know I had cancer at the time. I was going through hot flashes and night sweats and a host of other things.. I wanted to try bio identical hormones as I could not take estrogen due to my strong family history of breast cancer.(turned out my cancer was estrogen and progesterone positive). It took some digging but I finally found a clinic locally and went about 4 times. My insurance covered 80% of the cost. I didn't get far enough along in my treatment before having to stop due to the breast cancer so I cannot say for certain that it helped me. I was on testosterone and progesterone when I was diagnosed. I think the book gives some good information but when it came to my breast cancer treatment my husband and I decided to go the traditional route... I like the idea of holistic treatment but am not sure if there has been enough studies done to prove that it works; it is not FDA approved. Also, it can be very expensive if your insurance doesn't cover it..

Don't know if I helped or not..

My best advice:
Keep an open mind, but don't let your brains fall out.

The book gets mixed reviews. Some doctors believe the advice she gives is dangerous.
Go to: www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/?p=2244

carkris said:

why should we stop you? you
why should we stop you? you are making sense!!!1

patrick swayze
that is a very good book by the way the time of my life by patrick swayze just thought i would mention that.suzanne somers i will be kind no comment!


:0) teresa

Rague said:

Haven't read the book but I
Haven't read the book but I did hear her on some talk radio shows, hawking her book. She(and the Dr. with her) came across as 'snake oil salesmen' to me. Reminded me of all the hype about Laetril years ago.

I just saw her on tv and didn't care for her opinion on chemo
with all of us fighting for our lives we don't need to hear someone say we're wasting our time. Too many survivors, including my oncologist, a 17 year survivor, who took the same treatments we're all taking - a/c and taxol. I agree that there are other things we can do and I plan on doing just that when this is done, but until they come up with something better the Chemo is the best course to follow in my opinion.