"The Pink Ribbon" is the symbol of global breast cancer prevention and control activities, and October is the Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Breast cancer is a highly prevalent cancer, and early detection and treatment are advocated in China. Dietary therapy has great benefits in stabilizing the condition of breast cancer. So what are the dietary therapy methods for breast cancer?
Early Symptoms of Breast Cancer
1. Mobile lump
A hard, smooth, easily movable lump that grows slowly without any other feelings may be an adenoma. Tuberculosis and hyperplasia have unclear borders. The tumor has unclear borders and the surrounding tissues are adhered. The nipple may have discharge and the lymph nodes in the armpit may be swollen.
2. Dimpled breast
Many diseases can cause changes in breast shape. If there is a pitted or dimpled change in the hair follicles of the breast skin, it is most commonly caused by fibroadenoma, followed by tuberculosis, fibrocystic hyperplasia, sarcoma, breast cancer, and fat necrosis.
3. Orange peel skin
When the skin appears pitted like an orange, it may be due to the accumulation of fluid in the breast tissue.
4. Fever or redness
If the breast feels hot or if 1/3 of the area is red, it may be a sign of inflammatory breast cancer.
5. New discharge
Fluid may be automatically secreted from one side of the nipple, which may be blood stains, brown or transparent, indicating that something in the breast is causing irritation.
6. Nipple changes
In general, both breasts are symmetrical. When there is a tumor near the nipple, the nipple is often pulled up, resulting in uneven height of the two nipples. Inverted nipples are an important sign of central breast cancer, and it is difficult to pull the nipple out with fingers. Eczematoid cancer can cause the nipple to become ulcerated and often have scabs. The boundary between the affected area and the skin is clear, and the affected area is thicker than the skin. Abnormal nipple and areola: When the tumor is located in or near the deep part of the nipple, it can cause nipple retraction. When the tumor is far from the nipple and the large ducts in the breast are invaded and shortened, it can also cause nipple retraction or elevation.
Dietary Therapy for Breast Cancer
1. Jasmine tea
10 grams of rose petals, 2 grams of jasmine flowers, brew with boiling water and drink as tea. This product has the effects of soothing the liver and invigorating the spleen, regulating qi and relieving pain, promoting blood circulation, and dissolving stasis. It is suitable for patients with breast and rib pain. It can be taken as tea for 4-6 weeks.
2. Kumquat green tea
10 grams of green tea, 15 grams of kumquat. Flatten the kumquat with the back of a knife or on a cutting board, put it in a cup together with the tea leaves, and brew with boiling water. Drink after 10 minutes. This product is rich in vitamins and tea pigments, which has certain anti-cancer effects. It can also regulate qi and relieve pain, and is helpful for dispersing nodules. It can be taken regularly. When fresh kumquats are not available, kumquat cakes (sugar-preserved) can be used instead.
3. Seaweed dishes
30 grams of seaweed, 50 grams of rehydrated kelp. Wash the kelp and seaweed, cook them with an appropriate amount of water, and add oil, salt, scallion, ginger, pepper, and other seasonings to make dishes. This product has the function of softening hardness and dispersing knots, and is helpful for dispersing breast nodules and metastatic lymph nodes. It can be eaten regularly.
4. Iron tree leaf fumigation
500 grams of fresh iron tree leaves, 100 grams of purple flowers. Cut the iron tree leaves into inch-long pieces, boil them in 1.5 liters of water for half an hour, then add the purple flowers and boil for another 15 minutes. Use the juice for fumigation and washing. This product has the effects of clearing heat, detoxifying, reducing swelling, and dispersing knots. It is beneficial for the regression of masses and lymph nodes. It is suitable for external use.
5. Stir-fried luffa
250 grams of luffa, 30 grams of rehydrated black fungus, 1 egg. Peel and cut the luffa into pieces, wash the black fungus, and scramble the egg. Stir-fry the luffa and black fungus with oil and salt, add 500 ml of water, boil, and add the egg. Add an appropriate amount of monosodium glutamate. This product has certain nourishing and anti-cancer effects, and can relieve heat and diuresis. It is especially suitable for consumption in summer and can be taken regularly.
Dietary Principles for Breast Cancer
1. Diversified and balanced diet: A balanced diet is the best way for cancer patients to maintain normal weight.
2. Breast cancer patients should avoid eating raw onions, garlic, pork from sows, pumpkins, strong alcoholic beverages, as well as foods that are spicy, fried, greasy, pungent, preserved, and moldy, which can generate phlegm and impede spleen function.
3. During breast cancer radiotherapy, it is prone to consume yin fluids, so it is advisable to consume sweet, cool, and moisturizing foods. Examples include almond paste, loquat fruit, white pear, dried plum, lotus root, banana, and olive.
4. During breast cancer chemotherapy, reference can be made to the following: Diet during breast cancer chemotherapy. If digestive tract reactions and bone marrow suppression occur, foods that can help the digestion, stop vomiting, and invigorate qi and nourish blood can be consumed, such as fresh ginger juice, fresh fruit juice, glutinous rice, white peas, black fungus, sunflower seeds, etc.
5. After breast cancer surgery, foods that can invigorate qi, nourish blood, regulate qi, and disperse knots can be given to consolidate the treatment effect and facilitate recovery. Examples include yam powder, spinach, luffa, kelp, hawthorn, and rose petals.
