Flaxseed, Borage and Fish oil

[Napoleon]

Sir:  Are any of these items (flaxseed, borage or fish oil) beneficial for fighting existing metastic breast cancer?  Are they safe to take with hormonal treatment, like Arimidex, Femara, etc.?  Thank you.

[CCF-RN,MSN-JS]

Dear Napolean: I could not find any information regarding the use of flaxseed oil or fish oil for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer.  

Regarding Fish oils (EPA & DPH) high doses may cause:GI upset, loose stools, and nausea, May alter glucose regulation, Diabetics should carefully monitor blood sugar levels
, Contraindicated in individuals with active bleeding, Use with caution in individuals with a history of bleeding or hemostatic disorders, Use with caution in individuals taking anticoagulant medications, NSAIDs(non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), or antiplatelet medications.  I did not find any information regarding it's use in combination with hormone medications.

Flaxseed Oil: No known serious side effects, no data regarding it's use in combination with hormone therapies.

Borage - I did not find any data regarding it's use.

[Binkie]

For curing ,I haven't read anything. If they did that the stores wouldn't be able to keep them in stock. For prevention, they can help and have shown to help. They are good for lowering blood pressure, lowering total cholesterol & for strengthening the immune system. To mix with drugs or not I don't think anyone can Really know that without clinical trials. The doctors often Say not to take vitamins with chemo drugs which surprises me but I believe it now. You can do searches on this on www.mercola.com