Tamoxifen is a widely used conventional treatment for Breast Cancer. It is the 25th most “commonly prescribed” pharmaceutical in the US. Tamoxifen is a “selective estrogen receptor modulator” (SERM). But what exactly does this mean? Most importantly, what are some of the risks associated with SERMs as well aromatase inhibitors, and is there viable and less toxic support?
Know the Risks of Tamoxifen and Other Aromatase Inhibitors
Tamoxifen, known by the brand names Nolvadex and Soltamox, is a chemo drug given to women with Estrogen Receptor-Positive (ER Positive) Breast Cancer, including Early Stage ER-Positive Breast Cancer. According to the conventional doctors may also give Tamoxifen to women with DCIS, or ductal carcinoma in situ (sometimes called Stage 0 Breast Cancer) as well as women with a “high risk of getting Breast Cancer”.
Tamoxifen is part of a class of Breast Cancer treatment drugs called SERMs as well as other drugs called Aromatase Inhibitors (AIs) are meant to block estrogen receptors on the breast cancer cell. Some AIs [1] that a doctor may prescribe to women dealing with (or wanting to prevent) Breast Cancer include Anastrazole (Arimidex), Letrozole (Femara), Exemestane (Aromasin), and Testolactone (Teslac).
What these types of drugs do in the body initially sounds like a good idea, right? If you take a look at the laundry list of known side effects associated with Tamoxifen and AIs, that good idea starts to turn bad rather quickly.
First, there are short-term side effects [2], such as nausea, diarrhea, hot flashes, headache, fatigue, rash, water retention, and bone pain. These are symptoms that are typical of most chemotherapy treatments. What is most concerning, however, are the mid to long-term effects of Tamoxifen and all aromatase inhibitors when individuals use them for the recommended period (usually 5 years but now being extended to 10 years).
The fact is that, according to recent research, Tamoxifen can actually increase a woman’s risk for endometrial cancer 3 fold [3]! In some studies, the use of the drug quadrupled the risk! Tamoxifen also raises the risk of other cancers as well, such as stomach and colon cancer, according to a study [4] published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
All this is why Tamoxifen is considered a carcinogen by both the World Health Organization [5] and the American Cancer Society [6]!
But that is not all. According to Harvard Medical School [7], taking Tamoxifen can interfere with other drug therapies you may be taking, including pharmaceuticals for depression. Aromatase inhibitors also for fatty liver disease, neurodegenerative conditions, blood clots, low libido, and autoimmune disease.
A 2016 report published in the Journal of Advanced Research [8] found that AIs can induce a variety of autoimmune conditions, including lupus.
Xenoestrogens: The REAL Culprit for Breast Cancer
If you have been reading my blogs for a while, then no doubt you have heard me say this before. If not, then this may come as a surprise to you. “Your hormones do not cause cancer!” Your body was created to maintain perfect self-regulation and self-healing. That includes all of your hormones including estrogen.
You do not have to fear naturally produced estrogen. Your body makes it in just the right amount for a reason! You do have to be concerned, however, with “fake estrogen.” Another name for fake estrogens is xeno-estrogens [9].
Xeno-estrogens are created in the body when a person takes in certain chemicals that mimic the most aggressive form of estrogen (Estradiol). When too many of these aggressive estrogen molecules take over estrogen cellular receptor sites, this is when cancer can occur.
The sad fact is that xeno-estrogens can be found in a variety of everyday places and products, including:
-sundry products (4-MBC in sunscreens [10], Metallo-estrogens in antiperspirants, parabens in makeup and hair products, as well as surfactants, and detergents)
-food (BHA, BPA, food dyes, preservatives, and growth hormones and dioxins [11] in commercial meat and dairy)
-tap water, in the form of oral contraceptive contamination and other pollutants
-weed killers, insecticides, and pesticides (especially glyphosate)
This is just a partial list. There are dozens of other sources of xeno-estrogens that you need to stay clear of!
Can Some Natural Substances Act as Healthy AIs?
Here are just a few substances found in nature that can stop aggressive and excessive estrogen binding in Breast Cancer cells:
Sea Cucumber
Sea cucumber [12] is an effective “aromatase inhibitor” and the good news is that it has no side effects. The magic comes in the form of phytonutrients called glycosides that have proven to have anti-breast cancer effects, according to several studies.
Triterpene glycosides found in sea cucumbers can prevent blood flow to Breast Cancer tumors. They also produce “receptor tyrosine kinase inhibition, induction of apoptosis, and caspase activation,” according to a report put together by Dr. Tsu-Tsair Chi, NMD, Ph.D. for the Townsend Newsletter [13].
Seaweed
Another natural aromatase inhibitor also comes from the sea. Study results [14] published in the journal Nutrition and Cancer found that Eucheuma cottonii L. (a.k.a. Guso) seaweed extract was 27 percent more effective than Tamoxifen at reducing Breast Cancer tumor size in in-vivo studies.
Another interesting characteristic that the researchers noted was that while glutathione levels lowered by 46 percent in the rats that were treated with Tamoxifen, levels for this substance increased by 78 percent in the rats that were given the seaweed extract. Glutathione [15] is a super-antioxidant produced in the liver that is vital for the immune system.
Flax
Flaxseed is another substance that can stop Breast Cancer cells in their tracks. You probably have heard of flax seed’s estrogen-mimicking capabilities, and you may have even been told to “stay away” from it if you are at high risk of Breast Cancer.
Flax actually protects against breast cancer [16] by blocking aggressive forms of estrogen with milder ones on the breast cell receptor sites.
More and more studies are proving that flax works when it comes to estrogen balance and breast cancer healing. A 2005 trial done [17] at the University of Toronto in Canada had ER-positive breast Cancer patients consume a 25-gram muffin daily that contained roughly 5 teaspoons of ground flax. After one month, tumors had shrunk an average of 30-71%. The control group that ate a regular muffin with no flax in it every day did not experience tumor shrinkage.
“[D]ietary flaxseed has the potential to reduce tumor growth in patients with Breast Cancer,” the researchers concluded.
The 7 Essentials System® Hormone Clearing Bundle
The best way to prevent and heal Breast Cancer is to keep xeno-estrogens out of your system. Doing this naturally helps to balance all of the hormones in the body.
[18]That being said, in the toxic world we live in, we are all exposed to xeno-estrogen substances in some way. There are ways we can make sure they do not raise our risk for Breast Cancer, however. In addition to eating a cancer-preventative diet and living a Breast Cancer-healing lifestyle, key supplements can be powerful allies on your health journey.
The 7 Essentials System® Hormone Clearing Bundle [18] contains three of my signature formulas: DIM Balance, Estro Clear, and Brocco Power. DIM Balance contains 100 mg of diindolylmethane (DIM) to help your body properly metabolize estrogen. Estro Clear is a form of calcium that is bound to g-glucaric acid to help the body maintain a healthy balance of steroid hormones and toxins at bay.
Finally, Brocco Power is our best seller. It contains sulforaphane and a proprietary formula called BroccoRaphanin,™ a powerful Breast Cancer buster.
If you order the Bundle today, you can save an additional 20% off the regular price [18]!
Get Support on Your Journey with Breast Cancer
Sadly, Big Pharma has made billions of dollars on carcinogenic drugs like Tamoxifen, while continuing to ignore the growing list of harmful side effects and even raising a woman’s risk of other kinds of cancer.
You don’t have to be a statistic. Navigating the sometimes complex world of estrogen and Breast Cancer can be confusing, however. I get it because I have been there!
You CAN get the clarity you need to make the right decisions for your health and you don’t have to do it alone. The Breast Cancer Conqueror Private Coaching [19] Program can provide you with the support and clarity that you need for your healing journey with Breast Cancer.
Reach out to us [20] today to find out more about Group and Private Coaching. No matter what course of action you choose, our Certified 7 Essentials® coaches are here for you!