Introduction
Because of the social changes, which has brought increased number of workingwoman and hence delayed childbearing, there has been a steep rise in the number of breast cancer patients in the last few decades. But as the incidence of the patients has risen so has raised the modality of treatments and the success rates. Also scientists have devised methods by which the cancer can be detected in an early stage and it has been convincingly proved that early detection and treatment bears a better prognosis than the later stage.

Myths
There are many myths attached to breast cancer. Some think that any lump in breast is a breast cancer but to the contrary most of them are benign. Similarly it was a popular belief earlier that breast-feeding decreases one’s risk of the cancer but that has been now found to be untrue. Some say that mammography makes the breast cancer widespread but it’s not true. Similarly there are many other myths, which need to be cleared in mind of the general mass for the proper detection and management of the tumor.

Early detection
Breast cancer can be detected in an early stage if women are taught to self-examine their breast. In case of detection of any breast lump or of any slightest suspicion, mammography should be done to rule out any tumor. Mammography is a good tool to diagnose this type of cancer.

Statistics
The incidence of breast cancer is increasing at an alarming rate. It is said that every 2-3 minutes one American woman is diagnosed a breast cancer.

Cause
Although the cause is not fully understood but it is hypothesized that there are various factors such as genetic and environmental. The environmental factors are increased age, obesity, smoking and having the first child at late age.

Diagnosis
The findings that denote a cancer are single, non-tender and firm to hard mass with ill-defined margins. This can be later confirmed by mammography and biopsy. After the cancer has been diagnosed staging is done to find out the best treatment option as well as the prognosis.

Management
The management of breast cancer rests basically on two things. The first is the treatment and second is the counseling. The treatment can further be divided into three: medical, radiation, and surgery. The medical treatment consists of drugs such as tamoxifen, which is an anti estrogen, aromatase inhibitors such as aminoglutethimide and monoclonal antibodies such as trastuzumab. But similar to other drugs they have their own side effects profile. The side effects associated with tamoxifen are increased vaginal bleeding, endometrial cancer and cataracts. The aromatase inhibitors have the side effects of leg cramps, jaundice and weight gain while the monoclonal antibodies may cause sterility or certain birth abnormalities. Generally the radiation and surgery are the modalities, which are needed for the treatment to ward off the body of the cancerous growth.

Breast cancer today is one of the most threatening conditions that a woman might have. A woman’s breast undergoes a lot of changes during her lifetime. Right from puberty breast tissues are continuously developing. Women find changes in their breast at every menstrual cycle where they feel different just before and during the periods days. Pregnancy and Lactation causes a lot of changes in the breasts. As age progresses the breast tissue becomes less dense. Because of these continuous changes women need some extra nutrients so that the breast tissues get the adequate supply of them. There are many causes for breast cancer and you can read more in websites like bcancer.com. But do you know that there are some nutrients and food that especially help to prevent breast cancer.

Studies show that the incidence of breast cancer is very low in some Asian countries when compared to the other races. One of the reasons is attributed to their diet. Like in the case of Green Tea, a compound called epigallocatechin-3 gallate (EGCG) inhibits the growth of breast cancer cells. The Maitake mushrooms, a popular Japanese Mushroom also has proven effects on breast cancer. They contain an important component called D-fraction which ceases the growth of cancerous tumors. Therefore it is recommended for patients with breast cancer in addition to standard chemotherapy.

Studies also show that Vitamin B12 stops the growth of cancer cells. Therefore it is given to breast cancer patients as part of the chemotherapy, which helps to keep the cancer under control. Low folic acid intake is linked to the development of all cancers. Folic acid is crucial to the making and continual repair of DNA which carries our genetic code. High intake of folic acid might reduce the risk of breast cancer.

Being diagnosed with breast cancer is a life-changing event. A torrent of feelings wash over the survivor. Suddenly, the world feels like an unsafe place. Little things seem unimportant to the survivor. And the big things, like life, seem tenuous. Knowing the emotional responses she is experiencing will help friends, family and fellow survivors support and nurture her, and each other. She needs to be encouraged to fully feel and express each of her feelings.

The most helpful thing you can do is “just stand there” while she goes through the range of emotions. Often we try to “fix” or stop the flow of feelings so we don’t experience the pain and discomfort. But transformation and healing occur when feelings are felt and honored, not when they are repressed or denied.

Here are some emotions you might witness:

1. Shock and Disbelief

"There must be some mistake. It can't be happening to me! I'm healthy. I take care of myself!" Disbelief is one of the most prevalent first emotional responses.

2. Overwhelm

Breast cancer survivors are faced with many critical decisions. Often there is a time pressure to make treatment decisions. It helps to have support with research about traditional, alternative and complementary treatment options.

3. Fear

"Am I going to die? Will I be disfigured? Will you still love me? Will I love myself?" These are the major questions hovering in the dark recesses of the survivor's mind. It helps tremendously to bring them up for discussion.

4. Worry

"How sick will I be? Who will take care of the children? How will I deal with loss of income? Will I lose my job?" Once the first wave of personal survival questions are dealt with, these questions wear on the survivor's mind.

5. Anger

"Why me? I don't deserve this! I don't have time or money to deal with this!" Anger, if not expressed, is the most insidious of all emotions. In itself, repressed anger can create disease. Having a healthy outlet for these feelings needs to be part of the breast cancer patient's treatment program.

6. Resentment

" I'm not the one this should be happening to! I eat well, exercise, get mammograms, take vitamins! Why should I have to suffer with this disease!" Often there is no logical explanation for the onset of cancer. It's natural that feelings of resentment may arise.

7. Loneliness

"No one ever is here for me. I'm all alone. I have no friends I can count on. I feel so alone!" Even when family and friends are around to help, often survivors feel isolated and alone. They are unable to ask for the help they want and need.

8. Sadness

Sadness prevails when any loss is imminent. Tears may flow profusely as the loss of precious body parts is contemplated. The thought of further illness from chemo treatments may seem unbearable. She needs gentle comfort and frequent reassurance.

9. Misunderstood

She may feel that nobody is listening or really understands her. In actuality, no one else can really understand what she is going through. Every person's experience is unique. Honor her and her uniqueness. Give her space to express her feelings and thoughts.

10. Hopefulness

Seen as a learning opportunity, the breast cancer experience could create a feeling of hope for an entirely new and different life, one filled with passion, fulfillment, joy and love. Knowing that life is ongoing, and only the body dies, can give great comfort during this otherwise stressful time.

There are so many jokes about mammograms! Have you heard the one about the fridge door …or the bookends …or the garage floor? Thanks to all the jokes, “Mammogram” has become a household word, and it’s not that I don’t have a sense of humor, but as a mammography technologist, I’ve heard the jokes many times. I think the jokes are embarrassing for women and demeaning with regard to their physical bodies. Many women say, “If men had to do this, there would be a better solution” - this may or may not be true. Most people agree that mammograms are not perfect, but until there is a better solution, I think it’s time to look at mammograms in a different light.

In May of 1985 and 1986 I asked my doctor to order a mammogram for me and he refused both times saying I was too young. There were no screening mammography centers to which I could refer myself, so that was that. In December of 1986 at the age of 42 I felt a lump in my breast and had a mammogram the same day. It turned out to be Stage II breast cancer with 4 positive lymph nodes. I had a lumpectomy, a mastectomy and chemotherapy but chose not to have radiation. I obviously wasn’t too young to have cancer.

In May 1985 a mammogram cost less than $60.00 and would have resulted in my having minor surgery to deal with a small lump. Delaying the diagnosis until December 1986 raised the cost of the medical care I received both in dollars and the amount of human suffering we faced. I say “we” because a diagnosis of cancer affects the family, friends and community of the person with the disease. A timely mammogram would have saved us all a lot of grief.

The common perception is that having a mammogram is a negative experience; I think this is a bad rap. Mammograms are quick and easy breast X-Rays; which usually means two views of each breast – one from the top and one from the side. They are performed by friendly, knowledgeable technologists who do their best to help women feel at ease. The technologists’ goal is to get the best films possible and also to make the experience as quick and painless as possible.

When people go for a mammogram the most important thing to know is that relaxation of the upper body is the key to a positive experience. I know it’s hard to relax when you’re apprehensive, but this is why I believe we need to lessen the public apprehension of this test. It is easy to relax by taking some deep breaths before you have the test. By relaxing your muscles you will be much more comfortable through the test than if you are tense. An added bonus is that the films will be of higher quality, as it is easier to image the back of the breast close to the chest wall if the pectoralis muscles are relaxed. When it’s done, you may hear yourself saying, “That wasn’t bad at all!”

Some women are embarrassed to have a mammogram because they don’t want anyone other than their partner to see and touch their breasts. The mammogram jokes add to their fear of pain and embarrassment making it harder for them to manage, and I know of some women who avoid having a mammogram for this reason. The test is done in privacy; no one but a female technologist will be present. Technologists, for the most part, are sensitive people who will do the test as quickly and professionally as they can. Many women who have resisted the test for a long time are amazed at how simple and painless it can be.

Mammograms include compression of the breast with a plastic plate to produce a high quality image with the least amount of radiation. Breast compression is meant to be tight, but it should not be painful and it only lasts for a few seconds. If you think about looking at a bunch of grapes – it’s hard to see them all from one spot. If you spread the grapes out, you can see more grapes. Similarly with the use of compression, more breast tissue is visible when the breast is spread out. With a flatter, thinner layer of tissue the amount of radiation required is less than if the breast is not compressed. The amount of radiation you get is as low as can be achieved if adequate compression is used, and also if good quality control is maintained at the mammogram facility.

In the U.S.A. the cost of a mammogram runs between $50 and $150.00. There is financial help available from insurance companies, state and local programs, and from some employers. Please do not let the cost deter you from having a mammogram as the cost of not having a mammogram can be much higher both financially and emotionally. Check for information on the internet.

In most places in Canada, women can book their own appointment for a free screening mammogram; a doctor’s referral is not required. In places without a screening program, mammography is available with a doctor’s referral and is covered by health insurance. Approximately 7% of women will be asked to have further testing. Most of the time, follow up testing involves an additional mammogram with a different view to separate the breast tissue in a particular area to get a better image. In my analogy of the bunch of grapes, it’s like having a few grapes on top of each other and separating them out in a different way in order to see them better.

There is controversy about the age bracket for women to have a mammogram. On a mammogram film, normal breast tissue in young women usually appears to be dense; normal breast tissue in older women usually turns to fat and appears less dense. Reading mammograms on young women is like looking through a tree which is full of leaves in summer. Reading mammograms on older women can be compared to looking through a tree in winter. You can see why reading mammograms on young women is more complex than reading films on older women and this is the main reason why screening mammography is more effective as women mature.

The fear of being diagnosed with breast cancer will often prevent a woman from having a mammogram. My personal experience is that it is much better to be diagnosed earlier rather than when the cancer has had chance to spread. The amount of fear, pain, embarrassment, and emotional anguish from having a mammogram does not even come close to that of being diagnosed with an advanced cancer. A mammogram takes about 10 minutes; an early cancer can be dealt with in a reasonable amount of time, while an advanced cancer is much more of a time commitment. The amount of fear that comes with a cancer diagnosis is astronomical compared to that of a screening mammogram.

It is often recommended that women have a screening mammogram every two years, but many people believe it is better to have mammograms on an annual basis. It is probably best if women can consult their doctors and make the decision on an individual basis. A number of factors affect the decision such as age, family history, general health, and previous breast problems. Between appointments, whether you choose to have a mammogram every year or every two years, it is important to be aware of any breast problems. If you notice anything unusual it is wise to contact your doctor. This applies even if your mammogram was negative because there are a certain percentage of cancers that do not show on a mammogram.

In the daily fight for survival our vision is blurred because our health is compromised. This is when the enemy attacks- we lose focus and become vulnerable. We doubt our inner strength and become discouraged and depressed.

Sometimes it seems like the fates are against us. However, life's obstacles should not deter us from our personal triumphs. We must forge upward and onward to meet our goals; not necessarily our destiny.

Be vigilant; protect the spirit. Remember the enemy is sneaky and dangerous. My enemy is Breast Cancer. Who or what is your enemy? Have you identified it? If you have, ask yourself a few questions and solidify a plan of action.

Cling steadfastly to beliefs. Sometimes it becomes our sole life line; our saving grace. During the darkest hours of the storm it can become impossible to hold on. But hold on we must. We must weather the storm. It may be necessary to go outside our comfort zone. It may be time to re- examine our lives, question our beliefs, and make life changing decisions.

Establish and develop a relationship with God. It is the single most proactive choice we can make. Faith is nothing if it is not tested and tried. Stand firmly on it; focus steadily on the enemy, and never lose site of goals. Rebuke the demon daily in the name of Jesus and through it all laugh; it is therapeutic.

We handle the things that we can and stay optimistic, trusting in our hearts and in our souls that God will bring us through the storm. If we believe and have faith as tiny as a mustard seed we will be able to move mountains. Stop worrying and feeling sorry for self; fight with every fiber of the being. Desperate situations call for desperate measures.

The enemy must not take control of the mind, the intellect, and/ or the soul. Keep it at bay; pray, pray, pray. Stay optimistic and nourish the spirit regularly to keep it strong and centered.

The spirit is the core of the being- it needs sustenance. Let the spirit drink the nourishment provided by the Lord as it hungers for righteousness. Remember the spirit can grow weak but it will never die. Inner strength comes from the God within. It doesn’t take an awful lot to revive the spirit. Prayer and meditation does; the Word of God fortifies the soul; they are free and always available.

Detecting Breast Cancer early is a key step in protecting yourself from the dire consequences and risk of breast cancer. There is now some new technology using Infrared to help you do self-examinations in the privacy of your own home. Surprisingly these units are in expensive only about $100.00; the device is called; “iFind”

The unit is relatively small and not bigger than a deck of cards. It discovers malignant or cancerous tissue quickly and emits a red flash and an audible tone. The process is not too scientific, actually the principles are quite simple indeed. The Infrared light picks up cancerous areas through the detecting of oxygen levels in the bloodstream. The near-infrared beam has no side effects what so ever.

The unit is over 90% successful in detection in patients who check themselves routinely over a 5-6 year period, however the manufacturers of the unit believe over time they will be close to 100% as they refine the unit. The unit is on fast track with the FDA for approval and could be the answer to inexpensive breast cancer preventative early detection. Such a simple device can be put in a purse taken with on vacation or during travel and it could end up saving your life, ifind is definetely needed in the fight against breast cancer and will assist in the most crucial point and that is early detection. Think on this

There were so many emotions that I experienced in 2003 when the doctor confirmed I had Breast Cancer; I was overwhelmed. That was a point in my life that seemed to play out in slow motion. I was in a perpetual state of emotional turmoil. I had so many different emotions surfacing then, some of them I couldn’t even identify.

There were many days when I was bombarded by questions for which I didn’t have the answers; and in some instances, I had answers but no questions. I sometimes felt like I had been punched by a world class boxer in the middle of my stomach; all the air was knocked out of me.I couldn’t catch my breath, and for a little while I allowed this to be my reality.

I certainly felt that I was entitled; poor me. I wallowed in my self pity, my anger, my frustration, and my zombie- like state of total helplessness- for a little while; but soon self pity, and anger, and helplessness- to my surprise- became my licking stick. I was being hurt by the very emotions that made me feel validated. I was being betrayed by those same feelings that gave me a sense of safety. I was a prisoner of all my fears. In reality I was spiritually exposed, my emotions were raw; I was vulnerable. I remember thinking, how dare cancer invade my breast? I remember thinking no one in the family ever had cancer, so how could I get breast cancer? I remember trying to pin point a time when I may have done something to attract breast cancer. I remember trying to figure out why a vegetarian, health conscious nut would get breast cancer…any cancer.

This was not supposed to happen to me; it had to be a mistake. They were all legitimate, reasonable thoughts and questions for which I had no answers. I was scared, I was angry, I felt alienated, I was proud, I was determined, I was in shock, I was depressed, I was sorry for me. I was suffering and I wanted to suffer alone. I wanted no assistance because no one else understood. I was adamant in my efforts to lock everyone who cared about me out of the circle of my conflicting emotions; so I kept all those emotions under cover. I couldn’t show it to anyone. I was stalwart in the presence of adversity…and the pressure kept building, silently.

I rode this emotional rollercoaster for what seemed like an eternity. I was too scared, proud, angry, shocked, and confused to break down in front of anyone, or so I thought.

One day, I came to an emotional/ spiritual impasse. The pressure was building on both levels, and when it erupted, it did so unexpectedly. It did so with great pizzazz.

I was all alone when the lid blew. I threw an emotional tantrum. I was praying and I thought I was doing great until all hell broke loose. Somewhere during my praying, I started reasoning with God and cancer. Then unknowingly I moved on to pleading; I was scared. I was so scared. I could barely move. I was overcome by the fear of being ravished and dying a horrible death. I was overcome by pride of not wanting anyone to see me physically debilitated and withering away. I was hot, I was cold…I felt trapped in a multitude of emotions…I couldn’t breathe…I started hyper-ventilating. My head was spinning from all the conflicting, confusing emotions that surfaced that day.

Fear soon became anger and frustration. I stood in front of the Dresser mirror and I started a conversation with Breast Cancer- like it was a real person; I found myself calling it DeMon. I was tired of being scared to the point of immobility on all levels. I was pissed it chose to set up residence in my little breast. I had had enough; it was time to face my demon; time to handle my business. It was time for cancer to feel my true inner strength. I decided at that moment to fight back - I don’t even remember going into the shower, but that is where my daughter and my granddaughter found me screaming, cursing, and beating the stuffing out of the shower walls I had a cry to end all crying.

They both came into the shower with me and we all had a good cry together. When I stepped out of the shower that day, I affirmed my intentions to cancer- You want a fight cancer? Well, you got one on your hands now. You don’t know the half of it. I am going to kick your a**...and, I am going to do it in the name of my God.

It was therapeutic. It was cleansing. It was refreshing.

After that episode, I felt better than I had felt since I got the – you have aggressive breast cancer- news. I was able to tell my daughters why I was crying, why I had suddenly become a recluse, and why I was so moody and aloof. I was able to explain how I really felt- no holds barred. Somehow, in the midst of all the turmoil I found a way to deal with my breast cancer issues; no more cowering in the dark, no more hiding from the reality of my situation, no more intimidation from DeMon .The time had come for me to set my parameters for this disease. I discarded reactive for proactive measures. I started writing my feelings down in my journals.

I made a list of my expectations-wants/needs, and I made concrete plans to defeat breast cancer. I replaced the fear of suffering and death with the will to live a happy productive and healthy life - cancer free.

We hear it all the time…lose weight for your health. Few people however, realize the extent to which this is critical to their physical well-being and ultimately their life expectancy.

In January 2003, the Journal of the American Medical Association featured a study finding that obesity appears to lessen life expectancy, especially among young adults. The researchers compared Body-Mass Index (BMI) to longevity and found a correlation between premature death and higher BMIs. For example, a 20-year-old white male, 5’10” weighing 288 pounds with a BMI of greater than 40 was estimated to lose 13 years of his life as a result of obesity.

Jamie McManus, M.D., F.A.A.F.P. and author of “Your Personal Guide to Wellness” notes that while this study referenced extreme levels of obesity, there are still millions of overweight people in developed countries with a life expectancy rate that is three to five years less than their healthy-weight counterparts. She also estimates that there are 600,000 obesity related deaths each year in America.

Just how does obesity shorten our lifespan? The answer to this question is complex, yet there is a clear link between obesity and the development of cancer. An extensive study conducted by the American Cancer Institute involving 750,000 people showed that obesity significantly increased the risk of cancer developing in the following organs: breast, colon, ovaries, uterus, pancreas, kidneys and gallbladder.

Michael Thun, MD, vice-president of epidemiology and surveillance research for the American Cancer Society (ACS) says one reason obesity may raise cancer risk is because fat cells produce a form of estrogen called estradiol that promotes rapid division of cells, increasing chances of a random genetic error while cells are replicating, which can lead to cancer. In addition, fat centered around the abdomen may increase insulin and insulin-like growth factors in the blood, which may increase cancer risk.

"Women who are obese after menopause have a 50% higher relative risk of breast cancer," notes Thun, "and obese men have a 40% higher relative risk of colon cancer…. Gallbladder and endometrial cancer risks are five times higher for obese individuals”.

There is evidence that cancer rates in developed countries are increasing at 5 to 15 times faster than developing countries. A major contributor to this alarming reality has proven to be diet. In populations where the diet consists mostly of fresh fruit and vegetables and whole grains – in contrast to the typical Western diet of fatty meats, refined flours, oils and sugars – the risk of cancer is much lower.

The interaction of diet and the development of cancer is an active field of research and Dr David Heber, M.D., Ph.D. and author of “What Color is Your Diet”, says “It appears that diet has its most significant effects after the cancer has already formed, acting to inhibit or stimulate the growth of that cancer”. At the risk of oversimplifying a complex set of interactions, the typical Western diet that leads to obesity may actually act to stimulate the growth of cancer cells.

It is never too late to improve your health through healthful eating and adopting a more health-giving lifestyle. Here are simple steps to follow which can make an immediate improvement to your health and vitality.

1. Check your Body Mass Index (BMI) to determine if weight has become health risk. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 60% of Americans are overweight, defined as having a BMI (a ratio of height to weight) over 25. Of those, nearly half (27%) qualify as obese, with a body mass index of 30 or more. In 1980, just 15% of Americans were considered obese. You can check your BMI at the website below.

2. Match your diet to your body’s requirements. If you eat and drink more calories than your body requires you will put on weight. Learn to control calories and portion sizes, make recipes leaner, and eat infrequently from fast food restaurants. Also learn how to snack with healthful choices.

3. Color your diet with a large variety of colorful, cancer-fighting fruit and vegetables. There are seven different color ranges of both fruit and vegetables and by choosing between 5 to 9 daily serves from a wide range of fruit and vegetables, we are extending our consumption of cancer (and other disease) fighting nutrients.

4. Eat lean protein with every meal. Protein provides a powerful signal to the brain providing a longer sense of fullness. The right source of protein is essential to controlling your hunger with fewer calories and necessary to maintain your lean muscle mass. Choices of protein should be flavored soy shakes with fruit; the white meat of chicken and turkey, seafood such as shrimps, prawns scallops and lobster and ocean fish or vegetarians may prefer soy based meat substitutes.

5. Rev up your metabolism with activity. If you want to enjoy a lifetime of well-being, exercise is a key ingredient. Colleen Doyle, MS, RD, director of nutrition and physical activity for the American Cancer Society (ACS), says adults should do something for 30 minutes each day that takes as much effort as a brisk walk. Children should be active for an hour each day. We are more likely to develop habits around things we enjoy, so seek activities which you enjoy doing. It is also helpful to build physical activity into your daily routine: use the stairs instead of the escalator or lift at work, park your car in the parking bay furthest from the super marketing and don’t use the remote control to change TV channels.

6. Get support to ensure you develop a healthful eating plan and reach your goal weight. Whilst a small percentage of people possess the discipline to lose weight, many obese people have developed strong thoughts and habits concerning the food they eat. In order to establish new habits, most people respond well to some form of consistent encouragement and coaching. A study, “Effects of Internet Behavioral Counseling on Weight Loss in Adults at Risk of Type 2 Diabetes” shows that participants who had the support of weight loss coaching lost more weight than those who didn’t. The study concluded that the support of a weight loss coach can significantly improve weight loss results.

Being overweight or obese has been identified next to smoking, as the most preventable major risk to developing cancer. Even small weight losses have been shown to have beneficial health effects. So it’s never to late to start and you can never be too young or too old to be concerned about your health and do something about achieving a more healthy weight.

Obesity raises the risk of various types of cancer. And only 3% people know that obesity increases cancer risks. According to a recent research based on one million Americans conducted by the American cancer society, 14% of cancer deaths in men and 20% of cancer deaths in women occur due to Obesity. Scientists say that 90,000 deaths can be avoided in America if they take good care to maintain their body weight. Women are more likely to get cancer in their breasts, gallbladder, ovaries, colon and cervix while men get cancer in colon and rectum.

Breast cancer in women:
There are more than 200 different types of cancer, but together breast, lung, bowel and prostate cancer cover half of the cancer cases. Breast cancer is the most common cancer found in females. Overweight and obesity are the major causes of breast cancer.

Obesity and Breast cancer risk in females:
Obese women have higher amounts of estrogen in their body. Estrogen is mainly produced from the fatty tissues and more amount of fat in your body means you have higher chances of getting affected by breast cancer. Good nutrition, healthy living conditions and a fine environment may help girls to start puberty earlier in life and attain menopause later. Estrogen develops though out the fertility period. And better levels of estrogen in the body increases the risk of breast cancer in women.

Breast cancer in men:
Breast cancer is generally found in females but it is also seen in males. Recent research shows that breast cancer among males is also on the increase. And obesity is one of its main causes. In males too estrogen is responsible for breast cancer.

In the United States, American women are told to begin annual mammographic screening for breast cancer at the age of 40. Long before we’ve reached this age, we are advised to perform a monthly breast exam and see our doctors for a clinical breast exam (CBE) annually as well. However, the detection rate of breast cancer for CBE is only 47% when the tumors are less than 1 centimeter while mammography has given us a 70% detection rate. By the time a tumor is detected by palpation or found mammographically, it has already been growing and developing for 8-10 years.

Mammography has a high false positive rate. Only 1:6 biopsies are found to be positive for cancer when performed due to a positive mammogram or CBE. This places additional stressors on women who undergo these procedures.

Other risks of mammography include the radiation that each breast is exposed to during a mammogram. During a chest X-ray, a person receives 1/1000 of a RAD, or radiation absorbed dose. This type of X-ray is a high energy X-ray. During a mammogram, however, the X-ray used is a low energy X-ray and results in 1 RAD or a 1000-fold greater exposure than a simple chest X-ray. It has been suggested that the low energy X-ray used may cause greater biological damage which is cumulative over time. In a journal entitled Radiation Research and published in 2004, the author concludes that the risks associated with mammography screening may be FIVE times higher than previously assumed and the risk-benefit relationship of mammography exposures need to be re-examined.

In 1982, the FDA approved thermography as an adjunctive tool for breast cancer screening. Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging, also known as DITI measures heat emitted from the body and is accurate to 1/100th of a degree. Certified Clinical Thermographers follow strict guidelines and transmit their scans for interpretation by board certified thermologists. DITI examines physiology, NOT structure. It is in this capacity that DITI can monitor breast HEALTH over time and alert a patient or physician to a developing problem; possibly before a lump can be seen on X-ray or palpated clinically. There are no test limitations such as breast density. Women with cosmetic implants are great candidates for thermography which emits no radiation and no compression. Contact is never made during a thermographic scan.

Clinical research studies continue to support thermography’s role as an adjunctive tool in breast cancer screening and the ONLY tool that measures breast health. There are now more than 800 publications on over 300,000 women in clinical trials. A recent finding published in the American Journal of Radiology in 2003 showed that thermography has 99% sensitivity in identifying breast cancer with single examinations and limited views. Scientists concluded that a negative thermogram is powerful evidence that cancer is not present.

In conclusion, women need to begin breast health screening early; as young as age 25. This can provide women with the earliest possible indication that further investigation is necessary. It takes approximately 15 years for a breast cancer to form and lead to death. If “early detection is the best prevention,” let’s start using technology that truly allows for the earliest possible alert to a developing problem.

Who would have thought that a technology for detecting breast cancer used today actually had its’ roots dating back to 480 B.C.? Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging (DITI) is a fairly new technology that represents a practice that was once used by Hippocrates. This technology is based on a technique that Hippocrates would use as he spread mud over his patients and then watched to see which areas dried first. It was in those places on the body that could show a disease.

It wasn’t until 1957 that the first modern application of thermography came into existence when a Canadian doctor discovered that the skin temperature over a breast tumor was higher than that of healthy tissue. By 1982, the Food and Drug Administration approved thermography and classified it as an additional diagnostic tool for the detection of breast cancer. However, DITI was introduced as a diagnostic tool before strict protocols were established for both the technicians who performed the scans and the doctors who interpreted the scans. Shortly after its initial beginnings, DITI fell out of favor as a diagnostic tool in the medical community.

There are now stringent protocols both for testing and interpreting. Perhaps due to these guidelines, thermography (as with all digital technology) has exploded in its technique and capabilities. Thermal cameras detect heat given off by the body and display it as a picture on a computer monitor. These images are unique to the person and they remain stable over time. It is because of these characteristics that thermal imaging is a valuable and effective screening tool to determine changes that could point to trouble down the road. As we all know, early cancer detection is important to survival.

Another advantage is that, unlike mammography, there is no radiation and no compression of the breast; two significant reasons some women refuse mammography. Thermography measures temperature changes in the body. Tumors create their own blood vessels. Where there are more blood vessels, there is more heat. It is in these areas on the body that the camera detects changes in heat or temperature.

Medical doctors who interpret the breast scans are board certified thermologists.

Thermography can be utilized by women of all ages. It is not limited by breast density and is ideal for women who have had cosmetic or reconstructive surgery. Cancer typically has a 15 year life span from onset to death. Ideally, women should begin thermographic screenings by age 25. A woman diagnosed with breast cancer at age 40 possibly had the cancer as early as age 30. Since most women do not have a mammogram until age 40, there is a critical time period from age 25 to 39 that thermography could be extremely beneficial.

Thermography does not replace mammography. However, it is an additional tool that is available to women. By combining both technologies, the detection rate increases to 95-98%, surpassing either technology as a stand-alone therapy.

Digital technology now makes Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging available to all. There now is a completely safe test that can aid in diagnosis, treatment and monitoring with absolutely no risk or radiation exposure.

DITI, or digital infrared thermal imaging, is a noninvasive diagnostic test that allows a health practitioner to see and measure changes in skin surface temperature. An infrared scanning camera translates infrared radiation emitted from the skin surface and records them on a color monitor. This visual image graphically maps the body temperature and is referred to as a thermogram. The spectrum of colors indicates an increase or decrease in the amount of infrared radiation being emitted from the body surface. In healthy people, there is a symmetrical skin pattern which is consistent and reproducible for any individual.

DITI is highly sensitive and can therefore be used clinically to detect disease in the vascular, muscular, neural and skeletal systems. Medical DITI has been used extensively in human medicine in the United States, Europe and Asia for the past 20 years. Until now, bulky equipment has hindered its diagnostic and economic feasibility. Now, PC-based infrared technology designed specifically for clinical application has changed all this.

Clinical uses for DITI include, defining the extent of a lesion of which a diagnosis has previously been made (for example, vascular disease); localizing an abnormal area not previously identified, so further diagnostic tests can be performed (as in Irritable Bowel Syndrome); detecting early lesions before they are clinically evident (as in breast cancer or other breast diseases); and monitoring the healing process before a patient returns to work or training (as in workman’s compensation claims).

Medical DITI is filling the gap in clinical diagnosis; X-ray, Computed Tomography, Ultrasound and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), are tests of anatomy or structure. DITI is unique in its capability to show physiological or functional changes and metabolic processes. It has also proven to be a very useful complementary procedure to other diagnostic procedures.

Unlike most diagnostic modalities DITI is non invasive. It is a very sensitive and reliable means of graphically mapping and displaying skin surface temperature. With DITI you can diagnosis, evaluate, monitor and document a large number of injuries and conditions, including soft tissue injuries and sensory/autonomic nerve fiber dysfunction. Medical DITI can offer considerable financial savings by avoiding the need for more expensive investigation for many patients. Medical DITI can graphically display the biased feeling of pain by accurately displaying the changes in skin surface temperature. Disease states commonly associated with pain include Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy or RSD, Fibromyalgia and Rheumatoid arthritis.

Medical DITI can show a combined effect of the autonomic nervous system and the vascular system, down to capillary dysfunctions. The effects of these changes reveal an asymmetry in temperature distribution on the surface of the body. DITI is a monitor of thermal abnormalities present in a number of diseases and physical injuries. It is used as an aid for diagnosis and prognosis, as well as therapy follow up and rehabilitation monitoring, within clinical fields that include rheumatology, neurology, physiotherapy, sports medicine, oncology, pediatrics, orthopedics and many others.

I had been a bit nervous all day wondering what my thermogram procedure would entail. Would I need to undress completely? Would I be given one of those paper gowns that opens in the front and barely covers me? Would there be any heat coming out of the camera? I had been avoiding a mammogram after reading the latest information about the risks associated with X-ray; knowing that I was potentially putting myself at greater risk by not taking charge of my health. It was my massage therapist who told me about thermography as an adjunctive tool for breast cancer screening and now I find myself lost in my thoughts as I am driving to my thermographic appointment.

As I entered the lobby, I noticed that the temperature was cool and refreshing. The paintings on the wall were bright and cheerful with many colors that caught my eye. I felt at ease right away.

I was quickly greeted by the thermographer. She guided me to her office and there I felt all the tension melt away. She showed me around the office explaining the need for a cool temperature and allowing me to browse her collection of literature, leaflets, handouts and brochures. It smelled like my grandmother’s garden in the spring. Just a hint of orange blossom, honeysuckle, green apple all mixed with a light touch of rain forest greeted my nose. The plants were lush and healthy and soft music was playing in the background. The lights were dim and I could almost imagine myself back in grandma’s Arizona room.

The thermographer asked if I had any questions and of course I said no, trying to show her that I was calm, relaxed and not a bit nervous. She smiled knowingly and asked me to please step behind the room divider and change into a robe she set out for me. The robes were soft cotton and tied in the front. She then asked that I fill out the paperwork. She explained that I would need to do my best to keep my arms away from the side of my body so I could cool down and she could get a more accurate image. She then read over my information and asked me questions about my health in general and specifically breast health. All the while, I was grateful for the full coverage of the cool, cotton robe and remembered to keep my arms away from my body.

Next, I moved to the scanning area where I was shown the six different positions required for the scan. She then asked me to sit on the stool and turn my back to her. At this point, she asked me to drop my gown. I was told to keep my hands on my waist while she took my thermal picture. I learned that it usually takes 12-15 minutes for the temperature of my skin to come to equilibrium with the temperature of the room. Once my temperature stabilized, the scanning began. During the scan, she asked that I raise my hands above my head and remain still; allowing me to rest my hands back on my waist between the different poses. The camera did not emit any heat and never touched my body. The total scan time was about 5 minutes.

Once we were done, I changed back into my clothes and thanked the technician for a soothing and comforting experience. Before I left the office, I picked up a few of the breast health brochures to share with my family, friends and colleagues.

In November 2003, the American Cancer Society stated that breast cancer is the leading cause of death in women between the ages of 40 and 44. In the United States, there are approximately 200,000 new cases of breast cancer and more than 40,000 deaths; making the U.S. one of the countries with the highest death rate due to breast cancer. Perhaps the most alarming statistic is 1: 8 women will eventually develop breast cancer over their lifetime.

One of the most powerful steps a woman can take to reduce her risk for developing breast cancer is to educate herself about the petrochemicals, or xenoestrogens that are in her environment and work to eliminate or reduce them. Petrochemicals are “hormone disruptors” and it is through the unbalancing of your hormone system that can lead to problems. These xenoestrogens are found in cosmetics, lotions and fingernail polish and polish remover. They are obviously found in pesticides and insecticides. What you may not be aware of is that petrochemicals are found in plastics. If food is placed in a plastic container and reheated in the microwave, the plastic melts into your food and you ingest it. The harder the plastic, the more resistant it is to this process but the potential for accidental xenoestrogen ingestion is still present. Simply put, do not reheat food in plastic containers in the microwave.

Conventional screening methods all examine structure. For example, mammography uses X-ray to examine breast tissue. Any structure that has grown large enough to be seen by X-ray could be detected by mammography. However, mammography can have a high false positive rate. In fact, only 1 in 6 biopsies are found to be positive for cancer when found by mammography or clinical breast exam. This leads to increased psychological stress, physical trauma and financial concerns.

Other risks of mammography include the radiation exposure, although this has been debated by doctors for many years. Recently published in Radiation Research, 2004 the author suggests that the risks associated with mammography screening may be FIVE times higher than previously assumed and the risk-benefit relationship of mammography needs to be re-examined.

There exists a technology that can detect a breast issue YEARS before a tumor can be seen on X-ray or palpated during an exam. This technology has been approved by the FDA as an adjunctive screening tool since 1982 and offers NO RADIATION, NO COMPRESSION AND NO PAIN. For women who are refusing to have a mammogram or those who want clinical correlation for an existing problem, digital infrared thermal imaging may be of interest.

Thermal cameras detect heat emitted from the body and display it as a picture on a computer monitor. These images are unique to the person and remain stable over time. It is because of these characteristics that thermal imaging is a valuable and effective screening tool.

Breast thermography has undergone extensive research since the 1950s. There are over 800 peer-reviewed studies on breast thermography with more than 300,000 women included in large clinical trials. An abnormal thermogram is 10 times more significant as a future risk indicator for breast cancer than a first order family history of the disease. A persistently abnormal thermogram carries a 22-fold higher risk of future breast cancer.

Medical doctors who interpret the breast scans are board certified and endure an additional two years of training to qualify as a thermologist. Thermography is not limited by breast density and is ideal for women who have had cosmetic or reconstructive surgery. It is recommended that since cancer typically has a 15 year life span from onset to death, that women begin thermographic screenings at age 25.

Who isn’t familiar with the expression, “early detection is the best prevention?” We hear this term throughout the year and most everyone is familiar with this “catch phrase” as it relates to breast cancer. Obviously, a woman’s chance for survival improves when a cancer is found early. We hear that simple rhyming statement but are women really offered early detection?

Our “gold standard” for breast cancer screening is mammography, clinical breast exam and self-breast exam. Other techniques are used but ALL current technologies examine structure; something is formed and large enough to be seen or felt. However, it is well-documented that a mass that is detected by mammography has been growing for 8-10 years before it was detected. Is this early detection?

There exists a technology that can detect an issue YEARS before a tumor can be seen on X-ray or palpated during an exam and truly offers early detection. This technology has been approved by the FDA as an adjunctive screening tool since 1982 and offers NO RADIATION, NO COMPRESSION AND NO PAIN. For women who are searching for early breast cancer detection, digital infrared thermal imaging (DITI) may be of interest.

Historically, DITI fell out of favor shortly after its initial debut in the early 80s. When DITI was first introduced, strict protocols and trained technicians did not exist. Shortly after its initial beginnings, DITI fell out of favor as a diagnostic tool in the medical community.

There are now very strict protocols both for testing and interpreting. Perhaps due to these guidelines, thermography (as with all digital technology) has exploded in its technique and capabilities. Thermal cameras detect heat emitted from the body and display it as a picture on a computer monitor. These images are unique to the person and remain stable over time. It is because of these characteristics that thermal imaging is a valuable and effective screening tool. Tumors or other breast diseases measures warmer than surrounding tissue and can thereby alert a physician to a problem before a tumor is actually palpable.

Medical doctors who interpret the breast scans are board certified thermologists. Thermography is not limited by breast density and is ideal for women who have had cosmetic or reconstructive surgery, women who refuse mammography, or women who want clinical correlation for an already existing issue. Thermography, because it analyzes a developing process, may identify a problem several years before mammography. As we all know, early detection is important to survival.

DITI has an average sensitivity and specificity of 90%. An abnormal thermogram carries a 10x greater risk for cancer. A persistent abnormal thermogram carries a 22x greater risk for cancer. Thermography, as well as mammography is a personal choice for women. This decision ideally should be made in collaboration between you and your physician. However, thermography does not require a physician’s order.

Early detection, thanks to regular self-exams and mammograms, ups the chances of successfully treating and surviving breast cancer.

While finding the disease early is important, what if you could help prevent it from ever developing?

Research is mounting that women may be able to do just that – or, at least, greatly lower their risk of breast cancer -- by paying attention to what they eat and choosing foods that actually have breast cancer fighting properties.

“These are not exotic, medicinal tasting or hard-to-find items, but foods you can get at the grocery store,” says cancer expert and researcher Keith I. Block, MD, medical/scientific director of the Block Center for Integrative Cancer Care and Optimal Health in Evanston, Illinois. “The key is to incorporate them into your diet and eat them regularly.”

Dr. Block, Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago and an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Pharmacognosy (the branch of pharmacology that deals with drugs in their natural state and with medicinal herbs and other plants) has researched data from numerous studies and come up with a list of “super foods” that may hold the key to preventing many breast cancers.

For example, “mangoes are rich in cancer-fighting phytochemicals and spinach contains a carotenoid called lutein that may inhibit breast cancer growth,” says Block. “Garlic and onions also contain a host of substances (including flavonols called quercetin and kaempferol and the antioxidant glutathione) that reduce breast cancer risk. Red peppers and tomatoes are loaded with lycopene, a phytochemical that appears to have tumor blocking properties. Other ‘super foods’ with potent cancer preventing properties include corn, tofu, brown basmati rice, whole wheat, red beans, lemon juice and olive oil. In fact, use olive oil instead of other fats for salad dressing and cooking. According to a study released earlier this year, oleic acid, which is found in olive oil, may help inactivate a cancer gene that is responsible for up to 30% of all breast cancers.”

Changing your diet to include foods that may substantially lower your risk of breast cancer is not only a smart choice – it can be a delicious one, according to Penny Block, Co-founder of the Block Center and author of the cook book, A Banquet of Health which features over 200 tantalizing recipes including many of the world's favorite traditional dishes, only with a healthy twist. “The ‘super foods’ can be incorporated into everything from entrees to dips and salsas and even desserts. How you prepare food can also help lower your cancer risk,” Penny adds.

Another reason to pay attention to what you eat comes from a study recently published in the International Journal of Cancer concluded that eating foods that have a high glycemic index may raise the risk of breast cancer among older women. “The glycemic index measures how fast and how high blood sugar rises after you eat foods containing carbohydrates. For example, white bread, sugar and potato chips are high glycemic foods that are converted almost immediately to a rapid spike in blood sugar,” Dr. Block explains. “Brown rice and whole wheat, on the other hand, have a lower glycemic index. They are digested more gradually, leading to a lower and more gentle change in blood sugar. These are the kinds of foods you want to incorporate into a healthy and cancer preventative lifestyle.”

According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), American women have a one in eight chance of developing breast cancer during their lifetime. ACS data show that more than 45,500 Americans, almost all women, died from the disease last year and about three million US women currently have breast cancer.

By now you should be familiar with the yellow 'LiveStrong' rubber cancer awareness bracelets. They were popularized by seven-time Tour de France cycling champion and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong. The money from their proceeds goes for cancer research.

If he has planning to pitchfork cancer awareness into society's consciousness, Lance Armstrong has done a really good job. His rubber bracelets are ubiquitous today, an ever present awareness tool for cancer, and a fund-raising tool for cancer research.

Among cancer awareness bracelets, next to Armstrong's rubber wristbands come the breast cancer awareness bracelets. However, unlike the 'LiveStrong' rubber band bracelets, these breast cancer awareness bracelets come in different colors. The most popular color for breast cancer awareness bracelets is pink.

But why pink? There is a story behind it: Charlotte Haley, a 68-year-old woman, began making and distributing peach ribbons in the 1990s with cards that read: "The National Cancer Institute annual budget is $1.8 billion, only 5 percent goes for cancer prevention. Help us wake up our legislators and America by wearing this ribbon." Haley's daughter, sister and grandmother had breast cancer. Self magazine wanted to use Haley's ribbon but she refused saying they were too commercial. The magazine came up with another color then -- pink. Focus groups say pink is 'soothing, comforting and healing.' Soon the pink ribbon became the worldwide symbol for breast cancer, and Charlotte Haley's peach ribbon was history.

The National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc. says that more than 211,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in America in 2005. Of these 43,300 will die. One woman in eight either has or will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. In addition, 1,600 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 400 will die this year.

However, the breast cancer awareness bracelets can come in all colors, a rainbow of them, depending on the organization or charity selling them. These bracelets usually have some message, such as 'Support Breast Cancer Research And Education' stamped on them.

Well, the breast cancer awareness bracelets needn't be made of rubber or silicone either. The bracelets can be made of pearl, or cats eye, or metal, or any other suitable material. There are even stainless steel breast cancer awareness bracelets! The difference between them is, of course, the price. The rubber ones would sell for around $1 a piece. The metal ones would sell higher. Some pearl breast cancer awareness bracelets sell for around $30 a piece. Such bracelets serve two purposes -- they are jewelry and also spread the message of charity and breast cancer research.

The advantage with rubber breast cancer awareness bracelets, apart from the price, is that they are infinitely customizable. Yes, you can order them in any color and with any message stamped on them. You needn't take them off while washing or playing -- they are all-weather bracelets. And you don't have to worry about losing them, unlike the pearl or cats eye ones.

The rubber breast cancer awareness bracelets can be ordered in bulk or bought in packets of a dozen or so from many Web sites.

If you are scheduled for breast surgery (biopsy, lumpectomy or mastectomy) or you are undergoing post-surgical breast cancer treatment, hypnosis is an excellent complementary therapy that can enhance the positive effects of various therapies.* Using hypnotherapy in combination with your medical breast cancer treatment will make you feel more empowered and in control of your care, and it will help you maximize your overall wellness.

The power of the subconscious mind can be a potent ally in healing from surgery and recovering from breast cancer, for it is the subconscious mind that controls automatic body processes, including immune function and pain perception. Additionally, the subconscious mind is the source of all emotions, which also makes hypnosis a logical choice for dealing with the emotional aspects of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Hypnosis for breast cancer treatment can help with the following issues:

Pre-Surgical Preparation: Numerous studies in medical journals have shown that people who prepare for surgery using hypnosis generally have fewer complications, heal faster and have less post-operative pain. Hypnosis will help you feel calm, relaxed and positive before, during and after surgery. Usually, the hypnosis therapy is geared toward making positive suggestions to your subconscious regarding your surgery and its outcome, as well as teaching you how to effectively manage pre-surgery stress.

When we see pre-surgical clients in our hypnosis practice, we give them a CD to play before and immediately after surgery (and with headphones during surgery, if their surgeon permits). The CD contains soothing music, relaxing imagery and positive suggestions to reassure the client's subconscious mind that the surgery will go smoothly and that their body will heal quickly, with as little discomfort as possible.

The results of pre-surgical hypnosis can be quite amazing. Patients frequently report that they needed very little pain medication and that they were back on their feet very quickly after surgery. I recently spoke with a client with whom I had worked before her major abdominal surgery. After her surgery, her surgeon told her he would order a narcotic pain killer. She told him to hold off on the narcotics because she was not in much pain. In fact, she required only ibuprofen and she was up and walking around just two hours after her surgery! Needless to say, her doctor was amazed.

Any surgery can be stressful, but breast surgery that may indicate a need for follow-up breast cancer treatment can be extremely stressful for any woman. In our practice, hypnosis for breast cancer surgery focuses specifically on this extreme stress. The calmer you stay before the surgery, the more resources your body has to heal itself as quickly as possible.

Follow-Up Treatment If Cancer Is Detected: If you require follow-up radiation and/or chemotherapy as part of your breast cancer treatment, hypnosis can teach you how to feel more relaxed and manage your stress. A growing body of evidence suggests that chronic stress and the cascade of stress hormones it produces can interfere with the proper functioning of the immune system. An immune system which is as healthy as it can be (given the specific treatment) is critically important during breast cancer treatment.

When we work with breast cancer clients in our practice, we teach them relaxation, self-hypnosis and stress management techniques. We also teach our clients how to use mental imagery to encourage their immune system to work together with their medical therapies in order to maximize the benefits of their breast cancer treatment. For example, we may teach a client to visualize her immune system attacking and killing the cancer cells, or surrounding and transforming the cancer cells into something harmless. The visualization work for each client's breast cancer treatment is always tailored to her needs and the way her imagination works.

If your breast cancer treatment creates side effects, including nausea, hypnosis can help you minimize those side effects. And if your breast cancer treatment creates body image issues, hypnosis can also help you feel good about your body again. Each woman is different, both in her needs and in her physical and emotional reactions to the breast cancer treatment and its side effects. Accordingly, each woman's hypnosis sessions will need to be tailored specifically to her requirements and goals.

Many women of today’s biggest fear is breast cancer. With staggering statistics of over a million women each year being diagnosed each year, it is not hard to understand why there is this shadow of worry.

Improvements in technology have allowed the scientific and medical world to more accurately screen and detect the condition, but unfortunately we are nowhere closer to defining an exact cause or even know what can be done to prevent it.

Is it hereditary? Surprisingly enough only a an extremely low amount can be linked to genealogy. It also seems that the scientific community is less motivated to on the age old saying of “prevention is better than cure,” with the majority of funds being emptied into more lucrative market of treatment, rather than the research dedicated to finding and eliminating the cause of the cancer.

The treatments themselves are invasive and often severe. The shock of a positive diagnosis, can leave many women frozen and, many of the treatment options presented to them are drowned out by the resounding diagnosis. To do it alone is foolish not brave, a close friend will be far more able to take the options that are given.

Probably the most severe form of treatment, and unfortunately the most common in years gone by is either a lumpectomy or mastectomy. This is then followed up with an intensive course of radiotherapy to eliminate the chance of any cancer cells surviving. Depending on the individual, the radiotherapy can in turn be followed by the haunting prospect of chemotherapy.

Hormonal treatment is another option The drug Novaldex cuts the production of estrogen which has been proven to actually nourish tumors. Many breast cancer patients have decided to turn their back on conventional medicine and taken to the far less invasive alternative treatments.

It may seem a dark and lonely road, full of confusion, fear and at times desperation, but you can be assured that there are women out there who have overcome these feelings and who are on the side waiting to take your hand.

Breast cancer is very rare in men, it mainly affects women. It is not hereditary but certain factors are linked with developing breast cancer. They are, the risk of postmenopausal breast cancer is increased by being overweight, the use of hormone replacement (HRT) increases the risk, having the last menstrual cycle from the early 50’s and older increases the risk, having the first menstrual cycle at a later age and being pregnant at an early age lowers the risk. Although most breast cancers are hormonally related other factors may affect the risk, such as stress, carcinogens, use of stimulants, exposure to pesticides and oral contraceptive.

The symptoms of breast cancer are a painless lump that is found in the breast, if breast cancer spreads to other parts of the body then symptoms will affect that part of the body ranging from neurological problems, bone pain, weight loss, fatigue and anaemia.

Along with traditional medicine changing the diet and one’s lifestyle can help with breast cancer. Keeping to a vegetarian style diet by reducing animal fats in the diet (eat very little meat and cut out dairy products) will help, only eat organic vegetables and meat (this will reduce the exposure of pesticides and hormones), consume lots of tomatoes as these are high in lycopene which can inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells, consume plenty of olive oil, increase fibre in the diet, reduce the exposure of soft, fatty or acid foods to soft plastics (do not use cling film, buy food that comes in paper, glass or ceramic containers or if food is supplied in a plastic container then remove and store in glass or ceramic container in the fridge, cut out stimulants such as caffeine, sugar and alcohol, change one’s lifestyle to minimise stress, maybe take up Yoga and meditation, increase exercise, cut out smoking and increase the consumption of the essential oils Omega 3 and Omega 6 which are found in oily fish, seeds, evening primrose oil, borage oil and flax oil.

Foods that are anti-cancer and should be plentiful in the diet are sweet potatoes, carrots, watercress, peas, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts, spinach, onions, leeks, garlic, soy products, lemons, mangoes, melon, peppers, pumpkin, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, elderberries, pears, shiitake mushrooms, tomatoes, cabbage, grapefruit, kiwi fruit, oranges, seeds, nuts, squash, tuna, mackerel, salmon, wheat or rice bran, oats, wild rice, rye, apricot, walnuts, beans and the herbs and spices – rosemary, thyme, oregano and turmeric. These vegetable and fruits should be eaten raw and fresh as possible or lightly steamed so that no goodness is lost. Soy beans and products are extremely good in reducing tumour growth and inducing cancer cells to revert to normal. Soy beans have genistein in them which is an angiostat (anti-growth compound that prevent cancer from growing by preventing the formation of new blood vessels that aid cancer cells to grow).

The following supplements may help if you are suffering from Breast Cancer.

Antioxidant complex

Beta cartene

Biotin

Calcium

Cat’s claw

Co-enzyme Q10

Copper

Folic acid

GLA from evening primrose oil

Lutein

Lycopene

Magnesium

Melatonin

Multivitamins and minerals

Probiotics

Selenium

Shark cartilage

Vitamin A

Vitamin B3

Vitamin B6

Vitamin C

Vitamin D

Vitamin E

Vitamin K

Zeaxanthin

Zinc

To help reduce the damaging effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

B group of vitamins

Co-enzyme Q10

Evening primrose oil with vitamin C

Fish oil

Red wine extract

Siberian ginseng

St John’s Wort

Vitamin E

Stewart Hare C.H.Ed Dip NutTh

Advice for a healthier natural life

Sometimes it seems that every magazine, newspaper, radio show, and piece of mail has a headline declaring that every woman’s risk of developing breast cancer is increasing. There is a numbing feeling of inevitability in these pronouncements. More and more women think about breast cancer as a when rather than an if.

It’s true that there’s more breast cancer now than ever before, that between 1979 and 1986 the incidence of invasive breast cancer in the United States increased 29 percent among white women and 41 percent among black women, and incidence of all breast cancers doubled. It’s true that the percentage of women dying from breast cancer has remained virtually unchanged over the past 50 years, and that every 12 minutes throughout the last half of the 20th Century another woman died of breast cancer. And it’s true that breast cancer is the disease that women fear more than any other, that breast cancer is the biggest killer of all women aged 35 to 54, and that of the 2.5 million women currently diagnosed with breast cancer, half will be dead within ten years.

These facts frighten me, and they also make me angry. My studies spanning 25 years and many disciplines have convinced me that the majority of breast cancers are causally related to the high levels of radiation and chemicals released into our air, water, soil, and food over the past 50 years. United States government researchers estimate that 80 percent of all cancers are environmentally linked.

What can be done? The answer isn’t as simple as a yearly mammogram. That may help detect breast cancer, but it won’t prevent it. To prevent breast cancer we need to take individual and collective action.

Effective action requires understanding the causes of breast cancer and what decreases breast cancer risk. But there are few conclusive answers to these queries, partly because most research focuses on eliminating breast cancer after - not before - it occurs. Science has validated so few risk factors for breast cancer that 70 percent of the women diagnosed with breast cancer have “no identifiable risk factors.”

Unfortunately, our sex, age, reproductive history, family history, exposure to radiation (such as fallout from above-ground atomic bomb tests), race, culture, and height are beyond our control. When we’re told these are the only risk factors, we can be left with feelings of hopelessness and panic.

But when we include risk factors that are considered “not well substantiated” - but which are clearly contributing to breast cancer incidence - including ingestion of and exposure to prescription hormones, hormone-mimicking organochlorines, prescription drugs, petrochemicals, and electromagnetic fields, as well as unwise lifestyle choices such as smoking tobacco, drinking alcohol immoderately, wearing a bra, or not exercising, then we can find many ways to lower breast cancer risk. No need to panic.

We can help prevent breast cancer on an individual basis by buying organically grown food, filtering our water, building powerful immunity, living wisely and vigorously, being in touch with our breasts, using natural remedies for menopausal problems, and by paying attention to our Wise Healer Within.

But there’s a limit to the control that any one woman has over her exposure to petrochemicals, radiation, and other environmental cancer-inciters. Limiting the production and discharge of substances that initiate and promote cancer is collective work. When our individual acts are combined with the acts of others, we can achieve the envisioned social change. For example, as I saw more and more evidence that chlorine residues from papermaking contribute to breast cancer, I began to ask for chlorine-free paper from my book printer. They went from amazement and puzzlement at my request to contracting with a new paper supplier who can provide them with elemental chlorine-free paper. (I’m not the only one asking, you see.)

Whether you think your risk of breast cancer is high, low, or average, there are things you can do, individually and with others, to help yourself stay free of breast cancer and to help stop the epidemic of breast cancer too. (What is your risk of breast cancer? See “Risk Assessment,” page 317 of Breast Cancer? Breast Health! the Wise Woman Way to educate your guess.)

Sometimes it seems that every magazine, newspaper, radio show, and piece of mail has a headline declaring that every woman’s risk of developing breast cancer is increasing. There is a numbing feeling of inevitability in these pronouncements. More and more women think about breast cancer as a when rather than an if.

It’s true that there’s more breast cancer now than ever before, that between 1979 and 1986 the incidence of invasive breast cancer in the United States increased 29 percent among white women and 41 percent among black women, and incidence of all breast cancers doubled. It’s true that the percentage of women dying from breast cancer has remained virtually unchanged over the past 50 years, and that every 12 minutes throughout the last half of the 20th Century another woman died of breast cancer. And it’s true that breast cancer is the disease that women fear more than any other, that breast cancer is the biggest killer of all women aged 35 to 54, and that of the 2.5 million women currently diagnosed with breast cancer, half will be dead within ten years.

These facts frighten me, and they also make me angry. My studies spanning 25 years and many disciplines have convinced me that the majority of breast cancers are causally related to the high levels of radiation and chemicals released into our air, water, soil, and food over the past 50 years. United States government researchers estimate that 80 percent of all cancers are environmentally linked.

What can be done? The answer isn’t as simple as a yearly mammogram. That may help detect breast cancer, but it won’t prevent it. To prevent breast cancer we need to take individual and collective action.

Effective action requires understanding the causes of breast cancer and what decreases breast cancer risk. But there are few conclusive answers to these queries, partly because most research focuses on eliminating breast cancer after - not before - it occurs. Science has validated so few risk factors for breast cancer that 70 percent of the women diagnosed with breast cancer have “no identifiable risk factors.”

Unfortunately, our sex, age, reproductive history, family history, exposure to radiation (such as fallout from above-ground atomic bomb tests), race, culture, and height are beyond our control. When we’re told these are the only risk factors, we can be left with feelings of hopelessness and panic.

But when we include risk factors that are considered “not well substantiated” - but which are clearly contributing to breast cancer incidence - including ingestion of and exposure to prescription hormones, hormone-mimicking organochlorines, prescription drugs, petrochemicals, and electromagnetic fields, as well as unwise lifestyle choices such as smoking tobacco, drinking alcohol immoderately, wearing a bra, or not exercising, then we can find many ways to lower breast cancer risk. No need to panic.

We can help prevent breast cancer on an individual basis by buying organically grown food, filtering our water, building powerful immunity, living wisely and vigorously, being in touch with our breasts, using natural remedies for menopausal problems, and by paying attention to our Wise Healer Within.

But there’s a limit to the control that any one woman has over her exposure to petrochemicals, radiation, and other environmental cancer-inciters. Limiting the production and discharge of substances that initiate and promote cancer is collective work. When our individual acts are combined with the acts of others, we can achieve the envisioned social change. For example, as I saw more and more evidence that chlorine residues from papermaking contribute to breast cancer, I began to ask for chlorine-free paper from my book printer. They went from amazement and puzzlement at my request to contracting with a new paper supplier who can provide them with elemental chlorine-free paper. (I’m not the only one asking, you see.)

Whether you think your risk of breast cancer is high, low, or average, there are things you can do, individually and with others, to help yourself stay free of breast cancer and to help stop the epidemic of breast cancer too. (What is your risk of breast cancer? See “Risk Assessment,” page 317 of Breast Cancer? Breast Health! the Wise Woman Way to educate your guess.)