Breast cancer dietary taboos

Foods/supplements that are clearly rich in exogenous estrogens, alcohol, foods that are clearly in conflict with ongoing medications； The rest of the so-called "can't eat beans, can't eat beef and mutton, can't eat seafood" and other statements are mostly pseudo-taboos that are independent of dosage and individual circumstances. There is no need to impose blanket taboos.

Let’s first talk about the pitfall that everyone is most likely to fall into, which is excessive taboos. I was accompanying a friend for a follow-up visit at the Provincial Oncology and Breast Department, and I met an aunt in her 50s. She had just undergone surgery and heard from the patient that all "hairy things" were untouchable. She only drank white porridge and stir-fried cabbage every day. Before the second chemotherapy started, her fever reached 39 degrees due to low albumin and poor immunity. She postponed the chemotherapy cycle for two weeks, which was not worth the gain.

There is really no controversy, and what doctors of all schools will ask to avoid is that it is clear that things containing exogenous estrogen are equivalent to directly "delivering fuel" to hormone receptor-positive cancer cells. Things like royal jelly, snow clams, placenta, as well as those tablet sugars and massage essential oils with unknown ingredients sold by micro-commerce companies that claim to be "anti-ageing and anti-aging" and "breast enhancement" must not be touched whether during the treatment or recovery period. Oh, by the way, many people ask whether honey can be eaten. In fact, the estrogen content in honey is so low that it can be ignored. As long as you don’t eat half a pound of honey from a jar every day, and occasionally make a cup to moisten your throat, it is perfectly fine. The academic community has long agreed on this.

As for whether soy products, which is the most frequently asked question, can be eaten, in fact, the differences of opinion have been quite obvious in recent years. In the early years, a small sample study mentioned that soy isoflavones are phytoestrogens and may interfere with human hormone levels. Many experienced doctors will advise patients to eat less ； But later, more and more large-sample follow-up data showed that soy isoflavones are "two-way regulated" - when the body's estrogen is high, it will seize receptors and reduce the level. When the estrogen is low, it can be supplemented appropriately, which can actually reduce the risk of recurrence. Now most young and middle-aged breast cancer doctors Doctors will encourage patients to drink soy milk, eat tofu, and eat bean curds normally. Only a few conservative doctors will advise patients who are taking endocrine drugs to avoid purified soy isoflavone supplements (the kind of capsules that claim to protect the ovaries). There is nothing wrong with soy products in their daily diet. Several old patients around me who have been recovering for seven or eight years drink a cup of freshly ground soy milk every morning, and their hormone levels have always been very stable when reviewed.

Alcohol should be avoided completely. Whether it is white wine, beer or red wine that is said to "soften blood vessels", as long as it contains alcohol, it will increase the estrogen level in the body, increase the metabolic burden on the liver, and affect the effect of treatment drugs. It is safest not to touch it at all.

The remaining taboos are basically individual and are directly related to the treatment plan you are using. For example, patients who take endocrine drugs such as tamoxifen and toremifene should try not to eat large amounts of grapefruit and star fruit. These two fruits will inhibit the CYP3A4 enzyme in the liver and slow down drug metabolism, which can easily lead to excessive drug concentration in the body and aggravate side effects. Of course, if you are really greedy, it’s okay to bite one or two pieces to taste them. Don’t show off the whole thing a day. If your gastrointestinal tract is fragile or you have oral ulcers during chemotherapy, try to avoid food that is too spicy, too hot, or too hard, otherwise you will be in pain. Here, by the way, I would like to talk about the issue of "hair food" that everyone is struggling with. In fact, hair food in traditional Chinese medicine refers more to foods that are easy to induce allergies and aggravate inflammation. If you don't feel any discomfort after eating shrimp or beef, it is perfectly fine to eat it normally. ； If you have allergies or have a rash due to chemotherapy, there is nothing wrong with temporarily avoiding it. There is no need to worry about whether Chinese and Western medicine are right or wrong. Your own physical feelings are the most important.

I once met a patient who believed in the saying of "starving cancer cells to death" and ate only sweet potatoes and broccoli every day. He was so hungry that his face became sallow and his muscles were thin. In the end, the cancer cells did not starve to death. He was hospitalized first because of severe malnutrition. It was really unnecessary.

In fact, after so many years of contact, I found that those patients who have recovered well never pay too much attention to their diet. Except for those things that are clearly not allowed to touch, they can eat some strawberries if they want, and eat braised pork ribs if they want. They can keep up with nutrition and are in a good mood. On the contrary, they are in much better condition than those who use their mobile phones every day to check "Can this be eaten?" After all, the ultimate goal of treating a disease is to live a good life. Don't let taboos take away all the joy of life, right?