Breast Cancer Awareness

In 1982, Nancy Brinker promised her dying sister, Susan G. Komen, that she would do everything in her power to spare other women and men the agony of breast cancer. That promise became the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation, and the global breast cancer movement was launched. Today, breast cancer awareness has become big business; yet, a cure still has not been found. In the U.S. alone, breast cancer affects about one in eight women. Recently, Dr. Love of the Susan Love Research Foundation stated that it might be time to put more emphasis on two areas: cause and prevention.

Cause/Risk Factors: Having one or two of the following risk factors doesn’t mean a person will develop breast cancer. But, knowing some of the causes and creating a personal risk factor profile will help both patient and doctor plan a course of action that may reduce the chances of ever getting the disease. The most common risk factors for breast cancer are:

• Age: About 83 percent occurs in women age 60 and older.
• Personal History: Women who have had breast cancer or a history of breast disease (other than cancer) may develop it again.
• Family History: The risk increases if a woman’s mother or close relative had breast cancer; knowing their age when diagnosed is important.
• Genetic Predisposition: Both women and men may be born with an “alteration” (or change) in one of the two genes important for regulating breast cell growth. This alteration may be passed on to their children. If inherited, they are at an “inherited” higher risk for breast cancer.

Weight gain after menopause or after age 60 increases the risk.

Estrogen appears to play a key role in breast cancer. It doesn’t actually cause breast cancer, but it may stimulate the growth of cancer cells. The following risk factors all involve estrogen and increase the risk of developing breast cancer:

Menstruation started before age 12; the more menstrual cycles over a lifetime, the more likely a woman will get the disease. First pregnancy was after 25 or 30; hormonal changes that occur after age 35 may contribute to the disease. Having no children; continuous menstrual cycles until menopause increases risk. Women who use Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) now, or did in the past, have a greater risk.

Prevention: The fundamental causes of most cancers are the same, so the same strategies work for all of them. High stress lifestyles that zap the immune system, refined and over-processed foods, toxins, pesticides, pollutants, electromagnetic stress, artificial lights, and just about everything that wasn’t here about 200 years ago, weaken our immune systems and alter the internal environment in the body to an environment that promotes the growth of cancer. Read chapter 6 in the book, Natural Cures™ “They” Don’t Want You to Know About, do everything possible that is listed, review related information and recommendations on the Natural Cures™ website and in the Newsletters, identify areas that can be used, set goals and take steps needed to achieve them. Remember, the body is designed to repair itself given the right circumstances. A body that is nourished with good food, pure water, sunshine, exercise, laughter, love, and joy will be a healthier body.