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Are mammograms safe and effective?
It seems like every week there is an article published in a prestigious medical journal questioning the value of mammography.
Fact: The compression of a mammogram is the equivalent of around 40 lbs of weight on the breast.
Fact: In 2005 The National Toxicology Program classified x-radiation (and therefore mammograms) as known human carcinogens.
Fact: A 2011 study published in Radiology Today stated "because the digital breast tomosynthesis exam requires at least two additional exposures over a standard mammogram, the total radiation dose from the combined 2D and tomosynthesis examination is 3 times that of a standard mammogram."
Fact: A former professor at The National Cancer Institute, Charles Simone, stated, "Mammograms increase the risk for developing breast cancer and raise the risk of spreading and metastasizing an existing growth." He also stated that a mammogram results in one thousand fold greater radiation exposure than a chest x-ray.
Fact: According to the Nordic Cochrane Study "If 2000 women are screened regularly for ten years,
onewoman will benefit from the screening and ten healthy women will become cancer patients and be treated unnecessarily with chemotherapy, radiation and surgery."
Fact: Mammography has an inherent false negative rate of 20%. The false negatives increase in women with dense breasts (which is estimated to be at least 50% of all women) which has led to the passage of a National law requiring mammography centers to advise patients of this fact.
Fact: In July 2013 a group from the National Cancer Institute published an opinion that stated that DCIS (Ductal Carcinoma In Situ) should be renamed to exclude the word carcinoma. "DCIS is not cancer so why are we calling it cancer," stated
Dr. Laura J. Esserman, director of the Breast Care Center and Professor of Surgery in radiology at UCSF. Dr. Charles Simone a former professor at The National Cancer Institute stated "since mammographic screening was introduced in 1983, the incidence of DCIS has increased 328% and 200% of this increase is due to the use of mammography. The increase for women screened mammographically under the age of 40 has gone up 3000%"
Fact
: In the New England Journal of Medicine on November 22, 2013 a study that encompassed the years 1976 to 2008 stated that they "estimated breast cancer was over diagnosed in 1.3 million US women is the last 30 years."
Fact: An article in the February 2014 British Medical Journal stated, "Annual Mammography in women aged 40-59 does not reduce mortality from breast cancer beyond that of physical examination or usual care when adjunct therapy for breast cancer is freely available."
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Now the good news...Thermography
Fact: the Department of Health Education and Welfare released a position paper stating "the medical consultants indicate, that Thermography, in its present sate of developmental is beyond the experimental state as a diagnostic procedure.
Fact:
In 1982, the FDA approved breast thermography as an adjunctive diagnostic breast cancer screening procedure.
Fact
: In January 2003 a study published in the American Journal of Radiology concluded that "Thermography could help prevent most unnecessary breast biopsies. Infrared imaging offers a safe, non-invasive procedure that would valuable as an adjunct to mammography in determining whether a lesion is benign or malignant. The warning patterns seen by Thermography have been found to resolve and return to normal after only a few short months of healthy diet and lifestyle changes. Thus, Thermography is the first tool we have that shows promise at being able to pick up breast cancers so early-at a stage that involves only precancerous physiologic changes-that women can reverse these changes and avoid getting cancer by making a few simple and diet and lifestyle modifications.
Fact: Thermography is a completely non-invasive breast health risk assessment test, utilizing FDA cleared infra-red imaging. It is done without compression or radiation and has no known adverse effects and/or contraindications.
Fact: Thermography detects the physiologic changes in the breast tissue at a cellular level that have been shown to correlate with cancerous or precancerous states. Because it is a physiologic study it has the potential to find breast abnormalities 8 to 10 years before anatomic studies. This allows for a proactive approach to breast health including diet and lifestyle changes which have been shown to forestall and prevent progression of diseases of the breast.
Fact: In the last 30 years there have been more than 800 reported peer-reviewed studies on thermography, with more than 250,00 women evaluated. Some of these studies, which have followed women over a 12 year time frame, conclude that breast thermography has been shown to be the single most important marker of detecting the development of breast disease and is more significant than family history.
Fact: Thermography has a 95% detection rate when used as part of a multifaceted approach; Thermography, self breast exam, exam by a health care professional and anatomic testing.
Thermography allows women to maintain their dignity while empowering them to be proactive in their
The earliest possible indication of abnormalities allows for the earliest possible intervention.
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What can you do to create and maintain healthy breasts?
The answer is... A Lot!!!
The following are just a few suggestions:
Avoid sugars: Sugar is cancer's favorite food. Yes, that includes sugar from fruits, so while organic fruit is good for you, moderation is key.
Eliminate Processed Foods: Processed foods are those which have been
chemically processed and are made from refined ingredients and artificial substances. Processed foods are high in sugar, high fructose corn syrup, refined carbohydrates, and unhealthy fats and are low in nutrients.
Improve your diet: What you are eating is key. Eat a colorful diet rich in
Organic whole foods, dark leafy greens, lots of cruciferous vegetables (such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and kale), fruit (in moderation) and vegetables and eat
organic whenever possible. Organic also applies to your meats, poultry, dairy, eggs, cheese, etc. If you are eating factory farmed meats or fowl you are ingesting all of the antibiotics, hormones and pesticides that the animal has been given. Avoid Genetically Modified Foods (GMOs). Add high quality fats to your diet such as avocado, olive oil and coconut oil.
Vitamin D: Sunlight generates Vitamin D which helps to prevent cancer.
In recent studies,Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) enhanced the body's own natural immune defense, supported normal cellular health and supported TNF_alpha ( a protein involved with the inflammation)- induced defense of breast cell tissues.
Iodine: Adequate iodine levels are necessary for proper immune function. Iodine contains potent antibacterial, anti-parasitic, antiviral and anticancer properties. Iodine is also effective for treating fibrocystic breasts and ovarian cysts. For more info read:
Iodine, Why You Need It, Why You can't Live Without It by David Brownstein, M.D.
Bra's: Avoid under-wire bras or bras that are too tight as they can damage delicate breast tissue and impair the lymphatic system. We have seen many women with pain and cystic changes in the area where the under-wire sits.
Exercise: Thirty minutes of aerobic exercise three to five times a week can lower your risk of breast cancer by 30 to 50 percent. Brisk walking 4 to 5 times a week can tone the muscles, reduce body weight, clear the lymphatics and burn calories. Add a boost to your walk by holding 3 or 5-lb hand weights and pumping your arms while walking.
Stress Reduction: In this fast paced world we all need a healthy way to relax and unwind. Stress, from all causes, is a major contributor to all diseases. There are many ways to reduce stress and lots of books written on the topic. Find something that works for you and then do it.
Dental Health: In doing thermography, we have seen a great correlation between poor dental health and poor breast health. The biggest culprit appears to be low grade infection from prior root canals that are reflexing to the breast and causing problems.
Toxins: Sadly, toxins are everywhere; in our water, food, air, clothing, furniture, etc. Here are just a few suggestions. Eliminate commercial household cleaners, laundry detergents, air fresheners, etc. Use organic skin care products and deodorants (not antiperspirants). Try to minimize your exposure to Electromagnetic Fields. Use only BPA free plastics. Do not use the microwave. Avoid toxic people, tv, movies, reading material etc. Your diet is not only what you eat. It is what you watch, what you listen to, what you read and the people you hang around
Detoxification: It is incumbent upon each and every one of us to do all that we possibly can to reduce our toxic load so we can experience vibrant health. Try a semi-annual or quarterly
gentle detox or cleanse (do your homework or ask a health care professional before deciding which cleanse is appropriate for you.). Detox weekly or daily by drinking plenty of water, working up a sweat, going in the "POD", dry brushing and taking Epsom Salt baths.
Nurture Yourself: And last but certainly not least nurturing yourself trumps everything else!!! Taking good care of yourself is not an act of self-indulgence but is in fact an act of self love and each and everyone's responsibility.
Below is a breast health diet summary taken from:
Breast Cancer: Is it What You're Eating or What's Eating You,by Susan Silberstein, PhD, Founder of The Center for Cancer Education
DECREASE/ELIMINATE
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INCREASE/ INTRODUCE
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ANIMAL FATS
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HEALTHY FATS
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Red Meat
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Flaxseeds
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Fried Foods
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Wild Fish
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Cheese
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Olive Oil
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Raw Walnuts
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OMEGA -6 OILS
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Raw Pumpkin Seeds
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Corn Oil
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Cottonseed Oil
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CRUCIFEROUS VEGETABLES
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Soybean Oil
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Cabbage
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Kale
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HYDROGENATED FATS
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Broccoli
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Margarine
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Cauliflower
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Transfats
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Brussels Sprouts
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ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES
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GARLIC
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Beer
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Wine
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GREEN TEA (ORGANIC)
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Mixed Drinks
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FIBER
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CAFFEINE FAMILY
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Whole Grains
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Coffee
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Fresh Fruit
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Tea
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Fresh Vegetables
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Colas
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Beans
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Orange Soda
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Legumes & Lentils
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Mountain Dew
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Raw Seeds & Nuts
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Peanuts
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Sea Veggies
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Hard Cheese
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Chocolate
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SOY (FERMENTED)
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SUGAR/ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS
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SHITAKE
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Here are just a few great resources:
The Truth about Cancer, Ty Bollinger
A Cancer Answer, by Catherine Frompovich
Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom, by Dr. Christiane Northrup
The Promise, A documentary film
How the Cancer Industry Controls Women
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, Natural News Editor
Pink Ribbons, Inc., a book about where the money goes when you donate to the
Susan G. Komen Foundation.
Breast Cancer Action (
www.bcaction.org)
The Center for Cancer Education.
www.BeatCancer.org
"Think before you Pink" is a slogan coined by the Breast Cancer Action Group. They are a non-profit, educational and advocacy organization that does not accept funding from pharmaceutical companies or any other organizations that profit from or contribute to the breast cancer epidemic. One of their most important messages is not to buy "pink products" unless you know where the money is going and exactly how much money they are spending on cancer research.
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