STATISTICAL FACTORS

1. AGE - 75% occurs in women over 50

2. LIFETIME EXPOSURE TO ESTROGEN - risk increases with early menarche, no pregnancies, late menopause, birth control pills, estrogen therapy.

3. FAMILY HISTORY - two close relatives with premenopausal breast cancer increases risk.

4. LIFETIME EXPOSURE TO RADIATION & CHEMICALS - the greater the exposure, the greater the risk

5. RACE - white, European-extraction women are at greater risk.

6. SIZE - larger (height and weight) women are at greater risk.

REPRODUCTIVE FACTORS

*The shorter the period between-the onset of menses and the first full-term pregnancy, the lower the risk of breast cancer. Breast cells become completely matured via pregnancy/ lactation and become stabilized, therefore less affected by menstrual cycle hormones and actually more resistant to breast cancer.

*The longer one breast feeds, the lower the risk for (particularly premenopausal) breast cancer. Women who nursed for at least 3 months cut their risk by 25%.

DIETARY FACTORS

*High unsaturated fat diets are linked to breast cancer, in both the quantity and quality of fat. More fat cells produce more estrogen. A high fat diet promotes an earlier menstrual cycle which leads to more estrogen exposure. Mice fed a high fat diet have offspring with a higher risk of breast cancer. In terms of quality, most of the fats we consume contain large amounts of organo-chlorides. Hydrogenated fats (margarine) form trans-fatty acids which are carcinogenic. Linoleic acid - in nuts, corn oil, and most margarine speeds up the rate of growth of breast cancers in mice when fed at levels from 8-50% of total dietary fat.

*Women who eat red meat have twice the risk of breast cancer as women who eat the same quantity of fish/poultry/dairy

*Alcohol increases risk.- 1/2 drink -1 per day increases risk by 20%; 3 drinks by 100%, as estrogen increases with alcohol consumption.

*Plastic from containers leach into foods (especially when heated/ microwaved) and mimic cancer promoting estrogens.
Breast cancer cells have been demonstrated to grow in test tubes with these xenoestrogens.

LIFESTYLE FACTORS

*Smoking: Premenopausal women who smoke are 2x as likely to get breast cancer. Tobacco smoke contains compounds from the chemical phosphates in fertilizers and combustion by-products from chlorine-bleached cigarette papers that initiate cancer.

*Women who regularly exercise reduce their risk by at least 1/3. Exercise directly decreases estradiol absorption, improves immune response and relieves stress.

*Constant exposure to light at night (night-lights, street-lights) reduces the production of melatonin, a chemical thought to inhibit proliferating breast cancer cells and increase levels of naturally occurring antioxidants in breast cells.

MORE LIFESTYLE FACTORS:

*Poor processing of emotions. Death of a loved one has been linked to an increased risk of breast cancer. It is theorized that
stored resentments, over-eagerness to please others at the expense of one's own feelings and needs (which get pushed inside), buried anger are like cancer seeds. Emotionally "difficult" cancer patients live longer and have less recurrence.

ESTROGENIC FACTORS

*The most validated risk factor for breast cancer is estradiol exposure. The more menstrual cycles, the more estradiol produced, the greater the risk. Late onset of menses, early menopause, pregnancy and lactation reduce the number of cycles and thus the risk. Prior to this century, the average age of menarche was 16-17 versus 11-12 currently. Five extra years of estradiol production during the teen years (when breast tissue is very sensitive to cancer initiators) significantly increases risk. Further. 1) women whose cycles are shorter than 25 days have double the risk, 2) using conventional animal estrogens or synthetic hormone therapy for more than 5 years can nearly double the risk, and 3) if birth control pills are used before the 1st pregnancy, before the age of 20, or for more than 5 years before the age of 35, risk is doubled or tripled.

HEREDITARY FACTORS

*Women whose mothers had breast cancer are almost twice as likely to have it themselves. In general, the older the mother when diagnosed, the lower the risk for the daughter.
*Your sibling's health has a greater relationship to risk than your mother's: if your sister has breast cancer your risk goes up 2 1/2x and if your brother has prostate cancer, your risk goes up 4x
*At higher risk are women with a genetic fault on BRCA-1 & -2 -genes, lighter skinned women of European descent and larger women: those who weigh more than 154 lbs and are over 5'6" have a 3.6x greater risk than a woman under 132 lbs and below 5'3"; those with a waist to hip ratio over .8 1 have a 7 fold risk versus under .7 3. Postmenopausal women who are 50 lbs+ overweight are 1 1/2 times more likely to develop breast cancer.

ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS

*Organochlorides - from agricultural chemicals, chlorinated water and plastics - likely initiate and promote breast cancer by mutating genes, altering breast cells so they absorb more estradiol, suppressing the Immune system and mimicking the effects of estrogen. Organochlorides are chlorine-based chemicals and dioxin, a byproduct of chlorine bleaching, is noted as a breast cancer promoter. Women with high levels of agricultural organochlorides in their blood are 4-10x more likely to develop breast cancer; women with breast cancer have 50-60% more pesticides/organochlorides in their tissues than women without breast cancer. Sources: chemical farming practices, drinking and bathing in chlorinated water, bleached paper, water pollution.

*Breast tissue is quite sensitive to radiation, especially during the fertile years, and the risk of breast cancer Increases with exposure to radiation. Sources: mammography, radioactive fallout from nuclear bomb testing in Nevada between 1951-63, contaminated milk, meat, fish & vegetables; exposure to low-level radiation from nuclear waste (since 1950, breast cancer deaths among women living within 50 miles of nuclear plants have increased 10 fold) and x-rays.

*Electromagnetic fields such as electrical transmission lines, micro-wave towers. phone cables, EMF's (extra low frequency electromagnetic fields) have been demonstrated to increase the risk of breast cancer by interfering with cells'
hormonal, enzymatic and chemical signals causing DNA damage and switched-on oncogenes. EMF's also reduce production of melatonin of which deficiencies are linked to increased breast cancer. EMF's are produced by: house wiring, phone lines, computer terminals, TV's, refrigerators, hair dryers, bedside clocks, electric blankets/appliances/lines etc.

*Petrochemicals such as gasoline, kerosene, formaldehyde and benzene may be linked to breast cancer. Breast cancer rates were 60% higher among postmenopausal women living within 1/2 mile of a chemical plant on Long island than rates in identical communities further from the plant.

*Habitual sunscreen users have very low levels of Vitamin D which is an anti-oxidant and inhibits the initiation phase of breast cancer.

*Wearing a bra: in a study of 5,000 women, those who reported red marks and irritation were twice as likely to develop breast cancer. Women who wore bras for more than 12 hours a day increased their risk 6x.1 A snug bra encircling the chest slows lymph fluid circulation, hinders immune response and traps energy in the breasts. Underwire bras are the worst.

DIET

1) Eat organically grown foods. Pesticides collect in fatty tissue and the breast can become a reservoir. Pesticides can have an estrogenic effect. Avoid imported produce as it tends to be more heavily sprayed. Peel waxed produce (apples, cucumbers).

2) Eat foods which are high in fiber and anti-cancer antioxidant compounds. Fiber binds to estrogen in the bowel and eliminates it. Lignans, the best sources of which are ground flax seeds or fresh oil, have anti-oxidant and anti-cancer actions, block cancer-promoting Prostaglandins and are converted by colon bacteria into anti-estrogenic substances that block all phases of the cancer cascade. Fruit, especially apples, apricots and figs (unsulphured), pineapple, strawberries, grapes and orange peel, provide not only fiber but many anti-cancer compounds. Cruciferous vegetables containing the highest levels of anti-cancer compounds, such as sulforaphane and glucaric acid (which interferred with mammary cancer in rats), are in: broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, radishes/daikon and greens such as collard and mustard. Soy products are
quite rich in phytochemicals, including genistein, which prevent the initiation and promotion of breast cancer. Soy also
protects against the effects of radiation and chemicals: after exposure to x-rays, soy-fed rats developed breast cancer only half as often as rats not eating soy. Tomatoes, rich in lycopene, strongly correlate with a lower risk of breast cancer. Helpful bacteria and fatty acids found in yogurt inactivate the inflammatory prostaglandins and is superb for blocking cellular changes that initiate the cancer cascade. It is speculated that it is not the fat itself in yogurt that is a problem, but the hormones, antibiotics and organochlorides stored in the fat. Stick to organic/hormone-free. brands or make your own. Olive oil is an anti-cancer food: women of Crete get 45-60% of their calories from fat, mostly fresh olive oil, yet are the least likely of any women in the Western world to die of breast cancer. Studies show a strong link between fat and breast cancer when the diet is high in linoleic acids, the main fatty acid in safflower, corn, soy and sunflower oils. These oils are unstable and go rancid shortly after extraction. Rancid oil is a carcinogen. Anti-cancer oils include: coconut, olive, ghee, sesame. Other foods with demonstrated anticancer properties are: green tea, almonds, beans, burdock root, carrots, garlic, ginger, lentils, seaweed, citrus.

3) Eat moderate and healthy fat, as discussed previously - roughly 30% of total calories. *Supplements to build immunity and ensure super vitamin/mineral nutrition are a key part of preventing cancer. Recommended supplements include the standard anti-oxidants, vitamins C (1-10,000 mg) and E (400 mg), beta-carotene (25-100,000 mg), selenium (200 mcg). Zinc is a good immune system nutrient, as is Ginseng which encourages production of interferon, phagocytes, antibodies and killer T-cells. Mushrooms, such as maitake, reishi and shiitake, have proven tumor shrinking properties, are anti-inflammatory and immune-building.

Echinacea and astragalus are both excellent immune builders.

Essential fatty acids (preferably from cold water fish: salmon, mackerel, sardines or non-rancid oil like coconut) decrease the level of PGE's in the blood. High levels of inflammatory Prostaglandins are found in the blood and tumors of those with breast cancer. Cancer is an inflammatory process and quercitin and licorice root have known anti-inflammatory and immune stimulating properties. Note: iron is a pro-oxidant and causes free-radicals. Women with tumors had higher levels of iron in their blood. Further, low blood iron correlate( with lower cancer incidence. Don't supplement with iron unless medically necessary.

BREAST MASSAGE/PACKS

*Regular breast massage stimulates lymph circulation in breast tissue and helps eliminate abnormal cells and congestion. To disperse energy, place hands under breasts and massage inward and upward in a circular motion. This can be done at any point in the menstrual cycle. It is ideal to use an herbal oil added to some beeswax to make an ointment. The antiseptic, softening and healing properties of beeswax intensify the healing actions of the herbs and carry them deeper into the tissues. Recommended oils include: Burdock seed, Calendula blossom, Comfrey root (good for sore breasts), Dandelion flower, Evergreen needle, Red Clover blossom, St. John's wort. Another benefit of breast massage is that you become familiar with how your breasts feel and are better able to detect future changes.

* Castor oil was the remedy most recommended by psychic healer Edgar Cayce for resolving lumps and growths. The classic application is a hot castor oil compress made by baking flannel cloth saturated in castor oil in the oven until it is thoroughly heated. This hot compress is applied to the breasts, covered with plastic to hold in the heat, and kept on as long as possible.

PROCESSING EMOTIONS
*Learn to speak your truth, say what's on your mind, be honest with yourself (and others) about your real feelings, release stored angers, resentments and griefs. Many people walk around with a multitude of unresolved feelings and emotions. It has been demonstrated that this has a negative effect on immunity. It is difficult to understand sometimes what is happening beneath the surface in ourselves and in our interactions with others. Meditation, or sitting quietly, to be able to just recognize your feelings may be helpful. Surround yourself with people who encourage you to be your true self, who are not judgmental and with whom you can talk about and process your more complex feelings. Pay attention to sensations in your body such as heaviness in the chest, constriction around the throat, a sick feeling in your stomach which may be manifestations of unexpressed feelings. These are clues that you need to look deeper at something within yourself. Emotions that we "stuff" away inside don't disappear. Combined with other factors, they are seeds in the breeding ground of disease.

THE KEY TO BREAST HEALTH

THE KEY TO BREAST HEALTH APPEARS TO BE IN MANY OF THE CHOICES WE MAKE DAILY: EATING ORGANICALLY GROWN, WHOLE FOODS, HEALTHY FATS, RICH IN NUTRIENTS; EXERCISING; GETTING SUNLIGHT; TAKING CARE OF OURSELVES EMOTIONALLY; STRENGTHENING OUR IMMUNE DEFENSES;
CARING FOR OUR BREASTS -VIA MASSAGE & NOURISHING THEM, AND REDUCING ALCOHOL AND COFFEE INTAKE.

REFERENCES:

1. Weed, Susan S. BREAST CANCER? BREAST HEALTH! The Wise Woman Way Ash Tree Publishing, 1996.

2. Austin, Steve N.D. and Hitchcock, Cathy, M.S.W.. BREAST CANCER Prima Publishing, 1994.

3. Stoppard, Miriam Dr. THE BREAST BOOK Random House, 1996.

4. The Boston Women's Health Book Collective. THE NEW OUR BODIES, OURSELVES Simon & Schuster Inc., 1992.

Author's Bio: 

This article was written by Dr. Thomas S. Lee. Detailed Information can be found at http://www.naturodoc.com