Breast Cancer & Prevention
Filed under: Dave Carpenter — Copyright©2006 Dave Carpenter @ 9:29 am
By Dave Carpenter, ND, C. Ac., CCI
Recent events have prompted me to once again address breast cancer and some of my concerns for you who may be at risk. Breast cancer strikes one in eight US women, and over 550,000 Americans alone will die of cancer this year. It has grown 4% annually in the US and is predicted to kill 1 million women worldwide. Let’s take a serious look at this one health area that can be helped by several simple steps so you or a loved one has a better idea of how to prevent it.
The first step is to understand the lymphatic system and the effect it has on the breasts. The lymph system has over 600 nodes or collection areas where lymphatic fluid is channeled through thousands of lymph vessels. These nodes act as filtering devices as well as holding areas where your immune cells can fight off viruses, bacteria and other pathogens that enter your body.
The largest mass of lymph nodes in the upper body is located in and around the breasts and armpits. These lymph nodes drain lymph fluid from the breast area into the thoracic duct, which then flows to the heart. It is not uncommon for these lymph nodes to increase in size during menses, causing tenderness and swelling in the breast and surrounding tissues. This is quite normal during menses and should subside once the monthly cycle is through. If this continues, however, there could be a more serious problem such as an infection, hormonal imbalance, lymphatic blockage or injury, or even cancer.
One of the obvious precautions to take is to avoid overloading these lymphs with outside toxins such as those found in deodorants and antiperspirants. The chemicals they contain can easily be absorbed through the skin and cause the underlying lymph nodes to constrict and block lymph flow. Switching to natural deodorants which don’t cause the nodes to constrict would be a wise move.
Another proven factor linked to breast cancer is exposure to estrogen and estrogen-like pesticides. Using lymph draining techniques and massages is an excellent idea as it reduces the length of time the tissues are exposed to these chemicals. DNR Lymph Protocol and Immune Maxx are excellent for assisting the lymphatic system. Jumping on a mini trampoline, aerobic activities and massage are also very effective.
Lymphatic/Immune System Protocol:
The health of the entire body depends on the full time actions of the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system is wholly responsible for carrying antibodies to areas being attacked by viruses, bacteria and toxic agents.
Lympha Soak and Lympha Drops help the body:
Initiate Drainage & Cleansing
Utilize Cancer Fighting Cells
Restore Youthful, Healthy Appearance
Increase Lymph Flow
Balance All Immune System Activity
Lympha Drops (LD-528) 3 drops to 3 ounces water 3 times per day.
Three to five (3-5) days later, Lympha Soak (105-L) every 4th night or as needed.
Almost every research report you read shows that one of the biggest factors in cancer of the breast is a group of chemicals known as organochlorines. There are at least 10,000 different organochlorines. Some of the more well known ones are benzene, chlordane, DDT, dioxin, CFC’s, atrazine and vinyl chloride. These mostly fall into two categories, plastics and pesticides.
Studies show that breast cancer patients have very high tissue levels of organochlorines. Groups of individuals with an increased exposure to these, like farmers and others who handle a lot of chemicals, have exceptionally high rates of breast cancer. These chemicals are easily absorbed into the body and tend to accumulate in the fatty tissues like the breasts. Once there, they are very difficult to excrete. Projections on their half life is that many may be half as strong (as originally) after 65 years. It is very interesting to note that in 1978, Israel initiated a program to phase out production of organochlorines. Prior to that phase out, Israel’s rate of breast cancer cases was among the highest in the world. After the phase out, however, breast cancer among Israeli women dropped dramatically.
A Canadian and Mexican study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that women with high levels of the organochlorine DDE had a more than double rate of risk for breast cancer than did women with lower levels. The study also noted that prolonged breastfeeding provided a slight decrease in the risk, even with those in the high DDE group. (Am J Epidemiol, 2000;152:363-370)
Several months back I mentioned research on the effect of wearing bras. Bras constrict blood circulation and impede lymphatic flow, not to mention what the underwires do to the energy flowing through the acupuncture meridians. Now there is more interesting research on the subject for you to consider.
Medical researcher Dr. Sydney Singer recently compared the incidence of breast cancer in two groups of women in Fiji. Half of the women wore bras and the other half did not. Both groups had the same diets, lifestyles and other environmental factors. Dr. Singer found that the women who wore bras had the same statistical rate of breast cancer as women living in the United States. Those who went bra-less experienced no breast cancer whatsoever. (Dressed To Kill by Dr. Singer)
I’m sure bras and antiperspirants are here to stay so suggest you minimize their negative effects as much as possible. Wearing a bra more than 10 hours a day seems to increase levels of the hormone prolactin which decreases circulation in the breast tissues and thus retains unwanted toxins and wastes. Research has also shown that regular stimulation of the nipple produces oxytocin which stimulates contractions of the small muscles that surround lymph nodes in the breast and thus draining the undesired toxins and increases circulation. (IS J. of Med. Science 1993:31:48)
A lot has also been written lately about the effects of the drug Tamoxifen and that it had a 45% lowering effect in breast cancer. They seem to overlook the rest of the test findings, namely that Tamoxifen also increased endometrial cancer by 2 times, lung blood clots by 3 times, and increased hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms severely. Therefore, it may not actually prove to be as wonderful as we’ve been led to believe.
A new US study shows that women taking tamoxifin to control cancer in one breast have a greatly increased risk of developing a tumor in the other breast. Between 1990 and 1998 researchers followed 9,000 women who had been diagnosed with a primary localised breast cancer in one breast only. These women, aged 50 or older, were treated using Tamoxifen (hormone therapy)but no chemotherapy. They were followed until the study ended, a cancer developed in the other breast, or they died. The results of the study showed that tamoxifen apparently protects against oestrogen-receptor (ER)positive tumors, but users had 5 times the risk of developing an ER-negative tumor in the other breast. ER-negative tumors are not only more difficult to treat but are also associated with a high death rate and a 35% reduced five year survival rate. (J Natl Cancer Inst, 2001;93:1008-1013)
One last area of consideration are the feelings, thoughts, beliefs and emotions that one has.
The breasts are particularly sensitive to hormonal chemicals produced by one who has:
* Repressed anger (usually at male authority figures)
* Feeling of conflict in their own worthiness
* Denied their individual worth
* A conflict regarding their own nurturing ability
* A feeling of emptiness in life.
Obviously there are many more which could be added to this list. I think that you do get the idea and hope that if you do find yourself recognizing some or all of these ideas that you will get yourself some help and take steps to correct these imbalances. A great place to start would be the book by Karol Truman, “Feelings Buried Alive Never Die” which is well written and has some great information regarding how all of this works and what you can do for yourself.
So, what can you do?
# 1. Eat less animal protein! T. Colin Campbell in his incredible book, “The China Study” states that a diet of over 10% animal protein can turn on cancer cells in the laboratory studies and when held to under 10% the cancers stopped growing. It seems like this would be the first place to make a significant change.
# 2. Eat the right fats. A Swedish study indicates that for every 10 gram increase in monounsaturated fat intake per day there was a 50% decrease in breast cancer risk. (1 tablespoon of olive oil or flaxseed oil contains just over 10 grams).
# 3. Get regular exercise. A 14 year study reported in the New England Journal of Medicine (May 1997) found that women who exercised at least 4 hours a week had a 37% decrease in developing breast cancer than their non-exercising counterparts. A 45 minute walk 5 days a week would meet this requirement.
# 4. Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables and get plenty of fiber.
# 5. Take antioxidants every day. These include the pycnogenol products, Vitamin C,E, carotenes and selenium.
# 6. Use a moderate amount of alcohol (if you use any). Several studies led Harvard’s School of Public Health to the conclusion that a woman who consumed two or more alcoholic drinks per day had a 41% increased risk of developing breast cancer.
# 7. Reduce your exposure to outside estrogens. These are being found more and more in meats, poultry and dairy products as a result of growth hormones used in these industries to promote growth. Many chemicals and pesticides are also known to increase estrogen production in women. Be sure to clean your fruits and vegetables thoroughly (Yellow label Liquid Needle is very effective for this purpose) and avoid foods which may be a problem. This must be done on a regular basis to be effective.
# 8. Watch for hormonal imbalances which may cause breast tenderness, cysts, fibroids, etc. as many problems can be avoided early on if proper care is given.
# 9. Get more sunshine! Research indicates that women who reported getting the most sunshine exposure had a 30 to 40% reduction in breast cancer. You women who live here in the northern states need to make time to get out in the sunshine by walking, playing golf or tennis or other activities which allow you to be in the sunshine. If you are unable to do that, take Vitamin D (the sunshine vitamin) to make up for it (between 400 to 800 IU is generally recommended). Experts suggest a minimum of 15 minutes a day of exposure to the sun is needed.
# 10. Watch out for exposure to organochlorines in your foods and wash your foods carefully and thoroughly. Strong Acidic Water - Kangen System
# 11. Handle chemicals carefully when you must use them.
# 12. Use a water purifier to reduce expose to organochlorines in your drinking and shower water.
# 13. Keep the body’s pH balanced as much as possible. I’ve found that the easiest way to do that is using the alkalizers or Kangen water.
I hope and pray that these steps will help you minimize your risk with this serious problem in our society.
