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Progesterone after breast cancer.

by Mairi
(Your, UK)

I have had ER breast cancer. Scans showed osteoporosis in the spine only. So I am taking progesterone which is a bone builder, and superosteofoods. I m not taking endocrine therapy - anastrazole - which is standard post menopausal treatment post BC. Would anybody know if it would be beneficial to take DIM and calcium d glucarate with this progesterone. I did want to take bio hormonal progesterone but my MD told me it would not help as much as progesterone with the osteoporosis - in spine only. Thanks

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Feb 05, 2016
 Progesterone after breast cancer.
by: Wray

Hi Mairi Please could you tell me the difference between bio hormonal progesterone and progesterone. The progesterone we use in Natpro is identical to that found naturally in the body. You also say you are 'taking' the progesterone. Some people use this term to mean they are 'using' progesterone, i.e. a cream as opposed to oral progesterone. We do have a page on cancer you could look through, see here.

DIM is regarded as an anti-oestrogen. Oestrogen is broken down into 2 principle metabolites, 2-hydroxyestrone (2-OHE1) and 16-alpha hydroxyestrone (16alpha-OHE1). 16alpha-OHE1 is regarded as a potent oestrogen, whereas 2-OHE1 is a weaker oestrogen. In some studies DIM (3,3'-Diindolylmethane) increased levels of 2-OHE1, by doing so it also increases the ratio of 2-OHE1:16alpha-OHE1. This increased ratio is associated with a lower risk for breast cancer in some studies, not in others. It appears to have a positive affect on pancreatic, thyroid, prostate and gastric cancers too, and leukemia. The precursor to DIM is Indole 3 Carbinol (I3C) which also has antioxidant and anti-cancer properties. These are a selection of papers: here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.

Oestrogen is metabolised in the liver by glucuronic acid, the process is known as glucuronidation. Glucuronidation is one of the major detoxification pathways of the liver. It removes carcinogens, toxins, tumour promoters, the sex hormones ie, the androgens and oestrogens, mineralocorticoids and glucocorticoids, aromatic and heterocyclic amines, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, various nitrosamines, drugs, fungi etc. It's then excreted in the bile, but an enzyme in the intestine called beta-glucuronidase reverses the glucuronidation process. It breaks the glucoronide bond between a toxin and glucuronic acid, and releases carcinogens, toxins and excess steroid hormones back into circulation. There's evidence beta-glucuronidase activity is increased in breast and prostate cancer. Calcium D-glucarate inhibits beta-glucuronidase, see here, here, here and here.
Incidentally this enzyme is produced by undesirable gut bacteria, supplementing with probiotics suppresses the bacteria, and subsequently the beta-glucuronidase. Silymarin from milk thistle also inhibits beta-glucuronidase, plus it helps the liver detox.

We do have a page on osteoporosis.

Of overriding importance is vitamin D, so often overlooked by doctors. Please look through our pages on vitamin D, see here and here.

Please have a vitamin D test done, levels should be between 175-250nmol/L, ignore the very low levels suggested by the NHS. Take care Wray
Feb 06, 2016
 Progesterone and breast cancer
by: Anonymous

Thank you for this reply and I have taken the time to look at the various links contained therein.

I do know about natural progesterone cream and am being cared for by the doctor who first introduced them into the UK over 30 years ago. I am also taking vitamins D3 and K2 as prescribed by her.
As I have osteoporosis of the spine she told me that the creams wouldn't be strong enough at this stage and she prescribed Progesterone which is a bone builder - this is taken in the form of pills. I hope to progress quickly in rebuilding bones and then go on to natural progesterone.
I do know that some women, after breast cancer are using natural progesterone together with DIM and calcium d glucarate instead of the usual prescribed endocrine therapy which I hope to avoid at all costs.

My question is as to whether I can take the DIM and calcium d glucarate together with the progesterone pill. This pill is made up of progesterone together with sunflower oil, lecture of soja. Thanks, Mairi
Feb 06, 2016
 Progesterone after breast cancer
by: Wray

Hi Mairi I'm concerned you're taking the pill form of progesterone, oral progesterone is the least effective delivery system……
"The liver and gut region removed a mean of 96 per cent of the progesterone entering these tissues", see here and here.

"What is common to all forms of oral replacement therapies, regardless of the hormone, is that about 10× physiological dosing is required to achieve a physiological level of the active hormone in whatever body fluid is used for testing. Most of the parent hormone administered (e.g., progesterone) is converted to inactive metabolites in the gut." So the normal physiological level is 20-40ng/ml, which would require 200-400mg/day transdermal progesterone. This is a short explanatory passage on the first pass effect.

And is it progesterone you are taking, or a progestin? Do you have the name of the pill? Transdermal progesterone is a very effective delivery system, "The percutaneous application of progesterone cream appears to be a safe and effective route of administration. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 1999;180:1504-11.)" see here.

'The progesterone in a cream is absorbed well, and has been found to be as affective as injections and to enter circulation rapidly', see here.

Dr Dalton, who first used progesterone on her patients in 1948, preferred injections due to their effectiveness, she also used vaginal suppositories. She used amounts up to 2400mg/day. Any form of natural progesterone is involved in bone building. But it's only one small aspect, over 30 other components are needed to build bone, vitamin D probably being the most important, together with magnesium. There are no known contraindications between progesterone, DIM and Ca d-glucarate. Take care Wray

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