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S.A.M. and Breast Cancer—Focus on Aspirin and Other Integrative Aspirin-Like Medicines: The Real “Natural” Options

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Integrative Medicine for Breast Cancer

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Abstract

The acronym S.A.M. (statins, aspirin, metformin) is a simplistic clinician and patient method of remembering the three most important off-label “natural” products that should be primarily discussed with individuals concerned about breast cancer. And simultaneously it sends a message to patients to always consider the largest source of morbidity and mortality in the world and the need to improve overall health while still allowing the maximum potential benefit against more disease-specific issues. S.A.M. are all low-cost, generic, derived from “natural” sources and have more positive data in the area of breast cancer prevention and reducing the risk of recurrence compared to any dietary supplement I have researched over the past 30 years. S.A.M. is also a unisex name that can be applied to women or men because similar potential benefits in patients concerned about prostate cancer mirror those of breast cancer in regard to off-label or integrative medicine utilization (both diseases are hormonally manipulated as one of their primary forms of treatment). Interestingly, there are now multiple dietary supplements that appear to mimic S.A.M. that could potentially serve as current and future options for those intolerant to S.A.M. and/or those in need of even more treatment options.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Urology, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA

    Mark A. Moyad MD, MPH

  2. Jenkins/Pokempner Director of Complementary & Alternative Medicine, University of Michigan Medical Center (Dept of Urology), Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Mark A. Moyad MD, MPH

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Moyad, M.A. (2016). S.A.M. and Breast Cancer—Focus on Aspirin and Other Integrative Aspirin-Like Medicines: The Real “Natural” Options. In: Integrative Medicine for Breast Cancer. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-23422-9_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-23422-9_5

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-23421-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-23422-9

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