HCG injections, just diagnosed with Breast Cancer

[SheriBerry]

This is more of a statement rather then a question. I started HCG injections on Thanksgiving this last year and was on one of the forums keeping up with everyone when I found a lump in my breast. I didn't think it was anything but to make a long story short, I'm 40 years old, no and I mean NO family history of breast cancer and the lump turned out to be invasive ductal breast cancer. So far I've had two surgeries and have to do chemo and radiation. Luckily I caught it early. Turns out that the tumor was hormone receptive (meaning hormones fed it) and that the HCG was making it grow so..................just a warning out there for anyone taking this. I did lose weight. It worked wonderfully in that aspect. However had I known that taking this drug would cause my cells to start growing strangely and would cause this tumor to grow, I would have never taken it. I just want to give the ladies out there taking this a heads up...................

[peacelvr]

Thank you so much for your post, SheriBerry. I am sorry about your cancer and really grateful that you would care about others in the face of your own problems. I am glad you caught it early, and it sounds like you have a positive attitude, that is so important.

I don't want to be insensitive, but I was wondering if your doctor said that the HCG caused the tumor, or just made it grow? At 40, I don't suppose you had ever had a mammogram, so you wouldn't have known if there was something there to begin with?

I am just asking so that if women are considering this, maybe they should get a mammogram first?

I wish you all the best with your treatment and will keep you in my prayers.

Peace

[Lumbee_Girl]

I am so sorry about your cancer.  Cancer runs in my family like non other and I have always been afraid of getting it too.....I will most definately ask my doctor about this injection as I have just starting taking them yesterday.

Thank you for the information.  You are in my prayers!!

[SheriBerry]

The doctor didn't think it actually caused the cancer tumor, however it did make it grow more rapidly then it would have had I not been taking the HCG. And my tumor was hormone receptive, which means mine is stimulated by hormones. After my chemo and radiation they are going to remove my ovaries. I don't know about ladies under 40, who are taking the HCG having a mammogram? Just because I am paranoid at this point.......I would just suggest not taking it at all. But that is going to have to be a personal call.  I would hate for someone else to go through what I am going through, and I was lucky by catching it early. You just have to ask yourself is it really worth the risk. I've always been obsessed with my weight, but when you hear that you have cancer...........suddenly your weight loss becomes the least important thing in the world. And to think I was "feeding" it. I could kick myself.

I have implants, and had only had them 1 year and with the implants you have to massage your breasts daily to keep them soft and I had never noticed this lump before. I have dense, lumpy breasts anyway, but this lump was WAY different. Hard as a rock and about the size of a pea and wasn't painful or sore whatsoever. Seems like it came up overnight and when I started my shots........it doubled in size. In my good luck, the doctor did say that I would have never found this lump (being that it was only 1cm) had I not had the implants because it pushed it to the surface. So.........guess if you could ever say implants were benificial..........this would be the case! haha

Thank you so much for your prayers. I will get through this. Cancer doesn't know me very well........I'm as stubbon as a mule. haha

[Lumbee_Girl]

Like I said Good Luck with everything and definately keep in touch with your progress.  I am very concerned now because I just started taking the HCG injections on Thursday, January 24th.  I don't take them very often...only once a week but nevertheless....I am taking them.  I have some abnormal cells in my cervix that we had to remove last year.  Every pap smear that I have had since then is still abnormal so i don't want this to worsen this.  I am definately going to ask my doctor about this asap.  

Again thanks for the information!

[peacelvr]

Thank you for responding, I'm sure you have lots of other things on your mind right now. I agree with you completely about your perspective and how it changes once something like this happens. I lost my home of 40 years in a fire last March and am so thankful we all got out, that the material stuff is not really important to me. It would be a lie to say it doesn't matter at all, but in the grand scheme of things, your life and health is more important.

I wish you the best recovery and hope that you will keep your sense of humor. Again, thank you for making all of us more aware of the risks that are involved in this. Somehow "HCG is a hormone and it does make things grow...." as a disclaimer, does not have the same effect as "I had HCG shots and now I have cancer"....

God keep and bless you,

[mom3648]

I  am 43 and I took hcg injections for three weeks this month and have  lost 15 1bs.  I am concerned though b/c I  recently had an abnormal pap smear for the first time in my life.  I am wondering if there could be a correlation.  Have you researched this at all?  

[messenjr]

Actually HCG may be better than tamoxifen, which is being used to treat estrogen receptive positive breast cancer. See article and link below.

Pregnancy Hormone May Prevent Breast Cancer
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
By Charlene Laino

A pregnancy hormone shows promise for preventing breast cancer in women, according to Philadelphia researchers.
In animal studies, human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) activated tumor suppressor genes, stopped cancer cell growth, and induced other genetic changes that indicate an anticancer effect, says Irma H. Russo, MD, chief of molecular endocrinology at Fox Chase Cancer Center.
"Our goal is to eventually use this as a breast cancer preventive in women, just like tamoxifen," she tells WebMD. But unlike tamoxifen, "HCG is normally produced by the body and has no toxic effects."
Tamoxifen, which has been used to prevent breast cancer, has been associated with an elevated risk of endometrial cancer and blood clots.
Early Pregnancy Cuts Breast Cancer Risk
Studies show that a woman who becomes pregnant by age 20 cuts her risk of breast cancer in half.
"Over the years, the link between having children and breast cancer protection, particularly if you have children when you're young, became very solid," Russo says.


http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090420170752.htm

ve breast cancer.  

[kathy755]

You are in my thoughts and prayers. I was wondering if you would tell my how many injections of HCG you had taken? I took 40 consecutive inj.and off 5 weeks and had just taken 3 inj. when I heard from my family physician about the risk. I was out of state when I started them and not been to my physician. I stopped that day. I have fibroids in breast and it . is hard to find a new lump. I am so thankful you found yours early. God be with you. Thank you so very much for your time and caring about giving knowledge to others with everything going on with your own life. Thank You for raising a son who also cares about others,service our country , and puts his life on the line for our freedom. Because freedom isn't free.
Again thank YOU.
Kathy

[St_Jimmy]

Just wondering?  My wife and I are both on the HCG weight loss protocol, both over 40.  Does a woman over 40 have a greater possibility of getting breast cancer if she becomes pregnant?  The reason for the question is that the levels of HCG in a pregnant woman are way over the amount we are injecting.  My wife has family history too so if HCG is the culprit then i need to make her aware of it.

[St_Jimmy]

I found these three articles that might be helpful.  

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/146900.php

http://cebp.aacrjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/4/5/437

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090420170752.htm