Does Nutrition
Matter?
E. Hernandez M.D., M.S., F.A.C.S.
And Heather Paulson, ND, FABNO
Desert Cancer Foundation of AZ
October 25, 2012
Aromatase Inhibitor
(Anastrazole)
Phytochemical Flavones
(white mushroom, Aganicus Bisporus)
 1.)
Used in postmenopausal women with breast
cancer to block conversion of androgen to
estrogen at the adipose cellular level.
 2.) Body Builders use anabolic steroids which result
in gynecomastia. Using anaztrazole or white
mushroom may lower estrogen.
Aromatase Inhibitor-Anastrazole, and white mushrooms
Natural Statins Sources
statins increase HDL, and lower LDL
 Oyster
Mushrooms
 Soybeans
 Brussel Sprouts
 Yams
 Sesame Oil
Statins & P53 Mutant
(Crestor, Lipitor)
-P53 Mutant: Thought to be found in
approximately 30% of women diagnosed
with breast cancer.
- Causes disorganized growth of cells to
atypia, than neoplasm.
- Current ongoing studies on Statins and
P53 in Norway, Great Britain, Japan,
Australia, USA at Columbia University.
Theory out of Norway
 Breast
cancer cells taken from women
diagnosed with breast cancer who test
positive for P53. Statins thought to interfere
with sterol biosynthesis in tumor cells at
mevalonate level.

MEVALONATE KINASE
Danish Statin Study
 Ongoing
study: 17,000 women with breast
cancer & associated P53. Treated with
statins had a 17% decrease in recurrence.
Since we know that about 30% of women
with breast cancer test positive for P53,
should we not treat these patients with
statins & hope for decrease in invasive
growth? Study cautiously says yes.
Associated Clinical Studies:
 Men
treated with statins also report
having a lesser chance of developing
prostate cancer. This is also a theory.
Associated treatment with HDL (oils) and
Pesco Vegan consumption- almost zero
saturated fat.
WINS- Women’s Intervention
Nutritional Study
 With
early diagnosed breast cancer &
treated with conventional treatments
2006 study-2400 women treated with low
fat 30-50 grams of fat- pesco vegan (fish,
shellfish, vegetables, no dairy products)
 Half of total number had no restrictions of
diet. After 5 years, recurrence was 7.8%
compared to 12.8%.
 ER/PR positive group had better outcome.
Theory




The consumption of Omega 3 Fatty Acids (fish oil)
may lower the inflammatory process in fat cells,
thereby lowering estrogen production, and
therefore lowering the risk of developing breast,
rectal and colon cancers
The study showed that is mostly closely related to
breast cancer
It also benefitted the inflammatory process in
coronary vessels.
In this study there were multiple inclusions and
exclusions such as bleeding disorders, renal
disorders, and patient’s using oral hypoglycemic
agents.
Obesity & Vitamin D
 Natural
sources of Vitamin D
(cod liver oil, sardines, swiss cheese)
Is obesity an inflammatory disorder?
Theory: fat cells are now found to have an
inflammatory associated factor.


Fat cells have associated increase in
aromatase. Obese patients also have
deficiency in Vit D.
Women with higher levels of Vit D were
found to have smaller tumors at the
time of diagnosis. Higher levels of Vit D
in patients with breast cancer had
associated longer period between
remission and relapse.
 Theory-
Obese patients- fat binds to Vit D
 Postmenopausal women in general terms
have lower levels of Vit D.
 Vit D deficiency is linked to triple negative
breast cancer- an aggressive component.
 Levels of Vit D can be a predictor of
cancer treatment & outcome.
 High dose Vit D prevents cancer cell
growth.
 Question:
Should all obese patients be
treated with aromatase inhibitors, antiinflammatory drugs, high dose Vit D,
omega 3, oral hypoglycemics, statins and
low fat diet- below 50g per day?
 Question: Should all patients who are
post-menopausal and have breast
cancer be treated as well?
Theory vs Application
 We
must balance benefits,
disadvantages, logic, ethics, and show
good clinical judgment when treating
patients using any theory based on any
ongoing studies.
 I say treat when safe, work with both
medical & radiation oncologists, surgeons,
and naturopathic colleagues to ultimately
cover all needs which these patients
deserve.
Radiation Therapy – Green
Tea
 Green
tea protects against oxidative
damage to cells and tissue
 Shown to increase HDL and decrease LDL
 Block Perioxidation of LDL to ultimately
prevent platelet aggregation
 Inhibit growth of cancer cells and
metastasis
Duck:
High in protein, and without skin, less
calories than chicken. Also a good source
of vit A, B3, and C, iron, and selenium.
Niacin (B3) helps lower LDL and aids in
metabolizing fats.
Red Meat
 High
in nutrients zinc, iron, thiamine, and
riboflavin. Although higher in saturated
fat, cholesterol, and trans fat versus white
meat.
Chicken
 Leaner
than red meat and high in protein.
Although, the skin is high in saturated fat,
so remove it prior to eating.
Great Foods Lentil
beans and grains like quinoa, are
also a great source of non-animal protein
and fiber. While nuts like almonds and
walnuts are full of “good fats” and high in
protein.
Special thanks to Lee’s Oriental Market and
Comedor Guadalajara for helping with this
talk.
Thank you Alexa Fine.
Yes! Nutrition
Matters.
How To Implement Changes
Dr. Heather Paulson
The Life Center at
Arizona Natural Health Center
The Good News:
Cancer Risk Can Be Modified with
Lifestyle Factors
 Estimated
50% of common cancer diagnosis could
be eliminated
 Weight Management

Obesity is estimated to cause 20% of cancers today
 Exercise

Lack of exercise is associated with 5% of all cancers
 Diet

A poor diet is associated with 5% of all cancers
What you already know
 Exercise

30 minutes a day
 Eat

more vegetables
5 – 9 servings
 Include

30 grams
 Drink

fiber in your diet
health promoting liquids
Green tea
 Matcha
Celestial Seaonings
 4 – 9 cups a day


Water
If I know all this, why don’t I do it?
 Our
own health is
low on the priority list
 Too much
conflicting
information
 Confused
 Time management
Some Motivation
Exercise
3
– 5 hours per week of walking after
breast cancer diagnosis reduced risk of
death from disease
 Protective against weight gain and
obesity
 Also studies supporting reduced risk of
colon cancer and reduced progression of
prostate cancer
Weight Loss



Excess body weight contributes
to as many as 1 out of 5 cancer
related deaths!
Clearly linked to: Breast, Colon,
rectal, endometrial, esophageal,
kidney, and pancreatic cancer
Waist circumference/belly fat is
linked to increased risk of postmenopausal breast cancer

Also a marker of insulin resistance
It’s Just Fat…why does it
matter so much?
 Fat
communicates as part of the
endocrine system for hormone
management
 Part of
Lipid Metabolism: TGL, HDL
 C-Reactive Protein = INFLAMMATION
 Insuslin sensitivity via adiponectin

Insulin and Cancer
 Insulin
receptors are on normal cells and
cancer cells
 Increases sex hormone synthesis
 Creates a low grade inflammatory state
stimulating cancer growth factors

IL-6, TNF-alpha, cell adhesion molecules,
fibrinogen, and C-reactive protein
 Stimulates
Tyrosine Kinase growth factor
cascade to promote cancer cell
proliferation
Improve Insulin Sensitivity
 Plant
based diet
 High fiber
 High fish
 Omega 3 fatty acids
 Weight lifting
 Walking
 Cinnamon
 Dark Chocolate

Raw Cacao highest in polyphenols
 Vitamin
D
DS – prostate cancer
 Initially
responding well to hormone blocking
injections post prostate radiation
 Fasting Insulin increases while PSA climbs
 Started an insulin resistant diet and exercising
more regularly
 Began taking Chromium & Resveratrol,
increased Fish Oil.
 Fasting Insulin normalized and PSA resumed
response to injection therapy.
How Much Weight?
 Check

your BMI
BMI Calculators available online
 Healthy
BMI = 25
 Average BMI in US = 27.8 for Males, 28.1
for females
Time and Place for Weight Loss
 Better
suited for cancer prevention and
survivorship
 Can be dangerous to implement weight
loss programs during treatment, unless
advised to do so by your physician.
 Weight gain after treatment may affect
survival of breast cancer
Vitamin D
Why? How Much?
Sources?
Vitamin D…how much?
 Suggested
general dosing:
Ages 1 – 70: 600 International Units daily
 70 and above: 800 IU’s daily
 Up to 2,000 IU’s daily generally thought of as safe
 Up to 7,000 IU’s daily did not cause hypercalcemia

 Dosing


changes based on health conditions
Fracture prevention: equivalent of 100,000 IU’s once
every 3 months
Cancer prevention: people taking 1,000 IU’s daily
had lower risk of colon cancer
Vitamin D…too much of a
good thing?
 Too
much vitamin D might increase
cancer risk


Hormone
Can influence breast and prostate cell
growth
 Get
your blood levels tested to find out
what dose is right for your body.
Natural Food Sources of Vit. D
 Very
few foods
 Egg Yolks
 Cod
 Sardines: 1/4th of daily dose/serving
 Salmon: half a fillet = 1400 IU’s
 Fortified: milk, OJ, cereal (at most 1/6th of
daily dose)
 Mushrooms: Shitake have highest amount at
45 IU’s per serving
 Cheese: specifically ricotta, contains 45 IU’s/
Speaking of Mushrooms
 100
grams daily = 3.5 ounces daily
 24.5 ounces weekly
 Impact immune system function


Beta-galactans
Water soluble
 Natural
source of vitamin D
 Inhibit aromatase enzyme
Natural Aromatase Inhibitors
Limited human data, clinical trials accruing at
City of Hope
 Red Wine (resveratrol)
 White button mushrooms
 Green Tea
 Black Tea
 Stinging Nettles
 Stevia
 Mangosteen

With all the diet information out
there, how can I
keep it simple?
EAT A RAINBOW!!!
General fruit and veggie
recommendations
 At
least 2.5 cups
 Each color of fruit/vegetable has it’s own
phytochemicals
 Red = lycopene
 Orange = beta-carotene
 Yellow = Quercetin, Vitamin C, Bromelain
 Green = sulphoraphanes
 Blue/Purples = bioflavanoids and anthocyanins
How to Use Green Tea

Topically




Taking green tea baths
Applying green tea
topically during radiation
Protects DNA Against UV
radiation
Internally



4 – 9, 8 oz servings per
day.
Can reuse teabags
To remove caffeine
steep for 15 seconds,
then discard and resteep
Team Work
 Targeted
nutrition, exercise, and supplements are
part of a comprehensive prevention and cancer
care program
 Modify your cancer risk factors, become an active
member of your own health care team.
THANK YOU!
DESERT CANCER FOUNDATION
DR. HERNANDEZ
ALL OF YOU HERE SUPPORTING DCFA