Breast cancer strikes fear in the hearts of all women. Most of us have known someone, a friend, a family member, a co-worker, a neighbor, who has been treated for breast cancer or worse, has died from the disease. Historically, breast cancer was diagnosed after a woman sought medical attention for pain or a palpable mass. Annual mammograms became the “gold standard” for breast cancer screening; the goal has become finding tumors before they can be felt.
However, mammography is a late test. Does not prevent cancer; detect cancer. Women place unreasonably high hopes on technology’s ability to reduce cancer risk. A recent study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, reported that women often overestimate the risk-reducing ability of a mammogram by more than 100 times.(1)
Mammograms give a false sense of security about a clean bill of health. Sensitivity, or the number of women who have cancer and also have a positive mammogram, ranges from 54% to 58% among women younger than 40 and 81% to 94% among women older than 65 . In women ages 40 to 65, the ability of a mammogram to identify a tumor depends on many variables: the size of the lesion, the use of hormones, the density of the breast tissue, the overall quality of the image, and interpretive skills of the radiologist.
Cancer is found in only a small fraction of women (0.1%-0.5%, depending on age) who are screened. Studies have shown that for every death averted by screening, there are at least 200 false-positive results.(2) The number of follow-up procedures generated by cancer screening programs, such as repeat mammograms, ultrasounds, and MRIs, exponentially increases cost of disease In the United States, biopsies that turn out to be benign cost the health care system more than a billion dollars a year.(3)
Detection has another potentially damaging effect. Women are psychologically damaged by the stress of an abnormal mammogram that turns out to be a false alarm. A new survey developed by Brodersen and her colleagues and published this month (07/07) measured six psychosocial dimensions: anxiety, behavioral impact, feeling dejected, sleep impact, breast examination and sexuality. The survey showed that women who have an abnormal screening mammogram that is later confirmed as a false positive are negatively affected in all six categories.
What else can be done?
Infrared digital imaging (Digital IR), also called thermography, has been approved by the FDA for breast health screening since 1982. It is painless, noninvasive, and uses no radiation. The scan detects and records thermal patterns in the skin that are not seen with any other tool.
Abnormal cells require large amounts of nutrients for rapid growth. Through a process called angiogenesis, new blood vessels are drawn in the direction of the atypical cell. Along with the release of cytokines and nitric oxide, additional blood flows into the area increasing heat in tissues that can be detected by thermography.
Normal skin surface temperature is symmetrical, deviating less than 0.3°C from side to side. New digital IR cameras can detect differences as small as 0.1C. A temperature variation of more than 1.0°C suggests the presence of abnormal cells, possibly precancerous. These subtle changes can be detected seven to eight years before a mass becomes palpable or can be detected by mammography.
What is a thermogram procedure like?
After undressing to the waist, it takes about 15 minutes to equilibrate to room temperature. An experienced technician performs three scans, front, left, and right, with arms extended above the head. Both hands are then placed in cold water for exactly one minute. When the sympathetic nervous system cools down, normal vessels constrict; The abnormal vessels remain the same size or dilate. A second set of scans is taken for comparison. When the scans are complete, the exam is over.
Why isn’t everyone doing this test?
Why don’t doctors routinely recommend this test? Why don’t you offer it in your office? An abnormal scan cannot be corrected with medication. Conventional doctors are not trained to use vitamins, supplements and detoxification, essential tools to repair damaged physiology. If a woman has a normal mammogram, doctors rule out the abnormal thermogram as a false positive. This is a missed opportunity for true cancer prevention.
Despite the current state of breast thermography, it has been researched for more than 30 years. There are more than 800 peer-reviewed studies on breast thermography on the index-medicus. The database represents more than 250,000 women, and the number of participants in many studies ranged from 37,000 to 118,000. Some of the women who had a positive thermogram were followed up to 12 years; 35 percent of those who had a positive thermogram developed breast cancer.
What you can do
If an abnormality is identified on your thermogram, proactive steps can be taken to heal the breast tissue and progress can be monitored non-invasively through serial scans. If you don’t have access to a doctor with digital IR equipment, you can take important steps for breast health:
Diet: Eat organically grown foods. Pesticides accumulate in fatty tissue and the breast can become a reservoir for estrogenic chemicals. Eliminate all caffeine, chocolate, MSG, aspartame, and herbs that have estrogenic properties, especially soy. Studies found that soy supplements may increase the risk of breast cancer, especially in postmenopausal women.
or Exercise: Walking and swinging your arms will cause the lymphatic vessels to move. Decongesting the breast tissue will reduce the risk of cancer.
o Eliminates hormones: Discuss options with your doctor for eliminating birth control pills and synthetic hormone replacement. The link between hormones and breast cancer has been confirmed.(5)
or Supplements: Many supplements have been shown to have a positive effect on breast tissue. Here are some examples:
1. DIM (diindolylmethane) The phytochemical found in cruciferous vegetables has anticancer activity and also works to repair damaged DNA.
two. Turmeric (curcumin) kills cancer cells and has strong anti-angiogenesis properties
3. drinking green tea or taking green tea extract capsules has been associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer. All of these are available at your local health food store.
Women should drive this industry and put pressure on conventional doctors to do their work at home. The new cameras are digital and far superior to the cameras of 30 years ago. For women who are young, at high risk, have dense breasts, or who want to be more proactive about their breast health, a digital breast CT scan is the way to go.
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REFERENCES
(1) Elmore J., Choe J. Breast cancer screening for women in their 40s: moving from data controversy to helping individual women. Ann Intern Med. Apr 3; 146 (7): 529-31. 2007. PMID: 17404356
(2) Urbain JL. Breast cancer screening, diagnostic accuracy and health care policies. CMAJ. January 18; 172(2): 210-1. 2005. PMID: 15655243
(3) Ibid. Urban JL
(4) “Survey determines impact of false-positive cancer tests.” daily science. July 22, 2007.
(5) “Confirmed: A Link Between Breast Cancer and Hormone Therapy.” Scientific American.com July 26, 2007.
(6) Rahman KW. Gene expression profiling revealed survival as a target of 3,3′-diindolylmethane-induced cell growth inhibition and apoptosis in breast cancer cells. Cancer Res. 2006 May 1;66(9):4952-60. PM ID: 16651453
(7) Mosley CA Highly active anticancer curcumin analogs. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2007;595:77-103 PMID: 17569206
(8) Zhang M Green tea and breast cancer prevention: a case-control study in southeastern China. Carcinogenesis. 2007 May; 28(5):1074-8. Epub 2006 Dec 20 PMID: 17183063