Vitamin D may lower BC Risk

Hi Pam,

When I started seeing the articles on Vit. D and cancer, I started wondering if this was becoming "the vitamin hype of the year", until I had my last consult with my oncologist.  He actually brought up the issue with Vit. D with me, and gave me the "this is important" look when he wrote up the blood test request for me.
During the year prior to my diagnosis, I was pretty much trapped indoors.  Very little exposure to sunlight (despite living in Southern California!).  I didn't eat well (I get away with it because I'm very thin).  Didn't take any supplements....
Coincidence?  Maybe.  But I hate cancer, and I'll add anything that sounds reasonable to my artillery list:

Exercise
Healthy Foods
Chinese Medicine (I'm Chinese, btw.)
Supplements (Vit. D is now added to this)
and some California sunshine!

Hi Nancy.

I took these two Chinese Herbs prior to chemo, and plan to resume them after I'm done with chemo:

1.  Scutellaria barbata  (Chinese name: Ban Zhi Lian)   
2.  Oldenlandia diffusa  (Chinese name: Bai Hua She She Cao)

My mother who is a 12 year bc survivor, took them to prevent recurrence after she completed chemo.  So far so good!  (She said she was never on any targeted therapy, so I'm assuming she was also Tri-neg).

Come to think of it, the herb I listed first is going through an FDA approved clinical trial under the name BZL101 as it's been shown to cause cell death in cancer cells without harming normal cells.  Here's the trial info:
http://www.bionovo.com/home.php?menu=clinicalprograms&submenu=BZL101

Isn't it just awful how long it takes for the research community to take herbal medicines seriously.  My mother knew about these more than a decade ago only because my grandfather was a specialist in Chinese medicine.

Other herbs I'll consider adding to my post chemo treatment:  Phellinus linteus, and Ganoderma lucidum....
hmmm.... I think I should start a thread on Chinese Herbs.  If Ronda is the Vitamin D guru, then perhaps, I can be the Chinese herb guru?

Going back to the Vit. D discussion.  The funny thing is that Mother is telling me to eat lots of mushrooms (culinary types!) to combat cancer.  She doesn't know why.  Just eat them, she says!  Well, I have a feeling it's because they are potentially rich in Vitamin D.

-- defeatbc

Hi Gals,  Yes Nancy D3 is what you want to take it is more highly absorbable. 

Hey Krisa,  Where in Portland do you live???  I was thinking about maybe getting someone of us together for Susan G. Komen. 

.

Edited by krisa - Oct 08 2008 at 8:19pm

Edited by krisa - Oct 08 2008 at 8:17pm

be glad to

Hey Nancy,  Sometimes it takes a day or 2.  find out what test you were given, there is a couple out the, and also what the normal range is.