REMEDIES FOR BREAST CANCER

BREAST CANCER TREATMENT

http://www.imaginis.com/breast-health/nutrition-for-breast-cancer-patients-2

Nutrition for Breast Cancer Patients



Posted Image Posted Image Maintaining a well-balanced diet during breast cancer treatment can help patients better cope with side effects, regain strength, and rebuild tissues damaged by cancer. However, some patients may find it difficult to eat well during treatment due to certain side effects (such as nausea or diarrhea) or the emotional burden a diagnosis of breast cancer can bring. This section discusses the importance of maintaining a healthy diet during breast cancer treatment and offers suggestions on how to cope with side effects of treatment that may affect a patient’s eating habits(1). Common side effects of breast cancer treatment that may affect eating include:

Loss of Appetite
Nausea
Vomiting
Dry Mouth
Diarrhea
Constipation
Weight Gain or Loss

Eat Well During Breast Cancer Treatment The National Cancer Institute and the American Cancer Society recommend maintaining a varied diet during cancer treatment. A varied diet includes daily servings of fruits and vegetables, proteins, grains, and dairy products. Each person’s diet should be to modified to fit her personal needs. For instance, if a certain breast cancer treatment causes diarrhea, a patient may want to temporarily reduce her intake of high-fiber foods (such as vegetables, fruits, cereals, and whole grains). Breast cancer patients should talk to their physicians, nurses, or registered dietitians about maintaining proper nutrition during treatment. Certain foods, vitamins, or minerals may interfere with cancer treatment. A varied diet provides several nutritional benefits:

Fruits: Good sources of vitamin C. Fruits are usually low in calories and fat.
Vegetables: Excellent sources of fiber and vitamins (A and C). Deep-yellow or dark-green vegetables are rich in vitamin A.
Proteins: May provide protein, iron, zinc, and B vitamins. Meats, beans, nuts, and seeds provide these benefits. Some seeds, like almonds, are good sources of vitamin E.
Dairy products: Milk and cheese provide calcium, protein, and vitamin B12.
Grains: Breads, pasta, rice, and cereals provide carbohydrates and B vitamins. Carbohydrates are an important source of energy.

The following are suggestions for maintaining a well-balanced diet while experiencing side effects of breast cancer treatment. Patients may want to try a variety of different suggestions or talk to a registered dietitian for more tips that may help during treatment. Loss of Appetite Loss of appetite can occur from a variety of breast cancer treatments, including chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and several drug therapies including Aromasin . Loss of appetite may also result from other side effects such as nausea or vomiting or from the emotional burden of breast cancer. Suggestions for coping:

Eat several small meals instead of three regular meals.
Stock up on a variety of foods.
Try different settings when eating – the dining room, kitchen, with background music, watching television – anything that makes eating more appealing

Nausea Nausea can be a side effect of surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, drug therapies, or other aspects of breast cancer. Nearly 50% of patients experienced nausea and vomiting during their first treatment with the drug, Herceptin. Suggestions for coping:

Ask a physician about medications called antiemetics that help control nausea
Eating toast, crackers, yogurt, oatmeal, skinned chicken (not fried), and ice chips may help ease nausea.
Eat foods slowly and in small amounts.
Drink plenty of fluids but avoid drinks during meals because they may cause a bloated feeling.
Avoid eating right before treatment if treatment causes nausea.
Try cool foods. Warm foods may worsen nausea.
Keep track of what foods can increase nausea, and try to avoid those if possible.

Vomiting Vomiting often follows nausea. Often, if a patient can control nausea, she can prevent vomiting. Vomiting is a common side effect of chemotherapy, and drug treatment with Herceptin or Arimidex (generic name, anastrozole). Suggestions for coping:

Ask a physician about medications called antiemetics that help control nausea and vomiting.
Do not eat or drink until vomiting is under control.
Talk to a physician about trying a full-liquid diet until the vomiting has subsided and regular food can be kept down.

Dry Mouth Dry mouth is a side effect that can be associated with several breast cancer drugs or other treatments. When a patient has dry mouth, foods may be more difficult to chew or swallow. Suggestions for coping:

Take small sips of water every few minutes to help moisten the mouth.
Eat sweet foods or drinks such as lemonade to help the mouth produce more saliva.
Eat moist foods with sauces or gravies to make swallowing easier.
Talk to a physician about other options to treat dry mouth.

Diarrhea Chemotherapy, drug therapies, or other breast cancer treatments as well as coping with the stress of breast cancer may cause diarrhea. Patients with severe diarrhea (lasting more than a few days) should contact their physician immediately. Patients with diarrhea can lose valuable vitamins and nutrients and become dehydrated. Diarrhea is a common side effect of several breast cancer drugs, including Herceptin, Arimidex, and Ellence. Suggestions for coping:

Drink plenty of liquids and drink beverages at room temperature.
Eat several small meals rather than three large ones.
Try low-fiber foods such as rice, noodles, yogurt, bananas, lean beef, skinned turkey or chicken, etc.
Avoid fried foods, raw and high-fiber vegetables, and fruits.

Constipation Some drugs used to treat breast cancer (such as Herceptin) may cause constipation. Constipation may also occur if there is a lack of bulk or fluids in the diet. Suggestions for coping:

Drink plenty of liquids.
Eat high-fiber foods (such as cereals or pastas), fresh fruits and vegetables, and whole grain products.
Exercise if the physician recommends it.
Talk to a physician about medications to ease constipation.

Weight Gain or Weight Loss Some cancer patients find that they gain or lose weight during treatment from certain drug therapies or from stress. Patients should talk to their physicians if they experience any significant weight fluctuation during treatment. Weight gain during cancer treatment could be due to water retention or other effects of treatment rather than an increased caloric intake. An attempt to lose weight during treatment could cause increased health problems in some patients. Diuretics can usually be prescribed to reduce excess water in the body. Weight loss is a possible side effect of tamoxifen. The drug Aromasin has been shown to increase or decrease appetite in some patients. Weight gain or loss may also occur from the stress of breast cancer treatment. Additional Resources and References

(1) Many of the suggestions for coping with side effects of cancer treatment in this article are recommended by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The NCI provides a wealth of information on all aspects of breast cancer, from screening and diagnosis to treatment and survival. Visit http://www.cancer.gov/ for more information eating hints for cancer patients. NCI also provides free brochures through its Cancer Information Service. For more information, call 1.800.4.CANCER.
The American Cancer Society provides information on nutrition during cancer treatment at http://www.cancer.org/
To learn more about breast cancer treatment with chemotherapy or radiation therapy, please visit http://www.imaginis.com/breasthealth/chemo.asp and http://www.imaginis.com/breasthealth/radio_bctreatment.asp respectively.
To learn more about breast cancer treatment with drugs (such as tamoxifen, Herceptin, or others) please visit http://www.imaginis.com/breasthealth/bc_drugs.asp

.......................................................... Home remedies for breast cancer include garlic, broccoli, grapes, wheatgrass, green tea, lignans, soybean, vitamin D, calcium, beneficial diet, reduction in harmful diet etc. Breast cancer refers to the malignant growth of tissues of breast. These can be categorized as ductal, lobular or inflammatory on the basis of place of origin. It can be caused due to consumption of alcoholic beverages, radiation therapy of breast, first child born at an early age, old age or intake of progesterone, estrogen etc. Breast cancer can be noticed by several early symptoms some of which include regular discharge from nipple and nipples getting inverted. Home remedies for breast cancer are available, not to cure breast cancer, but to boost the immune system or kill the cancerous tissue to some extent. Still, proper life style and eating habits are recommended for longevity of breast cancer patients. Home remedies for breast cancer are available not for treating it completely, but for decreasing its bad aspects to an extent. Breast cancer, as the name implies, is the malignant growth of tissues of breast. The uncontrolled proliferation of cells ultimately leads to death of individual if it becomes metastasized or if not removed by surgery. Breast is composed of several lobes and ducts. The lobes function in production of milk which is carried via the ducts to nipples. Breast cancer is distinguished into 3 types. These are ductal, lobular or inflammatory. Ductal originates in the ducts, while lobular in the lobes. Inflammatory breast cancer refers to those in which breasts are swelled, warm and red. Out of the three, ductal breast cancer is the most common. As per the National Cancer Institute, following risk factors are involved in development of breast cancer:

Old age
First child birth at an old age
Family history
Prior breast treatment to radiation therapy
Whitish colour of breasts
Consumption of alcoholic beverages
Intake of progesterone and estrogen hormones

Breast cancer is characterized by following symptoms:

Lump in the underarm region or near to breast
Discharge from breast
Nipples get inverted
Change in texture or morphology of breast like scaliness, unevenness, swelling, reduction in size
Feeling of heat
Pain is not felt even on pressing at early stages

Though not curable, breast cancers can be prevented by certain precautionary measures and a balanced lifestyle. Once induced, it cannot be stopped, but by eating a healthy nutritious food meant for cancer patients, one can ward off incoming pathogens and activate the immune system to fight against the cancer cells. An additional dietary regimen should be followed as the patient undergoes chemical or radiation therapy that tends to show various side effects like hair loss, nausea, etc. Some of the home remedies for breast cancer are mentioned below:

Garlic: It is well known that garlic has antibiotic properties which can be used to get rid of the infectious agents like bacteria, yeast, fungi etc. As per the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), presence of alkyl sulphur compounds makes it a good anti-cancer agent. It does so by causing the malignant cells to undergo natural cell death. It also plays role in activating the immune cells against cancerous cells. It is always better to eat garlic in raw form as oil, clove or powder instead of consuming cooked.
Broccoli: Broccoli contains linamarase gene that when present inside cancer cells can breakdown into cyanide and effectively kill the tumor cell.
Grapes: Grapes contain a compound called proanthocyanidins that reduces the body’s estrogen production. This leads to effective treatment of breast cancer as is evident from the clinical trials performed over several breast cancer patients. The study showed that the extract of grapes affect breast cancer tumors that are hormone sensitive. A drug called doxorubicin was also found to enhance its anti-tumor activity by consuming grapes juice or extract everyday.
Wheatgrass: It is known to be advantageous to cancer patients. Wheatgrass taken in the form of juice or raw is shown to regress cancer cells growth as demonstrated by Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre. It has the ability to enhance the immune system, and get you rid off the toxins and waste products.
Green Tea: Prepare herbal green tea by boiling some amount in a glass of water till it reduces to half. This has anti-inflammatory properties and is very effective against breast cancer.
Lignans: Lignans are present in seeds of sunflower, cashews, strawberries, flaxseed, and peanuts. These compounds prevent estrogen dependent tumors by slowing down their rate of progression. Any of these items can be incorporated in the daily diet chart and must be followed effectively.
Soybean: It is one of the known diets that are considered to be must for breast cancer patients. According to MD Anderson Cancer Center, it contains phytoestrogens and several other entities that block cancerous cells from using estrogen. It also contains isoflavones needed for prevention of cancer at early stages. It can be taken either as sprouts or as cooked vegetable.
Vitamin D: Vitamin D intake has been associated with lower risk of breast cancer. This can be found in milk, eggs, cod liver oil but not in cheese and yogurt.
Calcium: It is important to consume calcium especially in the pre-menopausal period for women. It has been shown to reduce breast cancer risk several times. Foods rich in calcium are canned salmon, orange juice, almonds and green vegetables.
Beneficial Diet: It is good to have cucumber, carrot, banana, corn, spinach, peas and lentils by a patient suffering from cancer. These can be consumed as soup or lentils as sprouts as they are rich in protein.
Harmful Diet: It is advised to cut down on hot dogs, beef, lamb and pork as they contain high amount of saturated fats. Eating less quantities of this red meat will reduce the risk of prostate and colon cancer.

Disclaimer: Home remedies for breast cancer mentioned here must be discussed with your doctor or physician. The website must not be held responsible for any problem arising due to negligence adopted by any of its visitor or reader.