Author's Sidebar #1: Despite the millions of dollars that are donated for cancer research, most cancers continue to rise, with not a single cure from the medical industry. The majority of the donations are used (NOT to find cures) but to fund research for more drugs to fill the pockets of the greedy pharmaceutical companies. Western Medicine continues to only offer chemotherapy and radiation as the primary treatment strategies despite their ineffectiveness and devastating side effects. As a result, cancer patients and their families suffer physically, emotionally, and financially, with many of them losing their homes and life savings.
Author's Sidebar #2: Breast cancer touches someone in our lives sooner or later, but, knowledge can help prevent and fight breast cancer and other cancers. There are some simple things that women can do to prevent breast cancer. There are some simple things that all of us can do to prevent or reduce the risk of developing most cancers without having to make a lot of lifestyle changes.
For example:
-- Eat at least 5 servings of raw vegetables (incl. raw juices) every day.-- Reduce eating conventional animal meat, processed foods, and fast foods.
-- Avoid diet soda, soda, and fast foods, esp. KFC, McDonald's, Burger King, Taco Bell.
-- Follow a balanced macronutrient-dense diet such as the Level 3 version of the Death to Diabetes Diet
-- Take a wholefood-based Vitamin D3 supplement or get some sunlight.
-- Take only wholefood-based supplements, esp. CoQ10, ALA, grape seed extract
-- Avoid most conventional supplements -- most of them are synthetic and contain lead or other heavy metals, plus color dyes and other toxic chemicals
-- Get 8 hours of quality sleep every night.
-- Reduce the stress in your life.
-- Reduce wearing a bra (restricting lymph flow, decreased melatonin).
-- Reduce/avoid use of cosmetics, hair products and bleach/detergents (carcinogenic).
-- Educate yourself about proper nutrition and alternative medicine methodologies to protect yourself and your family
-- Get tested every year -- early detection is key (but be wary of mammograms). .
Breast Cancer (Statistics)
In 2002, cancer overtook heart disease as the number one killer of Americans under the age of 85. This trend is expected to continue, and in another ten years – by 2018 – cancer will be the number one killer of all Americans, young and old alike. For women in the U.S., breast cancer death rates are higher than those for any other cancer, besides lung cancer.
About 1 in 8 women in the United States (12%) will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime.
The American Cancer Society estimates that over 270,000 women will die of cancer in 2010 – 40,000 from breast cancer alone.
The ACS also estimates that in 2010, 745,000 men and 692,000 women will be diagnosed with cancer. Of the women diagnosed, over a quarter will be found to have breast cancer.
In 2010, an estimated 207,090 new cases of invasive breast cancer were expected to be diagnosed in women in the U.S., along with 54,010 new cases of non-invasive breast cancer.
Besides skin cancer, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among U.S. women. More than 1 in 4 cancers in women (about 28%) are breast cancer.
Compared to African American women, white women are slightly more likely to develop breast cancer, but less likely to die of it. One possible reason is that African American women tend to have more aggressive tumors, probably due to excess fast foods and animal meat, and low levels of Vitamin D. Women of other ethnic backgrounds — Asian, Hispanic, and Native American — have a lower risk of developing and dying from breast cancer than white women and African American women.
A woman’s risk of breast cancer approximately doubles if she has a first-degree relative (mother, sister, daughter) who has been diagnosed with breast cancer. About 20-30% of women diagnosed with breast cancer have a family history of breast cancer.
About 5-10% of breast cancers can be linked to gene mutations (abnormal changes) inherited from one’s mother or father. Mutations of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are the most common. Women with these mutations have up to an 80% risk of developing breast cancer during their lifetime, and they are more likely to be diagnosed at a younger age (before menopause). An increased ovarian cancer risk is also associated with these genetic mutations. In men, about 1 in 10 breast cancers are believed to be due to BRCA2 mutations and even fewer cases to BRCA1 mutations.
About 70-80% of breast cancers occur in women who have no family history of breast cancer. These occur due to genetic abnormalities that happen as a result of the aging process and life in general, rather than inherited mutations.
The most significant risk factors for breast cancer are gender (being a woman), age (growing older), diet, and stress.
In 2010, an estimated 207,090 new cases of invasive breast cancer were expected to be diagnosed in women in the U.S., along with 54,010 new cases of non-invasive breast cancer.
Besides skin cancer, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among U.S. women. More than 1 in 4 cancers in women (about 28%) are breast cancer.
Compared to African American women, white women are slightly more likely to develop breast cancer, but less likely to die of it. One possible reason is that African American women tend to have more aggressive tumors, probably due to excess fast foods and animal meat, and low levels of Vitamin D. Women of other ethnic backgrounds — Asian, Hispanic, and Native American — have a lower risk of developing and dying from breast cancer than white women and African American women.
A woman’s risk of breast cancer approximately doubles if she has a first-degree relative (mother, sister, daughter) who has been diagnosed with breast cancer. About 20-30% of women diagnosed with breast cancer have a family history of breast cancer.
About 5-10% of breast cancers can be linked to gene mutations (abnormal changes) inherited from one’s mother or father. Mutations of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are the most common. Women with these mutations have up to an 80% risk of developing breast cancer during their lifetime, and they are more likely to be diagnosed at a younger age (before menopause). An increased ovarian cancer risk is also associated with these genetic mutations. In men, about 1 in 10 breast cancers are believed to be due to BRCA2 mutations and even fewer cases to BRCA1 mutations.
About 70-80% of breast cancers occur in women who have no family history of breast cancer. These occur due to genetic abnormalities that happen as a result of the aging process and life in general, rather than inherited mutations.
The most significant risk factors for breast cancer are gender (being a woman), age (growing older), diet, and stress.
Breast Cancer (Definition)
Breast cancer is an uncontrolled growth of breast cells. To better understand breast cancer, it helps to understand how any cancer can develop.
Cancer occurs as a result of mutations, or abnormal changes, in the genes responsible for regulating the growth of cells and keeping them healthy. The genes are in each cell’s nucleus, which acts as the “control room” of each cell. Normally, the cells in our bodies replace themselves through an orderly process of cell growth: healthy new cells take over as old ones die out. But over time, mutations can “turn on” certain genes and “turn off” others in a cell. That changed cell gains the ability to keep dividing without control or order, producing more cells just like it and forming a tumor.
A tumor can be benign (not dangerous to health) or malignant (has the potential to be dangerous). Benign tumors are not considered cancerous: their cells are close to normal in appearance, they grow slowly, and they do not invade nearby tissues or spread to other parts of the body. Malignant tumors are cancerous. Left unchecked, malignant cells eventually can spread beyond the original tumor to other parts of the body.
The term “breast cancer” refers to a malignant tumor that has developed from cells in the breast. Usually breast cancer either begins in the cells of the lobules, which are the milk-producing glands, or the ducts, the passages that drain milk from the lobules to the nipple. Less commonly, breast cancer can begin in the stromal tissues, which include the fatty and fibrous connective tissues of the breast.
Breast Anatomy:
A ducts
B lobules
C dilated section of duct to hold milk
D nipple
E fat
F pectoralis major muscle
G chest wall/rib cage
Enlargement:
A normal duct cells
B basement membrane
C lumen (center of duct)
Over time, cancer cells can invade nearby healthy breast tissue and make their way into the underarm lymph nodes, small organs that filter out foreign substances in the body. If cancer cells get into the lymph nodes, they then have a pathway into other parts of the body. The breast cancer’s stage refers to how far the cancer cells have spread beyond the original tumor.
Breast cancer is always caused by a genetic abnormality (a “mistake” in the genetic material). However, only 5-10% of cancers are due to an abnormality inherited from your mother or father. About 90% of breast cancers are due to genetic abnormalities that happen as a result of the aging process and the “wear and tear” of life in general.
Breast Cancer Risk Factors
Every woman wants to know what she can do to lower her risk of breast cancer. Some of the factors associated with breast cancer -- being a woman, your age, and your genetics, for example -- can't be changed. Other factors -- maintaining a healthy weight, exercising, smoking cigarettes, and eating nutritious food -- can be changed by making choices. By choosing the healthiest lifestyle options possible, you can empower yourself and make sure your breast cancer risk is as low as possible.The known risk factors for breast cancer are listed below. If a factor can't be changed (such as your genetics), you can learn about protective steps you can take that can help keep your risk as low as possible.
Being a Woman: Just being a woman is the biggest risk factor for developing breast cancer. There are about 190,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer and 60,000 cases of non-invasive breast cancer this year in American women.
Age: As with many other diseases, your risk of breast cancer goes up as you get older. About two out of three invasive breast cancers are found in women 55 or older.
Family History: Women with close relatives who've been diagnosed with breast cancer have a higher risk of developing the disease. If you've had one first-degree female relative (sister, mother, daughter) diagnosed with breast cancer, your risk is doubled.
Genetics: About 5% to 10% of breast cancers are thought to be hereditary, caused by abnormal genes passed from parent to child.
Personal History of Breast Cancer: If you've been diagnosed with breast cancer, you're 3 to 4 times more likely to develop a new cancer in the other breast or a different part of the same breast. This risk is different from the risk of the original cancer coming back (called risk of recurrence).
Eating Unhealthy Food: Diet is thought to be at least partly responsible for about 30% to 40% of all cancers. No food or diet can prevent you from getting breast cancer. But some foods can make your body the healthiest it can be, boost your immune system, and help keep your risk for breast cancer as low as possible.
Being Overweight: Overweight and obese women have a higher risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer compared to women who maintain a healthy weight, especially after menopause. Being overweight also can increase the risk of the breast cancer coming back (recurrence) in women who have had the disease.
Low of Vitamin D Levels: Research suggests that women with low levels of vitamin D have a higher risk of breast cancer. Vitamin D may play a role in controlling normal breast cell growth and may be able to stop breast cancer cells from growing.
Lack of Exercise: Research shows a link between exercising regularly at a moderate or intense level for 4 to 7 hours per week and a lower risk of breast cancer.
Smoking: Smoking causes a number of diseases and is linked to a higher risk of breast cancer in younger, premenopausal women. Research also has shown that there may be link between very heavy second-hand smoke exposure and breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women.
Drinking Alcohol: Research consistently shows that drinking alcoholic beverages -- beer, wine, and liquor -- increases a woman's risk of hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer.
Radiation to Chest or Face Before Age 30: If you had radiation to the chest to treat another cancer (not breast cancer), such as Hodgkin's disease or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, you have a higher-than-average risk of breast cancer. If you had radiation to the face at an adolescent to treat acne (something that’s no longer done), you are at higher risk of developing breast cancer later in life.
Certain Breast Changes: If you've been diagnosed with certain benign (not cancer) breast conditions, you may have a higher risk of breast cancer. There are several types of benign breast conditions that affect breast cancer risk
Race/Ethnicity: White women are slightly more likely to develop breast cancer than African American, Hispanic, and Asian women. But African American women are more likely to develop more aggressive, more advanced-stage breast cancer that is diagnosed at a young age.
Pregnancy History: Women who haven’t had a full-term pregnancy or have their first child after age 30 have a higher risk of breast cancer compared to women who gave birth before age 30.
Breastfeeding History: Breastfeeding can lower breast cancer risk, especially if a woman breastfeeds for longer than 1 year.
Menstrual History: Women who started menstruating (having periods) younger than age 12 have a higher risk of breast cancer later in life. The same is true for women who go through menopause when they're older than 55.
Using HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy): Current or recent past users of HRT have a higher risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer. Since 2002 when research linked HRT and risk, the number of women taking HRT has dropped dramatically.
Having Dense Breasts: Research has shown that dense breasts can be 6 times more likely to develop cancer and can make it harder for mammograms to detect breast cancer.
Light Exposure at Night: The results of several studies suggest that women who work at night -- factory workers, doctors, nurses, and police officers, for example -- have a higher risk of breast cancer compared to women who work during the day. Other research suggests that women who live in areas with high levels of external light at night (street lights, for example) have a higher risk of breast cancer.
DES (diethylstilbestrol) Exposure: Some pregnant women were given DES from the 1940s through the 1960s to prevent miscarriage. Women who took DES themselves have a slightly higher risk of breast cancer. Women who were exposed to DES while their mothers were pregnant with them also may have slightly higher risk of breast cancer later in life.
Exposure to Chemicals in Cosmetics: Research strongly suggests that at certain exposure levels, some of the chemicals in cosmetics, hair products, and detergents may contribute to the development of cancer in people.
Exposure to Chemicals in Food: There's a real concern that pesticides, antibiotics, and hormones used on crops and livestock may cause health problems in people, including an increase in breast cancer risk. There are also concerns about the chemicals in fast foods, mercury in seafood and industrial chemicals in food and food packaging.
Exposure to Chemicals for Lawns and Gardens: Research strongly suggests that at certain exposure levels, some of the chemicals in lawn and garden products may cause cancer in people. But because the products are diverse combinations of chemicals, it's difficult to show a definite cause and effect for any specific chemical.
Exposure to Chemicals in Plastic: Research strongly suggests that at certain exposure levels, some of the chemicals in plastic products, such as bisphenol A (BPA), may cause cancer in people.
Exposure to Chemicals in Sunscreen: While chemicals can protect us from the sun's harmful ultraviolet rays, research strongly suggests that at certain exposure levels, some of the chemicals in some sunscreen products may cause cancer in people.
Exposure to Chemicals in Water: Research has shown that the water you drink -- whether it’s from your home faucet or bottled water from a store -- may not always be as safe as it could be. Everyone has a role in protecting the water supply. There are steps you can take to ensure your water is as safe as it can be.
Exposure to Chemicals When Food Is Grilled/Prepared: Research has shown that women who ate a lot of grilled, barbecued, and smoked meats and very few fruits and vegetables had a higher risk of breast cancer compared to women who didn't eat a lot of grilled meats.
Dangers of Mammograms
Over 50 Percent of the Death Rate From Cancer is Induced by X-Rays
The following information from Dr. Mercola reveals the dangers of mammography and the benefits of a safe breast cancer screening test called thermography.
Your doctor probably hasn’t told you about it, but a suspicious finding via thermography is the single most important indicator of high risk for breast cancer. And an astounding 95 percent of early stage breast cancers are diagnosed when this non-invasive, painless and utterly risk-free process is used in a multi-modal approach to detection and treatment.
Using thermography instead of mammography could mean the difference between overturning your boat in shark-infested waters, life preserver in hand, outcome unknown… and learning how to keep your boat upright so that you never need a life preserver in the first place.
The reality is reducing exposure to medical radiation such as unnecessary mammograms would likely reduce mortality rates.
What’s more, false diagnoses of breast cancer are very common – as high as 89 percent – leading many women to be unnecessarily and harmfully treated by mastectomy, more radiation and chemotherapy.
So why is there such a push towards screening mammograms?
Because it’s become a billion dollar a year business – one that appears to be more motivated by profits than helping its patients.
Here’s a loose estimate of the money the medical establishment rakes in on mammograms every year:
$100 average cost per screening x 65 million U.S. women aged 40 or over
= $6.5 billion dollars per year
= $6.5 billion dollars per year
Add to that a few million $1,000+ biopsies and it becomes clear that annual mammography screenings for women 40 years and older is at least a $10 billion dollar per year industry.
In fact, according to Barbara Brenner, Executive Director of the San Francisco-based Breast Cancer Action advocacy group and herself a breast cancer survivor.
The United States Public Campaign to Eradicate Breast Cancer has Not Focused on Prevention, but Largely on Efforts to Promote Mammography Screening
Of course, there are instances where mammography may be warranted. But the truth is there are other technologies that are proven to be more effective, less expensive and completely harmless, that can save far more lives that your doctor isn’t telling you about.
Of course, there are instances where mammography may be warranted. But the truth is there are other technologies that are proven to be more effective, less expensive and completely harmless, that can save far more lives that your doctor isn’t telling you about.
If you’re a woman, there’s a one in eight chance that you’ll develop breast cancer during your lifetime. And despite the fact that reducing exposure to medical radiation such as unnecessary mammograms would likely reduce mortality rates, the American cancer society is promoting mammography to the exclusion of most other screening devices.
The Safe Breast Cancer Screening Test Your Doctor Isn’t Telling You About
(from Dr. Mercola)
You may not know it, but there’s a tool available right now – today -- to help you identify the conditions and diseases that could be growing inside you, symptomless and seemingly harmless … for the moment.
If you’re a woman concerned about breast cancer -- and what woman isn’t? -- this
technology could quite literally save your breasts, and your life.
Your body has an amazing capacity for self-healing. When something goes awry with the normal functioning of your body, it will try to heal itself through natural processes. If those processes fail, symptoms will develop. This is the point at which most people realize they need help – when symptoms appear which affect their lives, or even threaten them.
But what if you could get a heads-up that your body was going through some abnormal changes an entire decade before discernible symptoms develop – well before your life is in potential danger?
Unfortunately, conventional medicine is stubbornly holding on to old ideas of cancer detection and treatment, no matter how ineffective it’s been proven to be. Breast cancer detection methods used by the mainstream medical community include mammography, ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging (MRIs), and PET scans.
Education and awareness of better, less risky and more effective options for detecting breast cancer are woefully deficient, but as you will learn, they do exist.
Preventing Breast Cancer
Breast cancer is a complex disease, and many things contribute to it. The following points explain some other things you can do to help prevent breast cancer.
Bra Wearing Habits
In a study by Singer and Grismaijer in 1995, 3 out of 4 women studied who wore a bra for 24 hours a day developed breast cancer compared to 1 out of 168 who wore a bra rarely or never.
That is a huge difference, and the implication is clear. Your first line of defense in preventing breast cancer is to severely limit how many hours a day you wear a bra.
hindering the normal cleansing process of the breast tissue. Many environmental toxins and pesticides that cause and promote cancer are "fat-loving" and so tend to reside in the breast tissue. Lymph fluid carries away waste products, dead cells, and toxins.
Another study found that wearing a bra decreased melatonin production and increased the core body temperature. Melatonin is a powerful antioxidant and hormone that promotes good sleep, fights aging, boosts immune system, and slows the growth of certain types of cancer, including breast cancer.
Note: If you need or want to wear a bra, find one that is fitting. Be especially careful about the underwires and side panels, because if the fit is not just right, the underwire can poke into the breast tissue, and the side panels can create extra pressure and tightness. Consider getting fitted right with a professional fitter by following these guidelines on this web page:
Also, give your breasts "free time". Take your bra off whenever you can, such as at home. At the very least do not wear it to sleep.
Note: While bras do give breasts support, they do not ultimately prevent your breasts from sagging. Gravity will eventually take its effect. There is actually some evidence that bras can even increase sagging. One possible reason for that is that the breast has ligaments, and since other bodily ligaments can atrophy when not in use, the same might happen to the breast ligaments under the constant artificial support from the bra, resulting in increased sagginess. Another possible reason for bra-wearing increasing sagginess is IF a woman wears an ill-fitting bra, which may force some of the breast tissue to "migrate", resulting in differently shaped breasts than otherwise.
Note: All of this may sound far-fetched ... your doctor may have never heard of it, but the evidence is there. Preventing breast cancer should be a very important matter for all of us. Drastically reducing the amount of time your breasts are bound in bras and being conscientious of only wearing well-fitting bras are easy steps to take that might save you a fortune in medical bills, and even your life!
Vitamin D and Sunlight
Breast cancer mortality rates in the U.S. vary according to the geographic region so that the highest rates are in the northeast and urban areas, and lowest rates in the south and rural areas. This is explained by the variation in sunlight and the subsequent vitamin D production. According to William B. Grant's analysis, breast cancer risk could be cut in half by sufficient vitamin D levels - or in other words, by sufficient sun exposure.
Adult humans need much more vitamin D than the amount that used to be recommended (400 IU) — probably somewhere around 3000-5000 IU daily. So you cannot get enough vitamin D from the diet alone. Sun exposure without sunscreens is the preferred source of vitamin D. If you need vitamin D supplementation, blood testing of vitamin D level is recommended to know how much supplements to take and not to overdose. Dr. Mercola's article on vitamin D deficiency explains the testing, as well as how much sun exposure is adequate. Just remember, don't burn!
Carbohydrates, Obesity, and Breast Cancer
Obesity has long been recognized as a risk factor for breast cancer. Recent reasearch is starting to unveil a bigger picture where obesity, a condition called insulin resistance/hyperinsulinemia, higher estrogen levels, and insulin-like growth factor I are all connected, and act synergistically. The exact causal mechanism is yet uncertain and under study.
People with insulin resistance or hyperinsulinemia (also called syndrome X) have high levels of insulin in their blood because the cells in their body are resisting insulin and so the body produces lots of it to counteract the resistance. This condition is caused by eating too much carbohydrates that digest rapidly, like bread, potatoes, rice, corn, baked goods, pop and other sugary drinks, cakes, cookies, most desserts, and some sweet fruits. These foods have high glycemic index (GI). Carbohydrate foods with low glycemic index (those which digest slowly) would be lentils, beans, barley, most vegetables, and some fruits. And some foods have a medium glycemic index, for example pasta and certain kinds of breads.
The mechanism of insulin resistance is as follows:
When you eat lots of carbohydrates with high glycemic index, the pancreas produces lots of insulin so that the energy from those carbohydrates (in form of glucose) could be used in the cells all around the body. Insuling is like a 'key' that opens the door to the cells so that energy (glucose) can enter the cells from the bloodstream. When there is lots of insulin in the bloodstream, the cells start resisting insulin's action. Insulin-resistant cells resist the 'key', so therefore they don't get the glucose (energy). Instead, all the extra glucose ends up stored as body fat (that's why obesity is a symptom), while the person can still feel hungry.
Almost all people with type 2 diabetes and many with high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and overweight people are insulin resistant. But multitudes of apparently healthy Americans also are have this condition without knowing it, because their pancreas is (still) compensating for the resistance by putting out lots and lots of insulin. You can suspect insulin resistance if you suffer from fatigue, brain fogginess, low blood sugar, obesity, high triglycerides, and high blood pressure. A glucose tolerance test can determine if a person is insulin resistant.
Note: For more details about preventing and curing breast cancer, refer to the Death to Diabetes website.
Note: For more details about preventing and curing breast cancer, refer to the Death to Diabetes website.
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