The surprising answer is "quite
possibly". Although we know that
genetics does play a role in developing breast cancer, we also know that genes affecting
such seem to have a biological switch that can be turned on or off with
exposure to certain positive or negative factors. Some of the negative factors
are contained in products we use everyday. Other things that influence
development of breast cancer are: emotional stress, environmental elements,
chemicals, diet, lifestyle and degree of wellness.
PINK WASHING OR WHITE WASHING THE TRUTH
Being that October is breast cancer awareness
month, ad campaigns have flooded the market with products adorning pink ribbons
in the name of breast cancer research. Naysayers and many researchers have
condemned these tactics and have even coined such events as "pink
washing" or using the friendly color pink to whitewash underlying monetary
gains and/or bad intentions.
It might intrigue you to know that prevention of
breast cancer is not in the best interest of some very powerful corporate
giants. On the contrary, breast cancer
is making them lots of money. There is quite a bit of evidence to suggest that
certain pesticides and chemicals play a factor in development of breast cancer. Chemical producers like Mosanto, DuPont and Dow
Chemical are deemed to have financial interests in companies that develop
treatment for cancer. At the same time, some of the chemicals they produce are
known to cause cancer. Do you see the irony here?
Parabens are chemicals that function as
preservatives and anti-fungals and are often used in shampoos, deodorants, and
cosmetics like lipstick. They are easily absorbed through the skin or by way of
the gastro-intestinal tract. Problem is
that they act like estrogen in the body (often called "estrogen
mimickers") and modern medicine has proven that excess estrogen plays a
role in breast cancer. I find it interesting that more than 75% of breast tumor
biopsies contain significant amounts of parabens.
Parabens are ubiquitous because they offer a
relatively inexpensive way of preserving products used on the body. Perhaps some companies may actually feel
guilty. One example - Avon sold make-up
containing parabens and formaldehyde, while at the same time contributing a
portion of their sales to cancer research.
This is pink-washing in action. One
might suggest that the so-called charitable portion may better be spent on a
safer preservative alternative.
HOW DO MAMMOGRAMS FIT INTO THE PICTURE?
This may not be as well as one might think. Through
the years there is no doubt that mammograms have detected breast cancer and
saved lives. That’s the god news, yet the overall impact may not be as
favorable as touted by medical community; nor are the reliability of integrity
of the results women have spent years relying upon. Several reliable sources
document a high rate of performance of unnecessary surgeries, due to false
positive on mammograms.
Although this author would suggest that focus on prevention
is at least as important, if not more important than early detection, reliance
on detection by mammogram may be less than prudent. One reason I say this is because regular bi-yearly
doses of radiation from mammograms, regardless how low the dose, seem
counterintuitive. The dose received in a typical mammogram is approximately 75
times the amount of radiation we typically receive in a normal day. Although a
spinal X-ray delivers about twice as much radiation, most people don’t have
spinal X-rays every two years. Being
that radiation is cumulative and known to cause cancer, repeated exposure to
radiation in the same area is a little disheartening because ionizing radiation has the ability to alter
our DNA.
EARLY DETECTION ALTERNATIVES
Certainly, breast self-examinations and yearly
physical exams are prudent preventive measures.
When it comes to high tech diagnostics, look to
solutions that do not use “ionizing radiation”, or perhaps completely
non-invasive diagnostics, such as “thermograms”. Thermograms sense heat in areas with fast
growing cells like cancerous tumors, and give us a map of such. This is likened
to those heat-sensing infrared scopes that function to pick out humans or
animals in military operations. Sonograms
use ultrasound, a form of non-ionizing radiation that can find abnormalities in
the breast. Neither of these procedures offer the perfect diagnostic solution,
but they may be a prudent tool worth discussing with your physician.
BE YOUR OWN BEST SOURCE OF PREVENTION
As I would say about health care reform, there is
no better insurance for good health than a patient who takes accountability for
making sure they offer their body the best chance to maintain, rejuvenate and
repair itself. The greatest healing power exists in our own innate powers of recuperation
and maintenance of homeostasis or everything in balance. Cancer cells are
merely normal cells that are no longer being recognized or regulated by our own
physiology. Here are wellness and prevention suggestions for your consideration:
- “Breath is life” and our breathing capacity is the first thing to go as we age. Learn to oxygenate with good Yoga-like breathing techniques. Most cancers develop in areas of the body that have poor oxygenation.
- Breathe healthy non-polluted air ( may want to use a good whole house HEPA filter in your home and change filters when indicated)
- Have your home checked for radon, the most common source of unnecessary exposure to ionizing radiation
- YOUR DIET: Eat a diet that WILL NOT increase inflammation in the body. Eat healthy, live (vs. all cooked food), unprocessed and organic foods grown without hormones, pesticides or chemical fertilizers. Make sure to have a minimum of 5 servings of organic fruits and veggies every day (all different colors with lots of reds and purples), with at least some of them raw. Cruciferous veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and brussel sprouts are wonderful and proven to help female hormone balance. Use organic, unpasturized apple cider vinegar in place of white vinegar. Use olive oil, coconut oil and palm oil vs. corn oil, canola oil or other polyunsaturated oils. Oils should be cold-pressed.
- If you have gluten sensitivity stay away from it. Brown rice (GF) is better than white rice and quinoa (GF) or brown rice based pastas are wonderful tasting and much better for you than white flour or semolina.
- If it comes from a plant, that’s great; if it’s made in a plant, stay away from it.
- Substitute well-planned vegetarian meals for animal proteins and limit your intake of red meats, pork and poultry to not more than three meals per week.
- Maintain a healthy weight and balanced blood sugar (5-6 small healthy meals throughout the day rather than 2-3 big meals).
- Take a good natural comprehensive vitamin/mineral supplement and extra Vitamin C containing bioflavonoids. Total vitamin C daily dose should be a minimum of 2000 mg per day
- Exercise 6 days per week
- Drink lots of well purified or distilled water daily. Avoid drinking or cooking with tap water.
- Don’t use anything on your skin or as make-up that you couldn’t actually eat without hurting you. Particularly avoid anything with parabens, formaldehydes, or sodium lauryl sulfates. Check your hand soaps, body cleansers, deodorants, shampoos, conditioners, make-up, lipstick, etc.
- Clean your home and do pest control with healthy alternatives to harsh chemicals. The vapors and residues from chemical can remain harmful for a long time
- Laugh a lot, live in the moment with positivity and remember platitudes like: “Attitude is everything, so pick a good one”; AND “happiness is not found upon reaching your destination, but making a decision to enjoy the journey”. Our attitudes literally change our physiology and that is proven science.
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