Essential Oils May Disrupt Normal Hormonal Activity
New research suggests that the chemicals contained in essential oils such as lavender oil and tea tree oil may disrupt the normal functioning of hormones, leading to a condition called male gynecomastia in prepubescent boys.
Male gynecomastia is a condition in which boys develop noticeable breasts as a result of having abnormally high levels of estrogen, the female sex hormone.
Research has previously linked the condition to essential oils such as lavender and tea tree oil.
Such oils are regularly used in personal hygiene and cosmetic products, as well as in laundry detergents and aromatherapy candles and devices.
An older study from 2007 found that gynecomastia coincided with the use of essential oil-based products, and that the symptoms of the condition disappeared when these products were no longer used.
Not only that, but the same study then investigated human cell lines and also found that lavender and tea tree oils had estrogen-boosting and anti-androgenic effects.
A new study which was presented at ENDO 2018, the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society, held in Chicago, IL now strengthens the link between these essential oils and gynecomastia.
Researchers led by J. Tyler Ramsey of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences tested the impact of eight components that are commonly found in tea tree and lavender oil on human cancer cells to study their effect on hormonal activity.
- eucalyptol
- alpha-terpinene
- gamma-terpinene
Survival Rates And Statistics
A relative survival rate helps give an idea of how long a person with a particular condition will live after receiving a diagnosis compared with those without the condition.
For example, if the 5-year relative survival rate is 70%, it means that a person with the condition is 70% as likely to live for 5 years as someone without the condition.
It is important to remember that these figures are estimates. A person can talk with a doctor about how their condition is likely to affect them.
Some factors affecting a personâs survival rate with breast cancer include:
- individual factors, such as the personâs age and overall health
- the stage of the cancer at diagnosis
- the treatment the person receives
HER2-positive cancers are than HER2-negative cancers. With treatment, however, the chances of survival are high, especially with an early diagnosis. In some cases, they may be higher than for HER2-negative breast cancer due to effective targeted treatment.
According to the , the likelihood of living for another 5 years with HER2-positive cancer, compared with a person who does not have breast cancer, is as follows. These statistics are based on figures for the years 2011â2017.
| Stage |
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Vitamins And Minerals In Your Diet
Most doctors and dieticians recommend following a healthy diet after breast cancer treatment.
Research suggests that a diet high in fruit and vegetables, lean proteins like chicken and fish, and whole grains, and a diet low in refined sugars, fats, red meats, and processed meats may help you live longer. A diet thats high in fiber is also linked to lower risk of breast cancer.
In general, its best to get nutrients from foods rather than supplements, says Kelly Rashid, a registered dietician in Fort Lauderdale, FL, who specializes in oncology nutrition. A nutrient-rich diet can help you get important vitamins and minerals to feel good and boost your health.
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Antitumoral Activity Of Eos And Bioactive Compounds
Terpenes are usually part of EOs constituents. Terpenoids are a modified class of terpenes that can be classified according to the number of units of isoprene. Monoterpenes are the TPNs with only 2 isoprene units and 10 carbon atoms, sesquiterpenes have 3 isoprene units and 15 carbon atoms, diterpenes have 4 isoprene units and 20 carbon atoms, triterpenes have 6 isoprene units and 30 carbon atoms, and tetraterpenes have 8 isoprene units and 40 carbon atoms . The biosynthesis of terpenoids is shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Terpeneoids biosynthesis.
Sesquiterpenes are produced in plants in a way to interact with other plants and as a response to herbivores. These compounds are widely distributed, have been exploited in research for their phytomedicinal potential , and are associated with decreasing progression of cancer.
Many plants have demonstrated antiproliferative activity on MCF7 cells and have MT as a major constituent of their EO composition, such as the following : Schefflera heptaphylla Raddi .
Bisabolene isomers are the main constituents of opoponax therefore, a ST named -bisabolene and an alcoholic analogue, -bisabolol, were tested for their in vitro and in vivo influence on BC. Only -bisabolene exhibited selective cytotoxic activity for mouse cells MG1361 and human BC cells MCF7, MDA-MB-231, SKBR3, and BT474 with a 37.5% reduction of the growth of transplanted 4T1 mammary tumors .
Correa .
EO rich in MT eucalyptol from Cinnamomum glanduliferum
Can Using Essential Oils Help Treat Cancer And Its Side Effects
Maybe you have a favorite tea tree shampoo or lavender bubble bath that you use to relax. Scents from essential oils like these may make you feel happy and refreshed, and they are often valued parts of self-care rituals.
And during cancer, essential oils may be useful for some people in helping to relieve certain side effects of cancer and its treatment, such as anxiety and difficulty sleeping. Because of this, some people may wonder if the benefits of essential oils extend to helping treat or even prevent cancer. The simple answer is no. No studies have shown that essential oils can treat or prevent cancer in people.
However, their uses in relieving certain side effects are valuable to many people with cancer. Here, learn more about the benefits and risks of using essential oils during cancer, including the research behind their use in relieving side effects.
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Metastatic Breast Cancer And Diet: Eating Well After Diagnosis
It can be overwhelming to face a metastatic breast cancer diagnosis. The good news is that it doesnt have to be complicated to figure out a healthy diet that helps you feel good.
When Brenda Levin of Philadelphia was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in 2017 at age 40, she read every article she could find about the effect of diet on cancer.
She wanted to make sense of how she, someone who followed a healthy diet and lifestyle, could end up with breast cancer. More important, she wanted to know what diet she should follow to keep the breast cancer from growing.
As a trained practitioner of acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, integrative nutrition, and shiatsu massage, Brenda thought she was prepared for whatever life threw at her. But her diagnosis made her rethink what she learned, particularly about food. Should she swear off sugar? Avoid alcohol and caffeine? Never eat her favorite treats again?
I was at a healthy weight with a healthy diet, says Brenda. I have always exercised. Plus, I have always focused on getting ample amounts of vegetables, protein, a good balance of carbohydrates, some fruits, and healthy fats into my daily food regimen.
Brendas research showed her two important things. First, she had done nothing wrong to get cancer. Second, there are no magical foods that make cancer disappear. Since then, she has focused on eating a variety of fresh foods, cooking with healthy oils and allowing herself an occasional glass of wine or ice cream.
Her2 Positive Breast Cancer: What Is It
HER2 is a protein. Sometimes, a gene mutation can lead to excessive production of this protein, which may in turn make cancer cells grow and spread faster. You may also read/hear this as overexpression of the HER2 protein.
It is important to note that you do not necessarily inherit this gene mutation from your parents, and you do not pass it on to your children.
It is estimated that about 1 in every 5 of breast cancers diagnosed are characterised as HER2-positive.
Although it can be thought of as being an aggressive cancer, the treatments developed against it are considered generally effective.
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Therapy And Side Effects
Breast cancer therapeutic mainstay include aromatase inhibitors such as anastrozole, letrozole, and exemestane , , , , ]. Selective estrogen receptor modulators reduce breast cancer incidence. Tamoxifen or raloxifene are the drugs for hormone-dependent breast cancers . Also, these anti-estrogen agents are used to treat other cancers, endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome, gynecomastia etc. The monoclonal antibody trastuzumab is used for both early
What Is Her2 Positive Breast Cancer
Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer. Nearly 25 percent people newly diagnosed with cancer have breast cancer. One in five people with breast cancer is a type called HER5 positive.
HER2-positive breast cancer tests positive for the HER2 protein. HER2 stands for Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2.
This means that cancer cells have a gene that makes the HER2 protein. This protein causes cancer cells to grow and spread rapidly. HER2-positive breast cancer may develop or grow differently than other types.
Treatment for HER2-positive breast cancer targets the cells that make the protein. This helps slow the growth of cancer and stop it from spreading.
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Will Lavender Supplements Benefit Er Pr Positive Her2 Negative Breast Carcinoma Patients Undergoing Tamoxifen Cancer Treatment
ER PR Positive HER2 Negative Breast Carcinoma is characterized and driven by specific genetic mutations like ESR1 and NR3C3 leading to biochemical pathway changes in Estrogen Signaling, PI3K-AKT-MTOR Signaling and Inositol Phosphate Signaling. A cancer treatment like Tamoxifen works through a specific pathway mechanism of action. The goal is to have a good overlap between the treatment and cancer driving pathways for a personalized approach which is effective. In such a condition any food or nutritional supplement which has a contrary effect to the treatment or reduces the overlap should be avoided. As an example, Lavender should be avoided for ER PR Positive HER2 Negative Breast Carcinoma along with treatment Tamoxifen. Lavender impacts pathways/processes like Estrogen Signaling which either promote drivers of the disease and/or nullify the treatment effect. Additionally, Lavender Supplements contain active ingredients like Linalool which has CYP2B6 interactions with Tamoxifen treatment and hence should be avoided by patients undergoing this treatment. Some of the factors which should be considered when choosing nutrition are type of cancer, treatments and supplements being taken currently , age, gender, BMI, lifestyle and any genetic mutation information .
Choosing Lavender Supplements For Your Cancer
The reason there is no easy way to answer the question When should I avoid Lavender for Cancer is because It Depends!. Just like the same treatment does not work for every cancer patient, based on your individual context the Lavender may be harmful or safe. Along with which cancer and associated genetics the ongoing treatments, supplements, lifestyle habits, BMI and allergies are all factors deciding if Lavender should be avoided or not and why.
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Are Lavender And Tea Tree Essential Oils Hormone Disruptors
Over the years we have received numerous questions regarding the safety of tea tree and lavender oils.
The questions were prompted by information circulating on the internet that originated from a case study published in February 2007 in the New England Journal of Medicine titled “Lavender and Tea Tree Oils May Cause Breast Growth in Boys.”
The study suggested that repeated topical use of products containing lavender oil and/or tea tree oil may cause abnormal breast growth in young boys by mimicking the actions of estrogen in the body.
As a parent and a grandparent, I totally understand the fear of doing something to harm your child. But that is why sensational headlines, like Essential cause male breasts development in young boys” get so much attention.
Sadly, few people read the whole article or even better yet, read the original “evidence.” Instead, they simply read the headline and pass it along to friends and family.
Of course, we understand the questions and concerns. It is our unwavering responsibility as parents to protect our children and we take questions like these very seriously.
I have researched this topic quite extensively for personal reasons. I am a breast cancer survivor with estrogen receptor-positive cancer. This type of cancer feeds on estrogen, so I am very concerned about any ingredient called an “endocrine disruptor” with effects that mimic estrogen in the body.
Potential Estrogenic And Anti
The debate started in 2007 when Henley and co-workers published a short article in the highly esteemed New England Journal of Medicine. The authors established a probably causative link between the use of cosmetic products that purportedly contained essential oils of lavender or tea tree and reports of prepubertal gynecomastia in boys.
To test the hypothesis that essential oils caused the symptoms, the authors conducted several in vitro tests with lavender oil and tea tree oil on cells that expressed estrogen or androgen receptors. Using a luciferase reporter assay, they observed maximum estrogenic and anti-androgenic responses at 0.025% and 0.005%, respectively, in both oils .
The estrogenic response was about half that of the positive control estradiol at 1 nM concentration. In quantitative terms, this means that the estrogenic potency of essential oils was in the order of 1-2 million times weaker than estradiol .
In the following editorial correspondence, several researchers and industry representatives were critical of the study . Their common ground was that the effects were weak and, if true, would have been observed long ago considering the global exposure to lavender and tea tree oils.
The uterotrophic assay is the standard in vivo method for evaluating potential estrogenicity based on an increase in uterine weight of exposed animals. It is generally considered a more reliable indicator than in vitro assays.
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Er Estrogen Response Elementmediated Activity
To determine if there were direct dose-dependent estrogenic responses of LO and TTO components, we transfected HepG2 cells with human ER and three copies of estrogen response elements to investigate ER ERE-mediated promotor activity. When the cells were treated with 1 nM E2, almost a 50-fold ER ERE-mediated promotor activity was observed when compared with nontreated cells . LO and TTO showed significant activation at all concentrations , with a maximum at 20-fold ER ERE-mediated promotor activity increase for both oils . To test the activities of LO and TTO components for comparison with natural LO and TTO, components were reconstituted and mixed . Significant activation of LO-C and TTO-C was observed at all concentrations, except 0.005% TTO-C. The highest fold changes observed for these mixtures were approximately 10-fold, with TTO-C being the greatest .
Treatment Rna Isolation And Quantitative Pcr Analysis
MCF-7 and MDA-kb2 cells were selected to measure gene changes. For ER target genes, MCF-7 cells were seeded in six-well plates at 500,000 cells per well in DMEM:F12 plus 10% FBS medium overnight. The cells were then starved in phenol red-free DMEM:F12 plus 5% sFBS medium for 36 hours and treated with vehicle control , 1 nM E2, 0.025% LO or TTO, or 1000 M Euc, 4-Terp, Di/Lim, -Terpl, LinA, Lin, -Terp, or -Terp for 18 hours, with or without 5 M ICI. For AR target genes, MDA-kb2 cells were seeded in six-well plates at 750,00 cells per well in phenol red-free Leibovitzs medium plus 10% FBS medium. The cells were then starved in phenol red-free Leibovitzs medium plus 5% sFBS medium for 24 hours and treated with vehicle control , 1 nM T, and 1 nM testosterone plus 1 M Flut for controls. Cells also were cotreated with 1nM testosterone and 0.025% LO or TTO, or 100 M Euc, 4-Terp, Di/Lim, -Terpl, LinA, Lin, -Terp, or -Terp for 18 hours.
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Are Beans Good For You If You Have Cancer
Its no surprise that beans, in addition to being good for you, may also be beneficial to your health. They contain a number of powerful phytochemicals that may help to protect the cells in your body from damage that can lead to cancer. These substances were discovered in the laboratory and were used to slow tumor growth as well as stop tumors from releasing substances that harm nearby cells.
What Types Of Hormone Therapy Are Used For Breast Cancer
Several strategies are used to treat hormone-sensitive breast cancer:
Blocking ovarian function: Because the ovaries are the main source of estrogen in premenopausal women, estrogen levels in these women can be reduced by eliminating or suppressing ovarian function. Blocking ovarian function is called ovarian ablation.
Ovarian ablation can be done surgically in an operation to remove the ovaries or by treatment with radiation. This type of ovarian ablation is usually permanent.
Alternatively, ovarian function can be suppressed temporarily by treatment with drugs called gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists, which are also known as luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonists. By mimicking GnRH, these medicines interfere with signals that stimulate the ovaries to produce estrogen.
Estrogen and progesterone production in premenopausal women. Drawing shows that in premenopausal women, estrogen and progesterone production by the ovaries is regulated by luteinizing hormone and luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone . The hypothalamus releases LHRH, which then causes the pituitary gland to make and secrete LH and follicle-stimulating hormone . LH and FSH cause the ovaries to make estrogen and progesterone, which act on the endometrium .
Examples of ovarian suppression drugs are goserelin and leuprolide .
Blocking estrogens effects: Several types of drugs interfere with estrogens ability to stimulate the growth of breast cancer cells:
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Advice For Life With Early
HER2-positive breast cancer is a type of breast cancer that tests positive for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 , a protein that promotes cancer cell growth. It tends to be aggressive.
The good news is that treatments for this cancer, especially those that directly target HER2, do a great job fighting it off. They come with a range of rather unpleasant side effects, as all cancer treatments do. But there is a silver lining: We know a lot of tips, tools, and strategies to make life during treatment easier.
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