LifeCare Chiropractic

The Best Chiropractic Care in Mesa, Arizona

Breast Cancer

JUST HOW EFFECTIVE IS PSA SCREENING?

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It seems like all cancer screenings are coming under fire recently.  Rational, scientific attemps have been made to knock mammography off its pedastal, but emotions run very high on this topic and few see through this to the real story.  Interestingly, the mammography “debate” is not new and may have been started some 22 years ago in the medical literature, when well known researchers began to question whether we should be putting all of our hopes into mammography.

PSA testing is no different.  Not only are there questions about its effectiveness, but we really need to face the reality that some serious harms can come from overdiagnosis.  Again, this is not new news.  I had reviewed an article over 6 years ago looking at just how ineffective PSA screening was at saving lives.

This particular review article puts a more specific number on the effectiveness of PSA screening.  Overall, researchers found that, to prevent a single death from prostate cancer over the course of 11 years, 1055  men would have to be screened.  That’s basically a thousand-to-one odds.  If this is what we hang our hats on when it comes to cancer “prevention” in this country, we truly are sunk.

In this country, we continue to rely on early detection as a sick sort of prevention, despite the literally thousands of research studies finding lifestyle factors that promote and poor lifestyle factors that prevent many types of cancers.  It’s pretty clear cut.  Lifestyle prevents cancer in the first place so that we do not have to rely on screening to “prevent” cancer.

I have provided a more in-depth review of a variety of ways to lower your risk of prostate cancer in the past and will not go into it again here.  Just take this information and understand that cancer early detection tests (let’s not call them “prevention” tests) are a crap shoot at best, with massive levels of harm being done with false positives and detections of cancers that will likely never progress.  Go into your screening as well educated as you can be.

SOY INTAKE REDUCES BREAST, ENDOMETRIAL AND PROSTATE CANCER RISK – (07-30-07)

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Epidemiologic evidence suggests that dietary phytoestrogen intake is associated with reduced risk of breast, endometrial, and prostate cancers

It amazes me how many anti-soy sentiments there are out there. Thryoid cancer, breast cancer, growing breasts on little boys, thyroid problems, infertility…the list is quite long. However, I have looked at many of the references the “anti-soy” people use. They just don’t hold up. I remember letter to the editor I wrote in response to an article damning soy. The journal let the author of this article rebut my letter. I checked her references and, out of 7 or so, 5 were in SUPPORT of soy!! She never checked her references!!

The vast majority of research articles on soy and phytoestrogens are positive, this one included. And I find it biased that there is concern over the phytates in soy blocking mineral absorption, but tea containing tannins are ok. Soy containing phytoestrogens are of concern, but eat all the lignans in flax you can grind up. You can’t have it both ways. That being said, I am in support of soy as being a part of a healthy lifestyle, but that does NOT mean processed soy this and processed soy that. Tofu, miso, soy nuts, soy milk, edemame–these are closer to Mother Nature’s intent. Textured vegetable protein and veggie burgers are less in Mother Nature’s plan.

Read entire article here

HIGHER ESTROGEN LEVELS EQUATE TO A RISK OF BREAST AND ENDOMETRIAL CANCERS – (01-15-07)

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Fatness at birth predicts adult susceptibility to ovarian suppression: An empirical test of the Predictive Adaptive Response hypothesis

I can honestly say that I do not routinely ask patients about their birth status (premature, weight, weight gain in the first 6 months…) but given the increasing evidence for gestational events to preprogram the fetus, this is not an unrealistic route to take.

In this study, the authors found that, when pregnant women were well fed, their adult daughters had higher estrogen levels and these levels were harder to reduce with exercise.  That would equate to a greater risk of breast and endometrial cancers.  Wow!!  Talk about needing to stratify responders in an “exercise to reduce breast cancer” epidemiological study!!

Read entire article here

ITS SHOCKING THAT PREGNANCY INCREASES RISK OF BREAST CANCER – (01-21-08)

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Heightened Risk of Breast Cancer Following Pregnancy: Could Lasting Systemic Immune Alterations Contribute?

This one gets a little deep. Many realize that pregnancy lowers your risk of developing breast cancer. What many do not know is that this is long term risk–in the short term the risk is actually elevated. So why the discrepancy? I have heard the theory proposed that the high levels of progesterone in pregnancy actually increase the risk of terminal duct lobular carcinoma of the breast, but lower the risk of interlobular ductal breast cancer.

This article is suggesting a different (or complimentary) theory. We know that pregnancy induces a change in immune status towards a Th2 dominated state. With a Th2 immune profile, the body is less likely to look inside for something to attack (like the developing fetus). However, we use this system for cancer surveillance. This may indicate that a Th2 state during pregnancy would leave cancer cells to divide unchecked by the immune system, leading to increased rates of cancer.

Read entire article here

RISK OF CHRONIC DISEASE DUE TO VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY – (02-04-08)

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Childhood sun exposure influences risk of multiple sclerosis in monozygotic twins

We unquestionably need a re-evalution of the public health guidance to avoid sun exposure at all costs. It’s created a major issue with widespread Vit D deficiency and subsequent risk of chronic disease.

In this study, they compared twins (fraternal) who were determined to have more sun exposure as a child. The higher sun exposed child could have up to a 75% less risk for developing MS compared to their sibling. We have seen similar amazing differences in rates of breast cancer as well. It’s time to either change our policy on sun exposure are move towards supplementing real doses of Vit D (minimum 2,000 IU / day).

Read entire article here

DIETARY FLAVONOID INTAKE AND BREAST CANCER SURVIVAL – (08-04-08)

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Dietary Flavonoid Intake and Breast Cancer Survival

Having a family member currently dealing with cancer, I can attest from firsthand experience that the discussion of anything outside of chemotherapy and radiation that may positively effect outcome is never discussed. Given the dire consequences of not staying current on the medical literature when it comes to oncology, this is absolutely NOT an acceptable situation.

In this study alone, one of thousands finding protective effects of lifestyle, breast cancer patients with a higher intake of flavonoids had a better chance of survival. Specifically when comparing highest vs lowest intakes, flavones (found in certain spices, celery, citrus peels) showed 37% reduction in death, isoflavones (found in soy) showed a 48% reduction and anthocyanidins (found in berries) showed a 36% reduction. I find the isoflavone relationship interesting given that many oncologists tell their breast cancer patients to avoid soy. In this study of 1210 breast cancer patient isoflavones had a massive protective effect on the outcome.

Read entire article here

DO YOU KNOW THAT SOY PROTECTS AGAINST BREAST CANCER RISK? – (03-08-10)

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Adolescent and adult soy food intake and breast cancer risk

Ok…another article talking about the benefits of soy. And trust me when I say it’s not alone–the positive research on soy is strong. So why do we continue to see this demonization of soy on the internet? I can only think that some group with lots and lots of money is contributing to these anti-soy websites. Of course, we are talking about non-GMO soy and taken in unprocessed forms (tofu, soy milk, edamame–NOT veggie burgers).

In this particular study, the evidence of soy protecting against breast cancer is strong, especially when used as an adolescent (greater than 59% reductions). Where are the Susan Komen and the American Cancer Society on this? Do we really have to wait until the evidence suggesting its protectiveness is so massive that we can no longer deny it in good conscious?

Read entire article here

OVARIAN CONSERVATION PROVIDES LONG TERM HEALTH – (03-08-10)

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Ovarian Conservation at the Time of Hysterectomy and Long-Term Health

This is another one of those studies that smashes down decades-old dogma in health care (i.e. smoking is good for you, HRT prevents heart disease, total cholesterol is associated with heart disease, aspirin a day saves lives..). It has been somewhat standard to remove a woman’s ovaries at the time of hysterectomy because…well…just because.

Unfortunately, this study finds some serious flaws in this approach (in this study, over half the women had their ovaries removed). With the exception of cancers of breast and ovaries, all other indices of mortality went up (all cause, heart disease, other cancers). For women under 50 who had bilateral oopherectomies done and chose not to take HRT, an extra 1 in 9 women will die because of the removal of the ovaries. And to think that these doctors get paid extra to remove the ovaries should be abhorrent given these statistics.

Read entire article here