Dairy- eat or not?

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mariane
Posts: 704
Joined: Sun Sep 13, 2015 6:16 pm

Dairy- eat or not?

Postby mariane » Thu Dec 03, 2015 9:43 pm

Do you eat dairy or try to avoid it as some breast cancer survivors suggest? I eat home made yoghurt for beneficial bacteria cultures like Bifidobacterium. Milk contains abundance of hormones and growth factors possibly stimulating cancer growth. Before my cancer diagnosis I avoided dairy for years because of my endometriosis. Now again I have doubts about dairy: eat it or not? What do you think/do?
mom of now 14 years old twins, dx @ 40 in 6/2015 with upper rectal cancer, 10+ liver mets, CEA 140
chemo: 8/2015 - 10/2016 - 4xFOLFIRINOX, 2xFOLFOX, 8xFOLFIRI, 10x5FU, HAI pump -12xFUDR
4 surgeries, complete pathological response
CEA<2 since 10/2015
NED since May 2016

I praise God for every day with my family!

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Rob in PA
Posts: 2022
Joined: Wed Dec 09, 2009 9:16 pm
Location: Pennsylvania

Re: Dairy- eat or not?

Postby Rob in PA » Thu Dec 03, 2015 9:46 pm

I don't drink much milk but absolutely love cheeses. I eat a piece of cheese everyday.
dx 11/07 crc IIIb @ 39
Xelox/Rad/ temp colostomy
LAR/J-pouch/ temp ileo
Folfox-8
Failed reversal
2/09 liver mets; liver resect/ileo reversal
Folfiri/Avastin - 12
2/11 5 lung mets
Folfiri/Avastin 2011
SBRT 3/12
Lung met 5/13/ said NO to more chemo
SBRT 8/13
2 lung mets 5/14, VATS 8/14, NED

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CRguy
Posts: 10473
Joined: Sun Feb 10, 2008 6:00 pm

Re: Dairy- eat or not?

Postby CRguy » Thu Dec 03, 2015 10:34 pm

I eat pretty much what I want .. dairy included

as a guy not so much worried about BC issues, and if you are
maybe seek out organic hormone free dairy sources and alternatives ... ?

Cheers
CR
Caregiver x 4
Stage IV A rectal cancer/lung met
17 Year survivor
my life is an ongoing totally randomized UNcontrolled experiment with N=1 !
Review of my Journey so far

JDinNC
Posts: 771
Joined: Fri Jul 05, 2013 9:49 pm
Location: Murphy, N.C.

Re: Dairy- eat or not?

Postby JDinNC » Thu Dec 03, 2015 11:16 pm

I've pretty much cut back on dairy....if i do have it....only about a cup of organic milk with my cereal. Cheese is my downfall...before cancer i would put it on everything but I've been good about the amount I eat now.
61 y/o female @ DX...........
T3N0M1
6/13 DX- stage 4
Sigmoid colon cancer.
One met to lung
7/13 colon resection
8/13 lung resection
7/17 four years....NED
8/18 five years....NED
MELANOMA
63 y/o @ DX
6/15 stage 2a
7/15 surgery on arm
7/15 NED
4/16 recurrance
5/16 remove metastasis from back
5/16. Started immunotherapy
8/16 discontinue treatment
7/18...PET scan...NED

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kirac
Posts: 258
Joined: Sun Jun 09, 2013 10:34 pm

Re: Dairy- eat or not?

Postby kirac » Thu Dec 03, 2015 11:44 pm

My husband cannot eat dairy whatsoever post treatment. He was already lactose intolerant but could take pills, now the pills don't help at all and cause him all sorts of issues. So, no dairy at all for him. He has to avoid butter, pretty much everything.
Husband (Age 36) 1/13 Dx Stage 3B rectal cancer
3/13 Chemoradiation
6/13 Tumor removed, Temp ileo, 1/15 nodes
7/13 Chemo = Oxaliplatin, Xeloda
1/14 Reversal
7/14 NED, CEA 1.8
12/14 CLEAR CT scan! NED

http://kickingasscancer.com/

Lisa90
Posts: 50
Joined: Tue Oct 13, 2015 4:26 pm

Re: Dairy- eat or not?

Postby Lisa90 » Fri Dec 04, 2015 1:11 am

I love dairy products. I personally don't feel it has anything to do with my cancer (especially if I have LFS) and besides, dairy tastes amazing when I'm on chemo - especially cheese, which, like a few people above, I have always had a particularly soft spot for.
25y/o F
Symptom onset Aug '14
Colonoscopy done 1 Sep '15
Emergency colectomy done 2 Sep '15 due to obstructing tumor
DX CC stage IIIB - Sigmoid Colon (Adenocarcinoma)
FOLFOX started 13 Oct '15
Oxaliplatin dropped at treatment 9
Treatment completed 5 May '16
Li-Fraumeni syndrome confirmed

Previous history:
- Rhabdomyosarcoma ('92) Right leg
- Osteosarcoma ('01) Right leg
- Osteosarcoma ('12) Left leg (recurred '14)

Jachut
Posts: 1137
Joined: Mon Sep 26, 2011 11:16 pm
Facebook Username: hutchinson@aanet.com.au

Re: Dairy- eat or not?

Postby Jachut » Fri Dec 04, 2015 2:54 am

I eat it - I thought dairy was supposed to be somewhat protective against colon cancer? Not the reason I eat it at all but I think I've read that more than once. Its a good source of nutrients, not that I believe you must eat dairy to protect your bones but its a quality whole food. I try to buy organic and grass fed but its not easy with cheese and butter.

I do often make almond milk though - I make it REALLY thick with chai spices in it and its fantastic in a strong brewed coffee.

mariane
Posts: 704
Joined: Sun Sep 13, 2015 6:16 pm

Re: Dairy- eat or not?

Postby mariane » Fri Dec 04, 2015 10:28 am

Thank you for all the answers!

My thoughts:
1. Like many people I constantly try to think what triggered mine/triggers other's cancer. Many patients here in the forum are young mothers with kids. I sometimes think whether pregnancy/infertility treatments, supplements we take during pregnancy trigger cancer development. Hormones altogether stimulate cancer. Milk contains abundance of hormones and growth factors for young organism. I also blame overloaded with iron supplements for women. Iron abundance triggers colon cancer development
Calcium in milk on the other hand slows down colon cancer progression.

2. In many countries like China the incidence of both colon and breast cancers and were much lower when people followed their traditional no dairy diet. With Western life style and diet the number of cancers rapidly grows. Is it dairy to blame for it?

I also like taste of milk and especially cheeses. You are right. They taste even better on chemo and hardly anything tastes decent.
mom of now 14 years old twins, dx @ 40 in 6/2015 with upper rectal cancer, 10+ liver mets, CEA 140
chemo: 8/2015 - 10/2016 - 4xFOLFIRINOX, 2xFOLFOX, 8xFOLFIRI, 10x5FU, HAI pump -12xFUDR
4 surgeries, complete pathological response
CEA<2 since 10/2015
NED since May 2016

I praise God for every day with my family!

alphagam
Posts: 203
Joined: Tue Jun 14, 2011 10:48 am
Facebook Username: Kathy Maine Ruess

Re: Dairy- eat or not?

Postby alphagam » Fri Dec 04, 2015 11:29 am

Hey CR Guy!!

One of my bestest friends has been battling breast cancer for 16 years. He's male and it's more common than you think. Chuck had 12 years of remission, but when it came back, it was everywhere. He's on Hospice but doing OK considering it's in his chest wall, hip, sacrum and lungs. Men DO get breast cancer!!!

Kathy
Dx Feb 2010 4 cm tumor, just inside rectum
EUS stated T3 tumor
2nd opinion, need better path
Mar 2010 transanal surgery. Surgery by board certified CRS found tumor only in lining
6 exams of surg site, 3 PET, 3 scopes laterNED.
Scope in Mar2015, clean colon
Next scope/test in 3 years

jhocno197
Posts: 817
Joined: Mon May 11, 2015 9:33 pm

Re: Dairy- eat or not?

Postby jhocno197 » Fri Dec 04, 2015 6:30 pm

You can find dairy with no hormones/antibiotics.

Part of the problem with dairy here is that it's homogenized, which is not it's natural state. The fat is broken up into tiny particles that are super easily absorbed by our bodies, instead of non-homogenized which has large fat particles not so readily absorbed.

We have a local dairy here that sells non-homogenized milk. It has cream on top, so you have to shake it, but it is super tasty!
DH - dx Dec 2014, stage IV with bladder & peritoneal involvement - non-resectable
Colostomy
FOLFOX failed
FOLFIRI failed
Tumor actually distending pelvic skin
Not a candidate for last-ditch pelvic exenteration
Stivarga finally begun 2/19/16
Tumor growing/fungating
Lonsurf started 11/18/16
Died 3/10/17

justin case
Posts: 4269
Joined: Sun Sep 04, 2011 8:26 am
Location: Katy, Texas

Re: Dairy- eat or not?

Postby justin case » Fri Dec 04, 2015 6:54 pm

I can eat cheese, although milk consumption, is a no no for me after, chemo. I can't buy that much underwear :roll: I miss my Cheerios :cry: Although yogurt is not on my menu, I am of the belief, it can help your intestinal fortitude.
JMHO,
Michael
7/11 diagnosed Stage 2 colon and rectal cancer
chemo/rad
lar/temp ilio
Reversal & port removal
21 round of chemo Folfox 9tx, 5fu 12 tx
Last treatment July 2012

mariane
Posts: 704
Joined: Sun Sep 13, 2015 6:16 pm

Re: Dairy- eat or not?

Postby mariane » Fri Dec 04, 2015 7:36 pm

I buy only organic milk. I always did. In Poland we took milk from farmer friends. I am a bit afraid of natural hormones and growth factors which milk contains. Anyway I am still searching for reasonable approach :) I have to eat something.

The other question is if organic is really organic.

I am thinking about my own organic vegetable garden here in Georgia. I used to have one in Poland. We had to grow our own vegetables and fruits during communism when shops were empty and we had to eat something or exchange vegetables for other goods. I used to enjoy gardening as a kid and it lasted when I grew up. The problem is how organic my garden here will be when all the neighbors treat their loans generously with Roundup and rain washes chemicals all around. There is also wild life. Last year rabbits or deer had eaten my beautiful tomatoes the night before the day I planned to pick them. Anyway this autumn I planted 2 peach trees as real Georgian :)

Genetically modified foods are also my concern. In Europe we avoid it and GMO is banned there. In here I try to avoid anything with corn. They add corn here and it's bi-products to almost everything. Soy milk is another no-no since most of the soy is GMO.

The other bad thing is fortified flour. Added iron and folic acid promote colon cancer. I buy organic flour and bake my own bread. Folic enhances side effects of 5FU and FUDR as well. Another bad thing.
mom of now 14 years old twins, dx @ 40 in 6/2015 with upper rectal cancer, 10+ liver mets, CEA 140
chemo: 8/2015 - 10/2016 - 4xFOLFIRINOX, 2xFOLFOX, 8xFOLFIRI, 10x5FU, HAI pump -12xFUDR
4 surgeries, complete pathological response
CEA<2 since 10/2015
NED since May 2016

I praise God for every day with my family!

justin case
Posts: 4269
Joined: Sun Sep 04, 2011 8:26 am
Location: Katy, Texas

Re: Dairy- eat or not?

Postby justin case » Fri Dec 04, 2015 8:39 pm

mariane wrote:I buy only organic milk. I always did. In Poland we took milk from farmer friends. I am a bit afraid of natural hormones and growth factors which milk contains. Anyway I am still searching for reasonable approach :) I have to eat something.

The other question is if organic is really organic.

I am thinking about my own organic vegetable garden here in Georgia. I used to have one in Poland. We had to grow our own vegetables and fruits during communism when shops were empty and we had to eat something or exchange vegetables for other goods. I used to enjoy gardening as a kid and it lasted when I grew up. The problem is how organic my garden here will be when all the neighbors treat their loans generously with Roundup and rain washes chemicals all around. There is also wild life. Last year rabbits or deer had eaten my beautiful tomatoes the night before the day I planned to pick them. Anyway this autumn I planted 2 peach trees as real Georgian :)

Genetically modified foods are also my concern. In Europe we avoid it and GMO is banned there. In here I try to avoid anything with corn. They add corn here and it's bi-products to almost everything. Soy milk is another no-no since most of the soy is GMO.

The other bad thing is fortified flour. Added iron and folic acid promote colon cancer. I buy organic flour and bake my own bread. Folic enhances side effects of 5FU and FUDR as well. Another bad thing.

The nice thing about having a garden is; all the birds and wildlife, you wouldn't see other wise 8)
7/11 diagnosed Stage 2 colon and rectal cancer
chemo/rad
lar/temp ilio
Reversal & port removal
21 round of chemo Folfox 9tx, 5fu 12 tx
Last treatment July 2012


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