Natural/Alternative Treatment

WriterLS

If I switch to Natural and Alternative treatments what are my chances of survival for at least 2 years?

Carool

I’m sorry you’re in this situation. I think only medical science can prolong life, if it’s possible. Alternative treatments that don’t interfere with standard medical treatments might be okay. I’m no medical professional, just a longtime survivor of early-stage breast cancer treated with a lumpectomy, some chemo, radiation, and ten years, combined, of estrogen blockers (first Tamoxifen and then Femara).

I am very skeptical about “natural” or alternative “treatments.”

I wish you all the best. Please keep us posted.

Dltmoll

I only know one person who pursued alternative treatment (in Mexico) after mastectomy. It was not successful. This study may be helpful: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16978951/

MarcieB

This is a tough one because I don't think any of us want to take these drugs. And, of course, we are all different so we may respond differently to any said medication. I am in your age bracket. I did chemo first, followed by a lumpectomy on my left side, and finished with radiation. Because I am triple positive, I take anastrozole (arimadex) to keep estrogen down. It causes hair thinning (the thing I hate the most), some muscle/joint aches and an occasional hot flash. I have noticed the side effects seem to fluctuate and lately I have been noticing they are not as severe when I drink more water (?) I also take a very good vitamin, extra vitamin D, some yoga stretches, a daily short walk, and some weight bearing exercises (bare minimum, I am not a gym person). I will always look for natural ways to keep my health as good as it can be, and I have decided to stick with aromatase inhibitors for at least 7 years. - I have read studies that say it is not that beneficial to older women after seven years - the risk of bone thinning negates any benefits. Anyway, I will re-visit that decision when the time comes.

ChicagoSandy

I must agree with Carool. HER2+ (overexpression) makes cancer more aggressive, whether triple-positive or hormone-receptor negative--the fact that you say you don't know the hormone-receptor status would be worrisome if you were HER2-negative, because there is a huge difference between triple-neg (very aggressive) and ER+/PR+/HER2-neg (the least aggressive); but your HER2+ status is the game-changer. Whether or not you get chemo, targeted therapy (Herceptin, Perjeta) is essential--though it usually needs to be given with chemo at first to make it effective; and if your hormone-receptor status is positive, you need endocrine (anti-estrogen) therapy.

Forgoing conventional standard-of-care therapies for only "natural" or "alternative" remedies--whether nutritional, herbal, homeopathic, or acupuncture--never ends well. Overall survival for "alternative" therapies alone is universally lower. Your recurrence has been diagnosed as Stage I, as early as an invasive tumor can get--consider that a marvelous "gift" of time (whether due to good luck, karma or from the heavens, depending on your belief system). Don't blow it!

That doesn't mean you shouldn't use natural remedies, provided they are complementary rather than alternative. Acupuncture, meditaton, prayer (again, depending on your beliefs), talk therapy, certain forms of exercise, diet, and ways to strengthen bone or arrest progression of osteopenia/osteoporosis are all great--provided they don't interfere with the effectiveness of standard cancer treatment.

Ask both your oncologist & dentist how much time needs to pass after oral surgery before you can take pharmaceutical bone treatments (oral or I.V. bisphposphonates like Fosamax/Zometa, or biologic injections like denosumab, aka Prolia). Some physicians believe that a combo of absorbable calcium supplements and biomechanical therapies can be safer (no side effects)
than and as effective as pharmacological bone treatments. Weightbearing--especially "ballistic" such as rebounding, running, jogging, jump-rope or impact aerobics--exercise is probably the single greatest thing you can do for bone health. (I have bilateral knee replacements so ballistic exercise is a no-no for me). Get on your feet!

Sadly, the pandemic has put the kibosh on in-person support groups, which helped me until my group broke up due to administrative issues. But if you can find an online videoconferencing one--whether organized or do-it-yourself with fellow patients who want to Zoom or Skype--that would be wonderful. To find fellow bc patients who want to talk (posts or video), join Breastcancer.org. It even has physicians who report on both basic info & the latest developments about breast cancer.

See you there!

ChicagoSandy

Oh, and homeopathic (not to be confused with "natural," "naturopathic" or herbal) remedies are bull-pucky (I take it this site's algorithm limits me to euphemisms). "The law of similars," especially the hypothesis that effectiveness of a solution increases the more dilute it is, is utterly ridiculous. Homeopathy will do nothing but make your wallet slimmer and give you very expensive pee.

Carool

ChicagoSandy, thank you for mentioning complementary rather than alternative. I forgot about that.