Forum Discussion
other treatment options?
I am 55 and just diagnosed, a couple of weeks ago, with iDC, i was really hoping it would have been insitu still, but not to be. I am booked for a mastectomy on the 20th (2 weeks eeek). The biopsy said high grade on Nottingham scale, hence the decision for a mastectomy over a lumpectomy.
ok here we go. Has anyone heard of black salve???? its apparently a paste that you can apply to the cancer and it draws on the cancer cells, pulling it all out like a plug????? sounds too good to be true? has anyone done any reading on it?
ok here we go. Has anyone heard of black salve???? its apparently a paste that you can apply to the cancer and it draws on the cancer cells, pulling it all out like a plug????? sounds too good to be true? has anyone done any reading on it?
51 Replies
- Nikki thats interesting! Were you IDC? Or dcis? ER+ as you take tamoxifen. Mastectomy but no other treatment? So many different approaches isnt there? X
- Absolutely depends on pathology, dcis 1st diagnosis i had lumpectomy clear margins, radiation and tamoxifen 4yrs. Recurrence idc stage 2 grade 3 aggressive ER+ automatic chemo lumpectomy nodes clear. Biopsies both times were useless and would never do again. Id do automatic lumpectomy as thats the only definitive pathology you will get. Too many variations in diagnosis to guess your treatment so hang tight til then. Hugs Melinda xo
- Hi, I just had the mastectomy - nodes all clear, clear margins - and am on Tamoxifen.
- I know of some that required hormone treatment only after surgery.
- All depends on pathology, nodes etc. I didn't required radiotherapy but was offered chemo and herceptin which I took.
- What are the chances that the mastectomy alone will be all i need? I have IDC . Most seem to have some after treatment
- Yup. Clean and neat for most People. I believe the time for the natural healing and immune support comes after the chemo...once we enter into recovery. I didn't want to risk anything that would stop my chemo working to destroy cancer cells. But now the time is to recover it is completely different. I believe there are good websites of safe supportive therapies whilst on chemo and always check with your Dr. Is the best way.
- I looked up black salve and there is a lot of controversy, mostly VERY bad. It showed photos and these poor women had massive gaping holes at the sit of the cancer, think will just stick with my mastectomy and then what ever comes next, leave it to the proven pros I think for now
- nikkid said:I agree with @melclarity and @auOrei, I have a naturopath I've been seeing for years and he gives homeopathic medications as complementary therapies to the ones my breast surgeon / oncologist and/or plastic surgeon have prescribed for me. For instance, when I was first diagnosed (w early DCIS and some IDC) my breast surgeon put me straight on Tamoxifen (ER+). My naturopath added the powder, in small sachets of Shitake (Lentinula edodes) Black Forest Tree Mushroom or Xiang Gu (Fragrant Mushroom) - these apparently have amazing anti-cancer properties. I checked with my breast surgeon first and she was fine with it (she did say "it's just the powder of mushrooms Nikki"...implying I was probably paying a bit much for these sachets). So I took these with water right up to my mastectomy. Then, my naturopath prescribed homeopathic 'operation drops' which I took every 4 hours post-mastectomy, and have taken again since my DIEP Recon...they help with swelling and bruising.
So, I look at both working together.....Nikki xxx
My oncologist doesn't think much about complementing with alternatives but whenever I asked him if i could take this or that he would say should be fine but start about day 5 after chemo.
I take lots of cruciferous vegetables such as brocoli, brocolini, brocoli sprout powder, cauliflower. Also lots of mushrooms esp shiitake. I just ordered online Maitake mushroom powder too. Vit D is so important and mine was pretty low. Oncologist first thing he checked was vit D when I did my pre chemo blood test. Mine was low for summer so i upped mine from the usual 1000 to 2500IU and it as gone up to normal now yay! I also eat some good seaweed for iodine, organic flaxseed oil and sardines/mackerel as I am on Herceptin which potentially can damage my heart. Lots of spinach for iron, and some fruits whenever I can. I take alkaline water as well. I definitely feel that my diet helps me recover from the chemo which is really taking its toil by cycle 3. xx I'm with all the girls here giving you advice on using proven alternate therapies to help you recover and get through your treatment when they are safe to use and won't hinder conventional treatments. My Mum also had BC 20 years ago and stuck to conventional treatments and has done so with her 2 other rounds of unrelated Cancers in the following years. She has always embraced alternative therapies and only ever eaten organic foods etc but when facing her battles even her Naturopath advised her that she would be there to help her after it and when her treatments were at a stage where her Dr believed it was safe to do so. I , like my Mum will do the same as I strongly believe that our bodies need all the help they can get to recover and get strong again. I am currently on the second leg of my Chemo treatment after finishing AC, I'm now 2 down on the Taxol round of 12 and take multivitamins, co enzyme q10, Bone strength ( vitamin d etc ) and magnesium all ok'd by my oncologist. When I asked her about the benefit of maybe also taking fish oil, she told me to 'eat more fish' something I now try to do. My girlfriend told me about black salve, I didn't even check it out as I had heard of it 20 years ago when my Mum went through her BC and like then would love there to be a magic cure but sadly black salve isn't it.
Good luck with your treatment xx
