A Holistic Approach to Breast Cancer

Have you been diagnosed with breast cancer?

Find out how you can take control of your health with these safe and effective holistic treatments.

A breast cancer diagnosis is a life-changing moment, and you will be getting a lot of advice from friends and family on how you should treat it. Fortunately, today you have many choices as to what breast cancer treatment can look like, including holistic approaches.

Conventional treatments for breast cancer patients can include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, and more recently also includes complementary and alternative medicine (CAM).

Complementary and alternative medicine is one of the fastest-growing treatment modalities for breast cancer patients in the United States, with 48 to 70% of women diagnosed with breast cancer using it in some form.1 Many of these treatments are scientifically researched and medically reviewed.

You can combine CAM treatments with standard medical treatment to:

Boost your immune system to fight cancer and stay in remission
Treat side effects of conventional treatments
Reduce stress, anxiety, and depression that can come with a diagnosis
Improve your quality of life during and after treatment
Increase feelings of control and encourage empowerment.2

Several studies reported favorable results with using CAM, including improved survival, better pain control, reduced anxiety, improvement in coping strategies, and significant efficacy in treating nausea and vomiting.

What alternative therapies are being used in the treatment of breast cancer?

Functional Laboratory Testing

Finding the root cause of your breast cancer diagnosis is essential for lasting remission. Basic blood work along with functional laboratory testing can be a great asset in targeting treatment for your breast cancer diagnosis. While approaches may be streamlined in conventional allopathic medicine, the CAM approach takes a personalized approach to your unique case. Various lab tests, such as micronutrient testing, toxic chemistry panel, detoxification, and methylation abilities, as well as advanced hormone testing can help reveal the root cause issues that allowed your cancer to develop in the first place.

Testing your hormones is an important part of a breast cancer diagnosis. Advanced hormone testing is greatly superior to standard blood hormone testing.

Dried Urine Testing for Complete Hormones proves a greater understanding of the various steroid hormone (which includes your sex hormones) imbalances and their metabolic pathways.

In the case of breast cancer, certain estrogen pathways favor the development of breast cancer while others safely break down estrogen. With advanced hormone testing, various estrogen metabolic pathways can be assessed and treatments can be targeted toward inhibiting carcinogenic pathways and facilitating healthy ones.

Studies have shown that a woman’s risk of breast cancer is related to the estrogen and progesterone made by her ovaries and her adrenal glands (known as endogenous estrogen and progesterone).3

There are three types of estrogen: Estrone (E1), Estradiol (E2), and Estriol (E3). For example, when the E1 metabolic pathway to 4OH-E1 is favored then patients are at a higher risk for breast cancer.

The DUTCH test can tell how your estrogen is metabolized and which pathway it takes, and help assess the delicate balance between progesterone and estrogen, as well as other related hormones and their metabolites, such as DHEA, testosterone, and cortisol.

Not only can such tests be predictive and allow us to work preventatively, but they also allow the practitioner to understand which pathways to support or inhibit, to stop the proliferation of your cancer.

Functional laboratory testing can be a highly valuable tool in root cause diagnostics and DUTCH testing can be a critical diagnostic step to restoring hormonal balance in the body.

With root cause understanding, we can help restore a healthy internal environment that is unfavorable for your cancer.

Dietary Considerations

Diet plays a major role in influencing the internal environment of your body. Certain foods promote healing by strengthening the immune system, reducing inflammation, and promoting or inhibiting various enzymes involved in breast cancer development and proliferation.

Your diet should contain ample organic, whole nutrient-dense foods.

Foods to eat

High-quality protein is important not only to maintain muscle mass but to provide an array of amino acids to support detoxification and optimize other important biochemical processes in your body. Good sources of protein include:

Wild-caught fatty fish (e.g., salmon, mackerel, herring)
Grass-fed meats
Organic pasture-raised chicken
Pasture-raised, organic eggs
Legumes
Nuts
Seeds

Healthy fats are essential for cancer protection, including mono- and polyunsaturated fats.

Monounsaturated fats are abundant in:

Avocado
Pine nuts
Olive oil (unrefined, cold-pressed)

The high content of oleic acid in olive oil can reduce the expression of the HER-2 oncogene by up to 70%.4

These fats should be consumed at room temperature. Never use them for cooking as they are converted into highly pro-inflammatory trans fats. Use coconut oil, ghee, or grass-fed butter for cooking.

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) include Omega-3 and Omega-6. Both are considered essential fatty acids (EFAs). Omega-3 FAs have an anti-inflammatory effect and are crucial for cell membranes, reducing fatty liver, and maintaining cardiovascular health. They are abundantly found in fatty fish, nuts, and seeds, such as:5

Mackerel
Herring
Cod liver oil
Salmon
Sardines
Caviar
Oysters
Anchovies
Flax seeds
Chia seeds
Walnuts

Omega-6 FAs are essential, but many are pro-inflammatory. Good sources of Omega-6 FAs include:

Meat
Dairy
Nuts
Seeds
Evening primrose oil
Borage oil

Poor, highly inflammatory sources of Omega-6 FAs are found in all processed, fried foods, seed and vegetable oils, including margarine.

It is important to balance the intake between Omega 3 and Omega 6 FAs. A low intake of omega-3 fatty acids compared with omega-6s may contribute to inflammation and chronic diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, atherosclerosis, heart failure, and cancer. 6

Phytonutrients such as carotenoids, isothiocyanates, and polyphenols have cancer-fighting properties.

Carotenoids prevent the growth of malignant tumors; may also minimize the negative effects of chemotherapy drugs without reducing the treatment’s impact on cancer cells.

Foods high in carotenoids include:7

Carrots
Sweet potato
Tomato
Apricots
Kale
Spinach
Collard greens
Acorn squash
Pumpkin
Yellow/orange/red bell peppers

Isothiocyanates may play an important role in stopping the growth of breast cancer cells.8 Foods rich in glucosinolate, a precursor to isothiocyanates, are primarily cruciferous vegetables and include:9

Cabbage
Broccoli
Brussel sprouts
Bok choy
Cauliflower
Horseradish
Kale
Kohlrabi
Mustard
Radish
Rutabaga
Turnip,
Watercress

Polyphenols help prevent tumor cell growth and metastasis. Includes five classes: flavonoids, phenolic acids, lignans, stilbenes, and other polyphenols.

Foods high in polyphenols include:

Cloves
Star anise
Dried peppermint
Curry powder
Cacao/ dark chocolate
Berries
Freshly ground flaxseed
Black elderberries
Capers
Fresh black and green olives
Green tea
Artichoke
Red Onion
Spinach
Chicory
Ginger
Prunes
Soy

Incorporating certain types of food-grade herbs, like ginger, can also help with relieving nausea from chemotherapy and radiation.

Foods to Avoid

Hydrogenated oils, refined carbohydrates, sugar, processed meat, and alcohol may reduce overall survival rates after a diagnosis of breast cancer.10

Nutritional counseling, specific to your unique case, can prevent malnourishment during your cancer treatment and nutrient optimization.11 It can also help address any underlying conditions that lead to a compromised immune system and build up your body's systems to lay the foundation for your recovery and continued remission.

Reducing Household Toxins

There is growing concern that estrogenic environmental compounds, i.e. xenoestrogens, can act as endocrine-disrupting chemicals, and may have adverse effects on hormone-sensitive tissues such as the breast.

In order to maintain a healthy estrogen balance, estrogen detoxification is essential. They undergo various chemical alterations in Phase 1 and phase 2 and are ultimately removed from the body through your stool during Phase 3 of the detoxification process.

Burdening your body with excess estrogen-mimicking compounds, not only heavily burdens our detoxification pathways, leaving other toxins more available to wreak havoc. Furthermore, increased detox demands require more nutrients leaving less available for other normal functions in our body. More on nutritional deficiencies here.

Part of taking ownership of your cancer treatment includes eliminating these estrogen-mimicking compounds that are found in conventional, national-brand household cleaners, personal hygiene products, plastics, cans, and Teflon-coated cookware. Learn more about common household toxins here.

Toxins are generally cancer-promoting and should be avoided to encourage a healthy internal environment to promote healing and avoid reoccurrence. Switching to natural, non-toxic products will help restore homeostasis by optimizing your body's detoxification pathways and encouraging your immune system to work at optimum.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese medicine that has been used for thousands of years. Modern scientific research has proven its effectiveness for numerous conditions. Read more about the benefits of acupuncture and the conditions that it can treat here. As a breast cancer patient, you can use acupuncture treatment for 12:

Immune support
Pain
Nausea and vomiting
Fatigue
Sleep issues
Hot flashes
Xerostomia (dry mouth)
Neuropathy
Anxiety
Depression

Acupuncture has also been shown to reduce breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL). 13 BCRL is swelling of the arm from which your lymph nodes were removed. It can be a long-lasting side effect, and you will want to keep acupuncture in your toolbox to help decrease any discomfort caused by it.

Chinese Herbal Medicine

These powerful herbs have been shown to increase the positive effects of chemotherapy, radiation-targeted therapy, and immunotherapy. These herbs have also been shown to decrease the side effects, like nausea, vomiting, and fatigue.14

In other studies, we have seen positive effects of these herbs by possibly:

Inhibiting tumor progression
Improving your body's immune system
Reducing chemotherapy and radiation side effect
Pain

Chinese herbs go hand in hand with the philosophy of treating the root and branch of the illness.

Herbal and Nutritional Supplementation

Other herbs and high-quality, targeted nutritional supplementation can also be used to support your cancer treatment. Studies have shown that herbs can:

Boost your immune system
Help balance your hormones
Support detoxification pathways
Promote sleep
Decrease nausea
Increase appetite
Reduce anxiety
Increase energy15

Only high-quality supplements should be used, and they are carefully formulated to increase the benefits and decrease the side effects of your current cancer treatment.

A Mind-Body Approach

A breast cancer diagnosis comes with a lot of emotions like stress, fear, anxiety, and overwhelm. A mind-body approach to cancer can help to at least reduce these emotions. A few examples of this integrative approach to treating breast cancer include:

Yoga Therapy

Yoga is an ancient system of practices used to balance the mind and body through exercise, concentration, meditation, and breathwork.18 Yoga has also been shown to decrease symptoms of anxiety, depression, and cancer-related fatigue19.

Massage for Relaxation

Massage therapy can relieve pain, increase relaxation, soothe the nervous system, and aid in sleep16. One in five breast cancer patients will develop breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL), and manual lymph drainage has been shown to reduce swelling 1.

Art and Music Therapy

Art therapies have been shown to decrease anxiety in breast cancer patients 20. When patients participate in group sessions, it has been shown to decrease isolation and loneliness, as well as assist in relaxation and improved quality of life 21.

Gratitude Journaling

Taking a few moments to write down what you are grateful for can lift your spirits. A cancer diagnosis can leave you feeling victimized, scared and hopeless. Reminding yourself about the joys of your life on a daily basis can change your mindset. A positive mindset can change the inner vibrations of your body and support healing. Although, not a cure in and of itself often but under scientific scrutiny, a positive mindset can reduce readmission and lower hospital stays. 22

Mindfulness and Meditation

Mindfulness and meditation is the act of allowing and observing thoughts, feelings, emotions, and sensations in the body and mind while choosing non-attachment and staying present in the moment. Practicing meditation and mindfulness, even for just a few minutes a day, has been shown to reduce stress, depression, and inflammation in the body23.

Other Mind-Body Approaches Include:

Acupuncture

Energy work (e.g. Reiki, Craniosacral therapy)
Tai Chi & Qi Gong
Chiropractic care
Indigenous healing modalities
Support groups
Counseling

Complementary and alternative medicine has earned a seat on your treatment team.

Know that you are ultimately in charge of your recovery and your long-term healing. Not only do you have a say in your medical care, but your healing depends on you and your decisions. Supportive practitioners will take a patient-centered approach. They will help guide you but never push you into any kind of treatment, and respect and honor the choices you make.

Are you tired of living with radiation and chemotherapy side effects? Do you want to avoid conventional breast cancer treatment and are looking for viable alternatives? Are you confused, scared, and don’t know what the right next step might be for you? If you’re looking for another approach and want to get to the root cause of your breast cancer diagnosis, we’re here to help.

At Denver Sports and Holistic Medicine, we take a root-cause, functional medicine approach to your treatment. When you visit us, we’ll do an in-depth review of your health history and listen to your unique concerns. Then, we may perform various functional lab tests to get a more in-depth view of your health. Each patient has their own unique pattern of disease, and we strive to unveil and treat the root cause of your diagnosis.

From there, we provide you with a nutrition and lifestyle plan to treat the whole body and restore your health. Whether you're local, out of state, or international, we can help, as we provide telemedicine consultations! To get started, request a free consultation today.

RESOURCES

1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16594427/

2. https://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/guide/complementary-and-alternative-treatments-for-breast-cancer

3. https://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/guide/complementary-and-alternative-treatments-for-breast-cancer

4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15642702/

5. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Omega3FattyAcids-HealthProfessional/:

6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5093368/#

7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7911462/:

8. https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/dietary-factors/phytochemicals/isothiocyanates.

9. https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/9/7/728/htm

10. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31277273/

11. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30632832/