Today I participated in a breast cancer walk. As my sister, niece, kids and I walked along wearing pink wigs, pink boas, and even pink eyelashes, I began to wonder the importance of why we were there. I looked in front of me and saw a lady with a name tag on her backpack that read, "Walking In Honor of ME".

I stopped in my tracks and realized why I was walking. Even though I am healthy, one day I could be the one with that name tag and it made me shiver. I wanted them to find a cure right then and there. What is taking so long? I have done so many walks, why hasn't a cure been found? I am scared. Scared for my friends, myself, and most of all, for my daughter.

I again looked at the lady and realized why I was there. If I ever do get cancer, I hope "they" have found a cure. I hope my financial contribution helps lead to a cure and my physical contribution of being there helps draw awareness. I also want them to find a cure so that lady with the name tag will be back next year...and the year after...and the year after that.

Next year I will think of her and look for her. I doubt I will ever see her again, but I hope she is there with that same name tag for many years to come. I will be thinking of her and hoping she is beating this terrible disease.

Whom can you trust when your culture is the biggest enemy of your health? Can you trust your culture's leading authorities? Can you trust your culture's government? Can you trust your culture's private industry?"

We asked those questions in 1995, at the end of our book, Dressed To Kill: The Link Between Breast Cancer and Bras. Before writing our book, we sent details of our research to the National Cancer Institute, American Cancer Society, President's Cancer Panel, American Women's Medical Association, National Organization for Women, National Women's Health Network, and National Women's Health Resource Center. There was no response. Not one. Given the lack of interest, we decided to publish our findings in a book, getting the information directly to the women who needed to hear it.

But are women getting the message?

It has been 12 years since our book was first published. Over that time, more than 500,000 women in the US alone have died from breast cancer, with another 2,000,000 having been diagnosed with this terrible disease -- a disease that is in most cases preventable by simply loosening up or eliminating the bra. And yet, this lifesaving information has been actively suppressed and censored by the medical and lingerie industries.

Examples of Suppress and Censorship

A large public relations firm in New York City was willing and eager to help us release this information to the public. "My wife just had breast cancer, and I'm sure you are right," the head of the firm confessed. A big media announcement and celebration were planned. Days later, however, the firm withdrew its offer to help, stating that one of their clients, a large medical center, objected to their working with us.

A Sydney, Australia public relations firm agreed to help publicize our work when we were doing outreach efforts in their country. But it, too, reversed itself. We had asked if they had any conflicts of interest, such as lingerie industry clients. They said they had none. But as it turned out, they did represent a pharmaceutical company that makes a breast cancer treatment drug, and the prevention of breast cancer and its treatment are in conflict, they explained.

The Intimate Apparel Council (which is the US trade association for the multi-billion dollar bra industry) threatened our publisher, Avery Publishing Group, with a lawsuit if Dressed To Kill was released. The publisher said the publicity would help spread the word. The lawsuit never materialized.

After the book was released, the NBC television news show, Dateline, was interested in doing a story on our work. We were extensively interviewed by a skeptical reporter who became a supporter. The story was then abruptly terminated. The producer confidentially explained that the policy of General Electric, which owns NBC, is to avoid airing news stories that can adversely impact on other GE interests. As it happens, GE is a manufacturer of mammography machines.

Women's magazines, such as Glamour, Self, and others, ran critical stories condemning our work, and finding "experts" to encourage women to continue wearing bras. Elle magazine planned a positive story about the bra/cancer link, but was coerced into pulling the story by bra advertisers. In various newspapers around the world, such as the Guardian in the UK, stories were pulled prior to publication because of fear that they may "panic the public", including their lingerie advertisers.

The British Fashion Council (which is the UK's equivalent of the Intimate Apparel Council) published the Breast Health Handbook in 1996 to oppose our efforts. They announced the formation of the Breakthrough Breast Cancer Foundation, which was to receive donations from bra sales to fund genetic research into breast cancer. The book criticized our work, claiming, "The idea that wearing a bra encourages cancer by trapping toxins was recently put forward by researchers at the Institute for Culturogenic Studies (sic) in Hawaii. Researchers from more august establishments promptly dismissed it as claptrap." Without any medical evidence or research, the book informs women that wearing bras is a health necessity, and should be worn as early in life as possible to prevent breast damage.

Our original publisher, Avery, was purchased by giant Penguin Putnam in 1998. The new publisher did not list the book for three years and refused to revert publication rights to the copywrite holders, Singer and Grismaijer. The book was virtually unavailable, and it was thought to have gone out of print. Finally, after repeated requests, the publishing rights were released to us in October, 2001. (ISCD Press has been keeping it in print since then.)

A television documentary was produced in the year 2000 by Channel 4 in the UK, called, Bras- The Bare Facts. In the documentary, 100 women with fibrocystic breast disease went bra-free for 3 months to document the effect on breast cysts and pain. Two prominent British breast surgeons conducted the study. The results were astounding, and clearly demonstrated that the bra is a serious health hazard. We were interviewed for the program to discuss the bra/cancer connection, which was considered highly plausible and important by the doctors interviewed. Some theorized that, in addition to lymphatic impairment, the bra could also cause cancer by overheating the breasts. The documentary made newspaper headlines in British Commonwealth countries throughout the world, but no mention of it was made at all in the US. The following day, headlines in the U.K. tried to suppress fears of the bra/cancer link, and the doctors in the study quickly distanced themselves from the cancer issue, telling women to continue wearing bras. Their research for the documentary was supposed to be published in a medical journal, but never was. And no further research ever materialized to follow-up on their work, which they said they would do. Extensive news coverage of the program was available on the Internet soon after it aired, but most articles were removed shortly thereafter.

No follow-up studies have been done to refute or confirm our research. None. While a Harvard study, published in the European Journal of Cancer in 1991, discovered that bra-free women have a lower rate of breast cancer, the results were not central to the research they were conducting and were considered unimportant and not followed-up. In fact, apart from our initial 1991-93 Bra and Breast Cancer Study, discussed in detail in Dressed To Kill, and our follow-up research in Fiji, discussed in our book, Get It Off!, there are still no other studies on the bra/cancer link. Not even a letter or discussion of the issue can be found in any medical journal. After decades of breast cancer research, the bra is still completely ignored as even being a potential factor for consideration. It's like studying foot disease and ignoring shoes.

Keeping the Public Mystified

This lack of research, and the consequent ignorance, are then used by cancer organizations to justify further suppression of the issue. As the American Cancer Society states on its website, (ignoring the Harvard study), "There are no scientifically valid studies that show a correlation between wearing bras of any type and the occurrence of breast cancer. Two anthropologists made this association in a book called Dressed To Kill. Their study was not conducted according to standard principles of epidemiological research and did not take into consideration other variables, including known risk factors for breast cancer. There is no other, credible research to validate this claim in any way." And they don't seem interested in funding any such studies in the near future, either. There are other organizations that are similarly critical of the bra/cancer link for lack of research evidence, while at the same time discouraging any research on the subject.

Of particular interest is when breast cancer organizations antagonistic to the issue declare the bra/cancer link to be "misinformation" or a "myth", without any scientific study supporting their claims. They say bras are important for women to wear for support, without any evidence showing bras are safe or necessary. They then encourage regular mammograms, cancer prevention drug therapy (not realizing that "prevention therapy" is an oxymoron), and even preventative mastectomies (which means that those who are high risk for breast cancer but who don't want to get it can have their breast removed as a prevention strategy). Of course, it is better to remove the bra instead of the breasts, but bra removal is not a billable procedure.

Keep in mind that bras have been associated with other health problems, such as headaches, numbness in the hands, backache and other postural problems, cysts, pain, skin depigmentation, and more. And lymphatic blockage, which is the result of bra constriction, has already been associated with various cancers. Clearly, the bra/cancer link needs further research, while women take the precaution of loosening up.

Why the resistance?

What harm could there be in following our simple advice, or in even researching this issue? Why the defensive reaction?

There are three reasons:

1. The bra industry fears class action lawsuits. Many insiders have admitted to us that for years the industry suspected underwires were causing cancer. They know that tight bras cause cysts and pain. It is only a matter of time until a lawsuit is made against a bra manufacturer. As a defense, the industry is shifting the blame to the customer, claiming that most women are wearing their bras too tightly, and should get professional fittings. (How do you get a properly fitted push-up bra?) Breaking ranks with their industry peers, and trying to capitalize on the bad news, are several bra manufacturers that now offer newly patented bras claiming to mitigate the damage, including cancer, caused by conventional bras.

2. The medical industry is making billions each year on the detection and treatment of breast cancer. As mentioned above, there is a conflict between the prevention and the treatment of disease, especially if the prevention does not include drugs or surgery. The fact is that our treatment-focused, profit-oriented medical system is making a killing treating this disease, and has billions to lose if breast cancer goes out of fashion along with bras.

In addition, the bra issue will revolutionize the breast cancer field, embarrassing many researchers. Breast cancer research to date that has ignored the bra issue is seriously flawed as a result, which is why the "experts" are still unable to explain the cause of over 70% of all breast cancer cases. Career cancer researchers who have ignored the bra issue will have to admit this fatal flaw in their work, which they are not inclined to admit in their lifetimes.

3. Finally, there is the dogmatic, fearful resistance from some women who find their personal identity so connected to their bras that they would rather risk cancer than be bra-free (which some women have actually told us.) Women are cultural entities, and so long as our culture scorns a natural bustline, many women will submit to the pain, red marks and indentations, cysts, and even the threat of cancer rather than face potential public ridicule (which never really happens.)

There are also women who believe the myth that bras will prevent droopy breasts. The bra industry admits this is a myth, while it still promotes it to improve sales. In fact, bras cause breasts to droop, as the breasts become dependent on the bra for support and the natural supportive mechanisms atrophy from non use.

Despite the resistance, however, some women have gotten the message. And many health care professionals, who have also suspected bras for years, are now spreading that message. As women hear the news and discover that eliminating the bra also eliminates cysts and pain, the news further spreads by word of mouth.

There are now thousands of websites on this subject, many from health care professionals including medical doctors, naturopathic doctors, osteopathic doctors, chiropractors, massage therapists, lymphatic specialists, nutritionists, and others who care about women and helping end this epidemic. Grassroots efforts to keep this information alive and spreading have supplanted the traditional medical research approach, which has disqualified itself for lack of interest and conflict of interest.

When a disease is caused by the culture and its habits, attitudes, fashions and industries, there is bound to be resistance to change. Industries that contribute to disease will be defensive, and industries that profit from disease will be conflicted. However, the truth has a way of getting out, despite the resistance and suppression. Thank Goodness the truth does have a way of getting out.

Sydney Ross Singer is a medical anthropologist and director of the Institute for the Study of Culturogenic Disease, located in Hawaii. His unique form of applied medical anthropology searches for the cultural/lifestyle causes of disease. His working assumption is that our bodies were made to be healthy, but our culture and the attitudes and behaviors it instills in us can get in the way of health. By eliminating these causes, the body is allowed to heal. Since most diseases of our time are caused by our culture/lifestyle, this approach has resulted in many original discoveries into the cause, and cure, of many common diseases. It also makes prevention possible by eliminating adverse lifestyle practices. Sydney works with his co-researcher and wife, Soma Grismaijer, and is the author of several groundbreaking health books.

Sydney's background includes a B.S. in biology from the University of Utah; an M.A. degree from Duke University in biochemistry and anthropology; 2 years of medical school training at UTMB at Galveston, along with Ph.D. training in medical humanities.

Chin (T576) is a 68 years old female. About ten years ago, she was diagnosed with left breast cancer. A mastectomy was carried out followed by six cycles of chemotherapy and ten radiation treatments. After the completion of these treatments, Chin took tamoxifen for five years. Every year she went back to her doctors for routine medical check up and at each visit she was given a clean bill of health.

In May 2007, Chin suffered pains throughout her body. An ultrasound done showed a nodular area of slightly altered echo pattern measuring 41.2 mm in the right liver lobe. A blood test done on 7 May 2007, showed elevated ESR, at 46 (normal less than 30); Alkaline phosphatase = 381 (normal 32-104); CA 125 = 166.6 (normal less than 35) and CA 15.3 = 68.0 (normal less than 28.0). A CT of the brain showed a tiny enhancing nodule with mild surrounding hypodense oedema in the left upper parietal lobe suggestive of a metastatic deposit. In addition, numerous lung metastases were seen on both left and right lungs. There were also multiple thoracic vertebral metastases and a solitary right rib lesion. A solitary hypodense lesion (2 x 2 cm) was noted in the liver, indicating metastasis. A separate study done on the spine indicated destructive lesions involving T3, T4 and L1. A barium swallow showed tertiary contraction at the distal end of the oesophagus.

Since Chin had pains in her chest and difficulty in swallowing, she received ten radiation treatments to the affected areas. She felt better after radiotherapy. The doctor then prescribed her an oral chemo-drug Navelbine. After taking the drug, Chin’s condition deteriorated and she again had difficulty swallowing and felt as if something was stuck in her chest.

Each dose of the oral chemo-drug cost RM 2,000 and it was recommended that Chin take a total of eight doses. The doctor told the family that Chin’s condition was serious. Without chemotherapy Chin has only three months to live, but with chemotherapy she would have six months.

Chin’s daughter came to see us on 1 June 2007 and asked for help. She told us that before chemotherapy, Chin was on juice-diet and her condition was still not “bad”. However, after Chin was started on the chemo-drug, the doctor forbade her to continue with juices. According to the doctor, juices are raw, not cooked and therefore contain a lot of bacteria. These bacteria would cause infection. Chin therefore stopped taking juices.

Comments

There are a few lessons we can learn from this unfortunately and incredible story.

One, Chin had undergone the standard package of medical treatment for her breast cancer. Was she cured after surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and tamoxifen? Medically, she WAS cured since she had crossed that imaginary five-year-survival mark. In my practice, I have come across numerous cases of such recurrences after an apparent “cure”. Therefore, Chin’s case is not an isolated episode. This leads me to believe that there is no such thing as a cure for cancer -- irrespective of how much the Medical Establishment wants us to believe that there is a cure.

Two, Chin underwent routine medical check up every year and after each visit she was told that she was well. How could it be that out of the blue, cancer deposits were found in her lungs, liver, bone and brain? How reliable was such routine checks? Again, this episode is not an exceptional case. I knew a lady who had a bone scan done in a prestigious private hospital. The result showed not bony metastasis. However, a scan done in another hospital a week later showed that the cancer had actually spread to the backbone. This leads me to this belief that “if the doctors tell you that there is no cancer it does not mean that there is no cancer. The cancer may be there, except that present expertise and technology cannot detect it. However, if a cancer or metastasis is found, then there is no reason to say it is not there.”

Three, heroic medicine wants to preserve life at all costs. Even in the face of “known inability to cure” something must be seen to be done. Unfortunately, what can be done must only be done based on “approved professional worldview” -- in this case, more chemotherapy. Chin embarked on chemotherapy that would cost her family RM 16,000 in total. By doing this, Chin is expected to live an additional three months. Patients need to decide whether the extra time is worth the additional expenses and side effects. Perhaps patients need to ask too whether that “extra time” could be achieved through a more humane method.

Four, it is sad to note that some medical experts do not seem to understand the real cause of serious infections. It is unbelievable that drinking freshly prepared juices is considered “dangerous” and may lead to serious infection. Ask this question: Isn’t chemotherapy a much greater danger to infection?

Dr. Robert Mendelsohn, in his book: “Confessions of a Medical Heretic” wrote: “the hospital is one of the most dangerous places on earth … There are germs in hospitals that you can’t get anywhere else in town.” The hospitals are “such dirty places” and the “dust and dirt isn’t the kind of dust and dirt you find anywhere.” In short, the hospitals are full of superbugs -- germs that are resistant to antibiotics.”

Robert Youngson and Ian Schott in their book: Medical Blunders, pg.157 wrote: “Doctors are all too often not the source of a cure but the cause of disease or disability itself. Arrogance, presumption and plain foolishness have caused some doctors to persevere with theories and treatments that caused appalling damage and suffering to their patients.”

In 2005 I was diagnosed with an aggressive and invasive form of Breast Cancer. Even at age 52 it was a shock to me. An even greater shock was finding out through researching Breast Cancer that 1 in 8 women would, at sometime in their lifetime, be diagnosed with Breast Cancer. This statistic was staggering to me.

The good news is that the mortality rate, or number of deaths, due to Breast Cancer is on the steady decline. Treatment is customized for each patient's specific cancer. Being an author, I decided to take notes about my treatment should I ever want to write a book about it.

When women think of having a Mammogram the first word that comes to mind is, 'ouch!' or something similar. Unfortunately, until medical science comes up with a better method, Mammograms are a fact of life for women, especially over the age of 40.

Being a person who is usually viewing life on the up side, I found more humor in what I was going through than I ever thought possible. People do not associate cancer with laughter but I hope to change that, to a degree, anyway. Your doctor will not tell you how to prepare for a Mammogram but I will here.

Exercise #1

1. Open your refrigerator door and insert one breast between the door and the main box.
2. Have one of your strongest friends slam the door shut as hard as possible and lean on the door for good measure.
3. Hold that position for five seconds.
4. Don't breathe.
5. Repeat again in case the first time wasn't effective enough.
6. Repeat all steps on the other breast.

Exercise #2

1. Visit your garage at 3:00 a.m. when the temperature of the concrete floor is just perfect (anywhere below 32 degrees.)
2. Take off all your warm clothes and lay on the floor with one breast wedged tightly under the rear tire of the car.
3. Ask a friend to slowly back the car up until the breast is sufficiently flattened and chilled.
4. Turn over and repeat for the other breast.

Congratulations! You are now properly prepared for your Mammogram.

The day of my first Mammogram after my diagnosis was one I will never forget. I entered Hooterville Breast Care Center with more apprehension than usual. When I told her I might be writing a book about my treatment, the technician said she wanted to be called Ginger. I made a note of that. I wasn't sure if we would still be speaking after she was done with me. And, since the body parts to be examined are so personal, I named my right breast, Laverne, and my left breast, Shirley. Laverne was under the gun today.

I have to give kudos to Hooterville for supplying me with an extra large gown even though I told her that, at my age, all I needed to do was pull up my skirt! Then Ginger led me into the room with the Booby Trap. It's the only contraption I know of that takes cups and turns them into saucers without having to sweep up glass. Ginger is tall, pretty...oh, who cares? This is about me.

You larger than tiny gals know the drill. I stepped up to the Booby Trap and introduced myself. He didn't care and we all now it's a 'he.' Ginger pulled out the largest shelf she had and invited Laverne to have a seat. Laverne obliged having had the memory of her last Mammo squeezed out of her.

As Ginger pressed the button on the floor, I knew what was coming even if Laverne didn't. I was grinding my teeth as the top shelf began depressing Laverne into enough square footage to carpet my veranda! She began to spill over the sides and reminded me of that old fifties, 'The Blob.' Satisfied that she could squeeze no more, Ginger told me to hold my breath and don't move. Now I must note here that it was not possible to take a breath because my right lung was oozing out my nipple! And as for moving...well that's too ridiculous to even address. "I'm ready for my close-up, Mr. DeMille."

Several pictures were taken in different poses and than Laverne was released to wait with me while Ginger put them up for auction on Ebay. As we're waiting, I looked down at Laverne and she was as red as a tomato. It took all my self-control to keep from hollering down the hall, "I need a bucket of ice...I'm on fire in here!" Ginger must have found some takers because she returned to take me to the ultrasound room.

I can be flippant about it now because the pain is gone. What I want you to realize from reading this account is that attitude is very important in your recovery. I chose to see the humor in a difficult situation. Because of that, you had a good laugh or two by reading about it. I am pleased to say that I am a two-year survivor and should the cancer return, I hope I will again be able to laugh a little.

My Great Grandma Jo was a truly original person who lost her battle with breast cancer in 2000. She struggled with the disease for more than 10 years and was a tough p3rson who refused to die. During her life, she was a wedding dress seamstress, a gardener, a jewelry designer, a collector of Native American arrowheads, and a real go getter of a person. She was well versed in many crafts-crocheting, knitting, quilting, and making beaded jewelry. She passed on her love of beaded jewelry to me, her great-granddaughter and namesake, and I make jewelry for sale in honor of her.

Emily Josephine Leisure was a native Kansas who was raised through the depression years by her mother, Winnifred Leisure. She married my great grandfather who was part Delaware Indian in secret and worked in a salt mine in Hutchinson, Kansas. My great-grandfather was Dale Stout and he was a professional house painter. They lived in the same house in Hutchinson for 40 years. They had 3 sons, Jack, Steve, and John Stout. My great-uncle Jack was a professional artist (painter). A different type of painter than his father. According to my family, Grandpa Dale used to let his son Jack paint the walls of his room in murals for practice, then he would just paint over it and start over! Emily Josephine (or Grandma Jo as we all called her) and Grandpa Dale also had a daughter, Sharon. She is my grandmother and also sews, makes jewelry, and has had breast cancer. Sharon had 3 daughters- Vickie, Nicholi and Penni. My Aunt Nickie passed away from breast cancer as well. I guess you could say it runs in the family.

When I was a little girl, all my Cabbage Patch Kid clothes and Barbie clothes were made by the women in my family...especially Grandma Jo. When I would go over to her house, she would show my brother and sister and I her arrowhead collection, rocks that she found in Arizona, some that she tumbled herself, fossils and all the jewelry she had made. She had a lot of African Trade beads and things made out of gemstone. She would let us touch everything and tell us what all the stones were. She had a good story to go with each item, something about where she got it from or whom it belonged to, that made it very special.

Everything was exciting with Grandma Jo. As she became elderly, she lost her eyesight. She would still string beads by feel with a needle and stringing thread for Bingo prizes for the "old people" in the nursing home. Grandma Jo would always let us choose something for ourselves to take home. I have kept everything she ever gave me and even though most of the necklaces don't fit me anymore or are outdated, I will always treasure them.

Grandma Jo was very tough. She had a double masectomy, and chemotherapy. She lost all her hair. During her on and off struggle in and out of remission with breast cancer, she lost her husband. Great Grandpa Dale had a failing heart and had to go to a nursing home. He passed away within the same year. Grandma Jo was told many times that she would also die. She was sent home to die many times and kept on living and doing what she loved. Eventually the cancer got into her bones. Her back broke-literally-and she was told she would not walk ever again. She did walk again. It was only when the cancer spread to her brain that she did eventually lose her life after a more than 10 year battle with the disease. We all loved her dearly and still miss her. I wish she could have met my sons, but I tell them about her. She was an amazing person and I am proud to be from a lineage of tough women who are strong-willed, creative, and determined.

I have a lot of qualities in common with my Great Grandmother. I am named Emily after her. The name itself means ingenious, creative. I also crochet, scrapbook, play the flute (oh, did I mention Grandma Jo once won an award for writing the winning school fight song?), and I design and make jewelry from gemstones, shell, crystal, glass and wood. I have started my first website after selling through art and craft fairs for a couple years. My web address is www.feminineflairjewelry.com. The name of my business is Feminine Flair Jewelry. I have a handmade breast cancer bracelet available on my website.

I know that Grandma Jo is proud of me. I can tell my children what all the gemstones are, and the meanings of them. I am also a story-teller and have a series of stories I made up for my sons about a fictional police character. I wish that she could be here to see my work now that I am a 30-year-old adult and give me feedback on my art and jewelry designs, but my mom says I am a lot like her. I hope if I ever have breast cancer that I can be as tough as my Great Grandma Jo and my Grandma Sharon have been.