Guest guest Posted February 20, 2009 Report Share Posted February 20, 2009 A client of mine who no longer has breast cancer would like to try an herbal formula (likely Xiao Yao San) but is concerned about the estrogenic effects of Dang gui and other herbs. She is now 54, was diagnosed with estrogen receptor positive breast cancer, stage one, grade one at the age of 49. It had not spread to the lymph nodes. She was given a mastectomy, chemotherapy (cytoxin-methyltrexate- fluorouracil), and radiation. There is no family history of scancer. Can anyone provide some perspective/guidance on the safety of herbal formulas for a person with this sort of health history? many thanks Alex Knox Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 21, 2009 Report Share Posted February 21, 2009 Chinese Medicine , " Ally Knox " <equiknox wrote: > " ...estrogen receptor positive breast cancer, stage one, > grade one at the age of 49. It had not spread to the lymph nodes. > She was given a mastectomy, chemotherapy (cytoxin-methyltrexate- > fluorouracil), and radiation. There is no family history of cancer. > > Can anyone provide some perspective/guidance on the safety of herbal > formulas for a person with this sort of health history? " > > many thanks > > Alex Knox Hi Alex is this lady now on any medical drugs which 'block' oestrogen? If she is, this will give you an idea of how judicious you need to be. As I understand it, Licorice root, Angelica, and Soy isolates, are the biggest concerns, due to their suspected, or poorly understood oestrogenic activity. Others would add fennel and aniseed to the list. Black Cohosh remains controversial, as does Milk Thistle. Some useful links: The Mayo Clinic; for info on drugs and supplements http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/dong-quai/NS_patient-Dongquai Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre http://www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/11570.cfm This herbs data base is maintained by a pharmacist who is also a TCM herbalist and acupuncturist. Oncology is my main area of interest... there are plenty of non-herb things your patient can do, which will achieve good therapeutic outcomes and enhance quality of life, without the possibility of even the tiniest inherent risk posed by some herbs. Guided imagery, mindfulness-based meditation, gentle/moderate exercise, yoga, tai chi, a 'good' diet, a warm and supportive network of friends and family, a counselor if necessary and a great acupuncturist - all contribute to long term health and well-being; and there is an emerging body of evidence for the efficacy of these approaches. Margi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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