Is it safe for breast cancer survivor to use silymarin supplement found in artichoke and milk thistle? i found some info that it affects estrogen.

Not sure: Milk thistle has been used medicinally for over 2, 000 years, most commonly for the treatment of liver and gallbladder disorders. The silymarin can be extracted from the seeds of milk thistle and is believed to be the biologically active component. Before you use it be sure to see your doctor.

Unclear: Silymarin is an anti-oxidant that protects cells against damage and stimulates repair of liver tissue. Laboratory studies have looked at its ability to make chemotherapy drugs less toxic and increase tumor cell killing. It is not known if it makes anticancer medicines or other drugs more or less effective in humans.For more information go to http://m.Cancer.Gov/topics/cam/milkthistle/patient.

Milk thistle ; CA: I agree with info provided by my colleagues. However, some human studies actually show benefit when milk thistle is used alongside breast cancer treatments: http://tinyurl.Com/n3ujy7h there is some preliminary research suggesting that milk thistle extract may have estrogenic effects [ http://www.Pkids.Org/files/milkthistle.Pdf ] , but none have been found in the most commonly used preparations.