Prevention is the cure.
Breast Cancer is the leading cause of death in women ages 40 to 55 and 15 % of all breast cancers occur in women under age 45. However, 80 percent of breast lumps are NON-cancerous and 80% of women with breast cancer have no family history. These are scary facts. Also 10% of breast cancer is genetic and 90% is triggered be environmental factors as Dr Mercola mentioned
In 2014 the Swiss Medical Board recommended that no new systematic mammography screening programs be introduced in Switzerland. These are the routine screenings women are told to have for early detection. The Board based their decision on a twelve-month long review of data and statistics. Other European countries are also in the process of reviewing their recommendations and it is to be expected that several others will agree with the Swiss conclusions.
More and more we are hearing of concerns about the over-diagnosing of breast cancer, some studies say that about 22%, up to 30%, of women were over-diagnosed resulting in unnecessary surgical interventions, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or a combination of those, besides the needless stress caused by the false positive. Other trials are showing that there is basically no evidence that mammography screenings reduce the risk of overall mortality.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a perfect time to reassess your own strategy. Be your own advocate and do your own research on this topic. There are several other methods available that may be used to screen your breast health, such as Ultrasound and Thermography, which involve no radiation to the breast and no compression, as well as MRI of the breast.
What else can you do? As always, diet and exercise are cornerstones of overall health. Anything that strengthens our immune systems is helpful, after all, it is designed to kill cancer cells! Now do your part!
Kirstin
Shambhala Wellness
