Breast Cancer - Fight it Before it Starts! It may be politically incorrect to say that there won't be a Breast Cancer cure anytime soon, but that's the way I see the situation. And that goes for all types of cancer. Breast Cancer is prevalent because toxins lodge in fatty tissue, which is the major make-up of breast tissue. Our world is becoming extremely polluted and so are our bodies; so we have to work on that before any external remedies are going to be effective. As we can see through the aftereffects of the Kyoto Accord, we are far behind in our quest for a clean continent. It has become obvious that we cannot dismantle all heavy industry and remove vehicles that spew fluorohydrocarbons into the air, because we still have to earn a living and get from point A to point B. Some people are sticking their heads in the sand in saying that pollution must be reduced to pre 1990 levels. I don't think that's going to happen either. WHAT DO WE DO IN THE MEANTIME? It's been proven through extensive studies that Breast Cancer can be alleviated and reversed by diligently following prescribed eating habits and lifestyle changes. Be that as it may, many folks will balk at this and won't do anything for themselves or their families. Have you heard of a dramatic increase in the planting of cabbage, cauliflower and other cruciferous vegetables? Have farmers cleared their fields and gone overboard in growing tomatoes (Lycopene,) Purple Coneflowers (Echinacea) or Hemp (one of the most nutritious oils in the world) to help the masses become more healthy? Not on your life! Agricultural advisors are still locked into genetic changing (introducing foreign genes into plants and animals), artificial fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides and an increased yield mentality... to the detriment of nutritional properties of their crops. Europe is far ahead of us in the reversal to natural and organic, but it is true that they hadn't gone as far as North America in embracing these technologies in the first place. Now it's very difficult for us to turn back...the handwriting's on the wall.. The large chemical companies have a stranglehold on agriculture and won't give an inch. It stands to reason that they would quickly lose money. It is heartening to find organic food sections in large supermarkets and farmer's markets. Fresh organic shops are opening and expanding, so the need is definitely starting to being filled. Now we just have to get those organic foods priced a bit lower and we'll all be happy. Grow your own, is my motto, but I happen to live in the "frozen north" where we had our first frost on September 1...not conducive to market gardening. ABYSMAL BREAST CANCER STATISTICS A recent article I read in a national newspaper stated that in the ten years from 1989 to 1999 the incidence of breast cancer surgery errors has doubled! In the U.S. the error rate has gone from 12% to 22% What a terrible statistic. On closer examination it turns out that 22,000 women are not being treated correctly. While the rate of lumpectomies has increased dramatically and mastectomies have dropped by a similar rate, the doctor errors have increased. Part or the problem is that cancer incidence and detection has increased, and has become a huge money making business. One would think that with modern technology and research from all the billions of dollars spent on searching for a cure, the rate of error would drop! Could it be that more people are going into medicine just because of the possibility of earning lots of money from cancer surgery (a given for many years to come, I think?)and cutting the financial pie too thin. Or is it that there are too few doctors and they are stressed out or tired... and perform operations poorly? The Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee found that many doctors who are doing lumpectomies are assuming that since there's only a lump (?) there's no need to check out the lymph glands under the arms,a routine procedure on mastectomy patients. This alone has created dire consequences in many women who are initially relieved that they only have to have a lump removed. Radiation treatment, too, has been eliminated by some doctors...with some adverse effects. It seems the statistics in England are very similar to those in the U.S so there are no surprises there. There is a wonderful reminder from the mid 90's, after years of research, that lumpectomies are as effective as mastectomies in routine cases (if there is such a thing.) I used to think that because most doctors at the time were male, they automatically believed that women didn't need breasts anyway (and these studies were done on over 144,000 women over the age of 30,) but that theory went out the window when lumpectomies became standard procedures in 1990. It must have been a shock in 1995 to find out that substandard treatment on lumpectomies were found to have doubled from 10% to 19% in only five years. Mastectomy flubs remained the same during these years. Effective treatment from both types of surgery dropped from 88% to 78%. Pity the woman who finds a lump in her breast these days! She must automatically think she is getting better treatment than her counterpart of 10 years ago. The problem is that lumpectomy is a more delicate and difficult procedure than mastectomy, by far. The jury is still out when it comes to proper treatment for breast cancer. Some doctors believe in alternative therapy (precious few, though) and some don't believe in radiation treatment if there's just a tiny lump....some believe in being as non-invasive as possible, which is an overall forward-thinking policy. So let's get back to prevention because that will be the only way to eradicate the disease...Lord only knows that a cure is far off for many reasons. The prevention methods which are now being promoted by the "Anti-Cancer Association" also help reduce tumors in women who have been diagnosed! Why do so few people actually listen to this advice? Many go merrily on their way, following bad eating habits and wondering why their cancer comes back, or why they get it in the first place! It's been well established that food is the first line of defense. If the standards of surgery have declined, it's time to increase the standards of food ingestion. Organic food is important, as is tons of raw fruits and vegetables. Additives and preservatives (in smoked meats, pickled foods) and anything artificial such as color, are no-nos! Whole grains, nuts, seeds and legumes are the basis for an anti-cancer diet because meat (hormones and dead animal feed) should be kept to a minimum or eliminated completely. Cruciferous vegetables must be eaten at least every day...they are crucial. For some time now, blueberries have been given the honor of being one of the foods highest in antioxydants, but many fruits are high in that area....prunes were recently declared one of the best! Garlic and onions have strong anti-cancer properties as well. A good multi-vitamin and mineral supplement should be next on the list as well as CoEnzymeQ10, Selenium, Shark Cartilage, Maitake mushrooms, Essential Fatty Acids (stay away from oils like Canola (it's genetically engineered) and stick with extra virgin olive oil or cold pressed flax oil. Vitamin C and E should be taken over and above what's in a vitamin capsule plus acidophilus to populate the gut with good bacteria that help food digest and keep the intestines functioning properly. There are many other supplements like L-Cysteine, L-Carnitine, raw thymus, and adrenal that are very beneficial to the immune system. The whole issue, to my mind, boils down to the immune system. Our modern, pollution ridden lifestyles are not conducive to health any more! A recent news report brought out statistics that pollution from factories and waste management plants in Eastern Canada and Northeastern U.S. have contributed to a high breast cancer rate in the northern Arctic. It turns out the fish and wild animals are contaminated with the exact dioxins and emissions from specific areas. If we can't control the cleanup of the environment, let's take control of our bodies so we can withstand the "fallout." Back to the Writing Index