Breast Cancer and Blood Type A

The challenges with being Blood Type A and having breast cancer:

People who have breast cancer and who are also Blood Type A have a few extra challenges than people with cancer who are blood type O, B or AB.  Blood Type A women with breast cancer tend to have a more rapid progression and poorer outcomes with cancer. Blood Type AB people also have poorer outcomes because they also carry the Blood Type A antigen.

Determining your Blood Type and eating foods specifically beneficial for your Blood Type will take you quite far when preventing and treating disease, but there is about 10% of the population that are more challenging to treat as some pieces to the health puzzle just aren’t obvious. For these people we need to get some additional details and data so that we can modify their treatment protocols.

Some of that data includes secretor status and determining the presence of M and N antibodies. The presence or absence of these factors allow us to manipulate the body with therapies and food lectins to help it heal.

Secretor Test Kit Breast Cancer and Blood Type A

Secretor Test Kit

Secretor Status: Secretor status is determined using a spit test. The saliva is evaluated by a lab to determine if you secrete your blood type antibodies into, perspiration, semen (in men) or in this case saliva.  About 85% of the human population are secretors.

Non-secretors often have additional health challenges. Non-secretor status has been correlated to higher rates of rheumatic heart disease and alcoholism. By knowing your secretor status we can make some dietary changes to help manage your symptoms and optimize health.

MN Antibodies also play a role in cancer and in cardiovascular disease of the Blood Type A individual. Each parent has a set of M or N genes, so their offspring can be MM (28% of the population), NN (22% of the population) or MN (50% of the population).

Most health problems are associated with MM and NN genes. Those with the MN antibody are considered to be hybrid and more resistant to disease. There is a higher incidence of breast cancer in Blood Type A women with MM genes whereas people with NN genes have a stronger chance of getting their blood vessels plugged up with triglycerides and cholesterol because they can’t process their food as quickly as MN or MM types.

(To order the above tests, go to:

A1 or A2 status: Blood Type A people also can be sub-typed into A1 or A2 status. What this means is that if you are Type A1 your body’s cells react more severely to some lectins coming into your system. This will create health problems at an accelerated rate.

Rhesus or Rh Factors: This is a separate blood test important for pregnant women. If the baby they are carrying is the opposite Rhesus factor, the mom’s body can attack the baby’s blood and kill the fetus, cause a miscarriage or even kill the mother. This situation only occurs after the body has been sensitized to the Rhesus antigen by the mixing of blood during that first pregnancy. It doesn’t really have anything to do with lectins or eating for blood type or treating cancer, but people seem to think it’s important.

Now let’s discuss lectins and breast cancer.

A lectin is a compound, usually a protein found in nature, that binds to specific sugar molecules on cancer or red blood cells causing them to clump or agglutinate. Lectins are found in the foods that we eat and often are blood type specific. Some food lectins are attracted to cancer cells and can be used in the treatment of cancer and inflammation. We’ll talk more about them below.

Lectins in food can also cause microbial overgrowth, destroy the intestinal villi (leading to gluten allergies and celiac disease), cause allergic reactions, entice Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF), mimic insulin, increase gut permeability (leaky gut syndrome), cause inflammation and dysplasia.

Lectins are blood group specific. What this means is that the foods that one blood type can eat, another doesn’t tolerate. For instance Blood type O people can’t tolerate and should avoid eating wheat, corn, dairy, chocolate and coffee whereas Blood Type A people can tolerate corn, coffee and chocolate. Lectins can be attracted to specific body parts and cause disease by clumping cells. For instance many people are allergic to wheat and gluten. The gluten lectin sticks to the little villi within the small intestine causing allergies, malabsorption and diarrhea.

For more information on what you can and shouldn’t eat for your specific blood type, read the book Eat Right 4 Your Type by Dr. Peter D’Adamo. Although some health advocates do not believe in lectin work, I can just about guarantee that they’ve never read the book cover-to-cover and have never tried the diet for three months. I cannot begin to tell you how many hundreds of clients I have helped by guiding them to the foods that best work for their blood type. So, back to the cancer issue. . .

There are some tweaky characteristics with Blood Type A cancer patients. These characteristics have to do with recognition of tumor markers and the abundance of Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) on cancer cells that the Blood Type A antibodies do not recognize as something to destroy.

So, let’s discuss these unique challenges in treating Blood Type A cancer patients:

Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF), discovered in 1986, is a polypeptide hormone that stimulates cells to reproduce, differentiate and survive. EGF’s are produced from platelets and macrophages (immune fighting cells) and are found in urine, saliva, milk and plasma. EGF’s are also found in the duodenum. As EGF’s are released into the bloodstream and tissues they go in search of a cell with a receptor that specifically attracts EGF. These receptors are called EGFr (Epidermal Growth Factor Receptors).

It just so happens that certain cancer cells (including bladder, breast, cervix, colon, esophagus, head and neck, lung and prostate cancers) have lots of these EGF receptors. When EGF attaches to the receptors sites on cancer cells this stimulates the cancer cells to grow.

Blood Type A antigens just happen to look so similar to EGF that when the blood type antigens attach to cancer cells it causes the cancer to grow.

What a mess. Normally the Blood Type A antigens would be circulating, doing their thing and helping tissues to heal, but now it’s like the body is killing itself. What to do? Well, if we could actually block the receptor sites on the cancer cells so that the blood cell antigens would not attach we could stop the cancer from progressing. We’ll talk about some of those foods below.

Thomsen-Friedenrich Antigens: Many malignant cells (such as those found in breast and stomach cancer) develop a tumor marker called the Thomsen-Friedenreich (T) or Tn antigen. These antigens can be measured by taking a blood sample and turning it into the lab. The Tn antigen is actually a less-developed precursor to T antigen and is usually associated with highly aggressive, metastatic cancers. We don’t really want these in our system. These antigens act like a sticky glue which glom onto both healthy cells and cancer cells to make the mass larger and larger. The good thing is that the body produces antibodies in the intestinal tract to recognize these antigens.

Blood Type A systems have a difficult time recognizing these tumor antigens. These T and Tn antigens hide on top of the cell surface and are allowed to make a mess of things in the blood type A body. They get away with this behavior because they sit lower on the membrane (so are harder to recognize) and they wear camouflage in the form of a terminal sugar called N-acetylgalactosamine.

This terminal sugar is the same sugar that is on normal Blood Type A blood cells, so when the cells in the immune system float by checking for infiltrators in the system they don’t recognize the cancer cells as something they need to attack. The abnormal cancer cells act like a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

In other blood types these tumor antigens are kind of raised on the surface of the cells so that the body’s white blood cells (lymphocytes) can see, recognize and attack the enemy cell.

There are several cancer cell agglutinating lectin specific foods that Blood Type A people can eat to enhance their armament of cancer treatment protocols. These particular lectins clump the cancer cells to make them stick out from the cell surface, kind of like a bad toupee, so that the cells are recognized by the immune system and can be destroyed.

These lectin specific foods include peanut butter, amaranth, fava beans, button mushrooms, snails (Helix pomatia) and soy.

Peanut butter: Peanut lectins called peanut agglutinin (PNA) have been shown to inhibit many breast cancers.

Amaranth: Effective in treating colon cancer.

Fava Beans: Effective in treating colon cancer.

Button Mushrooms: Effective in treating colon cancer as they stimulate NK (Killer cell) function. The NK cells are the white blood cells that identify and kill the cancer cells.

Snail (Helix pomatia) also known as Escargot: Helps to make cancer cells recognizable to the immune system. Specifically this snail lectin attaches to cancer cell tumor antigens called Ligand-Like Complex (LLC) so that the cancer cell can’t cross cell membranes and get into the lymph nodes. Interestingly, snails were mentioned as a cure for breast cancer in 15th century Italian monographs.

Soy: Estrogen like activity of soy acts to entangle the cancer cells of the colon and breast. Soy also helps to increase natural killer cell activity. Killer cells are lymphocytic white blood cells that recognize and attack cancer cells, bacteria and viruses.

Soy is good for early-stage, hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer in post-menopausal women because it has an enzyme called aromatase inhibitor in it that blocks the uptake of estrogen.

Aromatase is also in high-lignan flaxseed oil, chamomile and passion flower.

Other foods and supplements that help enhance the Blood Type A immune system include:

Melatonin: Blocks the uptake of linoleic acid (and therefore EGF activation). Many of my clients use melatonin as a sleep aid but over the years I’ve had a large percentage of clients report that it actually prevented them from falling asleep. As we age, we produce less melatonin, so if it prevents you from sleeping then take it in the morning. Other studies have shown that the smaller the dose the more effective it is as a sleep aid so I tell my clients to not take more than 1 ½ mg/day.

Olive Oil: Inhibits one of the enzymes (5-lipoxygenase) related to tumor cell growth.

Ginger: Inhibits one of the enzymes (5-lipoxygenase) related to tumor cell growth. To read more about ginger go to:

Turmeric (Curry powder): Inhibits one of the enzymes (5-lipoxygenase) related to tumor cell growth. Cucurmin, the active component of turmeric, helps to lower the levels of intestinal toxins. Turmeric is used in the field of alternative medicine as part of some cancer treatment protocols. To read more about Turmeric as an antioxidant go to:

Stinging Nettles (Urtica dioica): Inhibits one of the enzymes (5-lipoxygenase) related to tumor cell growth. Used as a pot herb by American Indians, nettles is replete with bioavailable minerals and easy-to-digest calcium. Nettles are used as anti-inflammatory, astringent, diuretic, tonic, nutritive, coagulant and to lower blood sugar. Nettles is also good for allergies (especially the ones causing itchy symptoms) and in diseases linked to the sex hormones testosterone (benign prostate hyperplasia) and estrogen (breast cancer.) It high in Vitamin A, B,C and silica. 

Saw Palmetto: Inhibits one of the enzymes (5-lipoxygenase) related to tumor cell growth.


Rosemary: Inhibits one of the enzymes (5-lipoxygenase) related to tumor cell growth. Rosemary has antifungal and antiviral properties. To read more about rosemary, go to:

Quercetin: A flavonoid antioxidant associated with rutin that inhibits the stimulatory effects of EGF. Quercetin, like rutin, is found in citrus fruit (especially the white part of the rind), buckwheat and onions.

Luteolin: A flavonoid antioxidant that inhibits the stimulatory effects of EGF and DNA oxidative damage. When measured against 27 citrus flavonoids, luteolin had the most antiproliferative activities against tumors. Luteolin is found naturally in celery, green peppers, thyme, parsley, artichoke, basil, dandelion, rinds, clover blossom, ragweed pollens and in chamomile tea. Reference:

Wheat should be avoided as it stimulates cancer growth by activating the Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) receptor sites.

Several foods bind Mannan which inactivates EGF so are helpful in the treatment of cancer in Blood Type A people. These mannon-binding foods include: onions, garlic, corn, leeks, aloe, and saffron.

Some nitrogen fixer legumes also bind to mannose-glucose receptors and can also slow the process of EGF. These foods include fava beans, peas, sweep pea (Lathyrus odoratus) and lentils. I wonder who would ever think to cook sweet pea seeds and eat them!

Other strategies for treating breast cancer in Blood Type A people include:

Minimize stress: Blood Type A people over-respond to even minor stressors and release lots of cortisol when compared to other blood types. The good thing is that they calm down rapidly once the stress has passed because they process catecholamines more quickly.

Pick your fats wisely: Minimize fat in the diet to 25% of the calories. Also, polyunsaturated fats high in linoleic acid can stimulate the production of EGF so the recommendation is to stay away from these fats. High linoleic acid oils include safflower, sunflower, hemp, soybean, walnut, pumpkin, sesame and flax seed oil with safflower and sunflower oils being the highest in linoleic acid. The new varieties of high oleic sunflower and safflower oil contain only small amounts of linoleic acid. Good oils to consume would be olive and flax oils (according to the Blood Type A list even though it is high in linoleic acid according to Dr. Udo Erasmus).

Consume cultured foods such as soy, miso, tempeh, natto, yogurt and kefir. Research also how to culture beans, grains, root vegetables, green vegetables, fruit, spice or beverages.

Ditch that underwire bra: Energy comes up from the earth and travels over the top of the body and down the back in cycles. The presence of an underwire in the bra blocks this natural energy and also cuts off the lymph circulation so that area cannot detoxify freely. To read more get the book:  Dressed to Kill—The Link Between Breast Cancer and Bras by Sydney Ross Singer and Soma Grismaijer.

Eliminate underarm deodorants and antiperspirants: The sweat glands under the arm have a special function in that they help release the toxins from the lymph nodes contained in the breast area. Any tight-fitting garment including cotton nightgowns that do not stretch can decrease the lymph flow and slow detoxification of the breast area. If you have red lines under your breasts when you remove your undergarments then they are too tight!

Eliminate the metaphors in your vocabulary that focus energy on the chest and breast area. For example: “Good Grief.” “Let me get this off my chest.” And other phrases associated with grief, sadness and yearning. Our words are very powerful. What we say manifests within our body. When we bottle up emotions inside us having to do with grief it damages the body. To read more on this go to:

Maintain proper body weight. Toxins love fatty tissues so if you can lose some of that extra weight your body won’t have to work so hard to keep up with detoxification and can use that extra energy to help the body heal.

Exercise: A little bit of exercise each day helps to move the lymph within the system and helps the immune system keep up with detoxification. The best exercises for Blood Type A people include Tai chi, Hatha yoga, martial arts, brisk walking, swimming, dance, low impact aerobics and stretching.

Golf is also a good sport for Blood Type A people but be sure to wash your clothes and wear gloves to protect yourself from all the chemicals they use on the golf course to maintain those pretty turfs. One of the groups most predisposed to cancer are those who spend lots of time on the golf course.

Don’t over-exercise or overwork. This stresses the body out and takes healing energy away from the body because it has to repair tissues and process lactic acid. Excess exercise in Blood Type A lead to nervous exhaustion. If a little exercise is good a LOT is NOT better.

Bathe daily: Thirty percent of the body’s toxins are released from the skin. If you don’t wash those toxins off, they build up in the body.

Dry brushing is also wonderful to stimulate the movement of lymph through the system. To read on how to do this process go to:

Juice green vegetables: Green vegetables help the liver be efficient in detoxification and also supplies the body with lots of cancer-fighting minerals and enzymes.

Minimize or eliminate red meat: Red meat is difficult to digest for Blood Type A people. Red meat generates polyamines in Type A’s which increases the risk of cancer. The amount of carcinogens and free radicals greatly increases with increased cooking, so eating burned or charred meats is not so healthy.

Eliminate vices such as alcohol, smoking and recreational drugs.

Get fresh air and sunshine daily: The body loves earth energy. It’s very grounding and helps to calm the nervous system. Sunshine helps the feel-good neurotransmitters in the brain to be released and helps stave off depression.

Take probiotics, prebiotics and digestive enzymes: Blood Type A people inherently have weak digestive systems. Probiotics such as Lactobacillus acidophilus and L. bifidus help to digest foods that have stagnated in the system.

Prebiotics ensure a healthy intestinal flora. Jerusalem artichokes are naturally high in the prebiotic Fructo Oligo Saccharide (FOS). Although sometimes difficult to find in the grocery store Jerusalem artichokes grow like weeds in your garden and you can also now find Jerusalem artichoke pasta in your health food stores. You can also purchase FOS in your local health food store. Good digestive enzymes for Blood Type A include Betaine Hydrochloride and fresh/raw pineapple.

Typhoid vaccine and T-antigen therapy: George Springer, a clinical researcher in the field of tumor antigens developed the T-antigen cancer treatment protocol using the typhoid vaccine.

Originally, a pioneer in work with blood group antigens, Springer dedicated his life and his unique expertise to breast cancer after his wife died from this disease. His work eventually led him to the development of what is known as ‘Springer’s Vaccine’ and his reported five and ten-year survival rates for stage II, III, and IV breast cancer with this novel T (Thomson-Friedenreich) and Tn antigen therapy are nothing short of amazing when compared against standard treatments” says Dr. Peter D’Adamo.”

Reference: (Explains the procedure and how to do that therapy.)

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