Breast Cancer- Knowing is Half the Battle
CANCER. There is hardly another word that evokes such
powerful emotions. Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in
women in the United States and the second leading cause of death. Cancer is
complicated. Many factors contribute to a person developing cancer. Just by
being a woman, our risk increases. Even though we know some of the factors that
can lead to developing cancer, there is no definitive answer as to why breast
cancer develops in some women and not others. Some risk factors we have no
control over, such as getting older and family history. That being said, there
are risk factors that we can control,
such as maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly, reducing stress, limiting
alcohol intake, and eating a balanced nutritional diet.
Know your body: Feel
your boobies: Save your life.
The most important step that a woman can take to reduce the risk
of breast cancer is to familiarize yourself with your body. It is vital to do monthly self breast
exams. If you know how your normal breast tissue look and feel, you can more
easily detect any changes in that tissue and notify your doctor. This can save
your life! Early detection can increase the rate of survival up to 50%! Receiving
bi-annual clinical breast exams is another very important step in early
detection of any breast changes.
The National Cancer Institute recommends that women with
average risk of breast cancer receive a mammography every 2 years starting at age
40. For women with a strong family
history of breast cancer, mammography screening should start earlier depending
on how high the individual’s risk. Mammography is not as sensitive in younger
women due to the denser breast tissue, but the mammogram can be followed up
with a breast MRI for more accurate results. Many of my patients are also use
breast thermography to reduce exposure to radiation from mammograms.
Genetic screening is another way of accessing your risk for
breast cancer, especially if there is a strong family history. Women with the
BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations have a 35-80% increased risk of developing
cancer compared to 12% in women without the gene mutation. Again, just because
you have the gene mutation does not mean you will develop breast cancer. Up to 40% of women with the BRCA1 gene
mutation do not have breast cancer.
Even with all the research that has been done on cancer, we still do not
know how or why some people develop cancer and others do not.
What if I have breast
cancer already?
When my cancer patients come in for their visit, I know just
by looking at the size of their grocery bags filled with supplements and
binders filled with print-outs from health websites. They are always flooded
with information from family, friends, neighbors, second cousins twice removed,
etc. Differentiating correct and false information can be confusing and
overwhelming. This is where I step
in. Naturopathic doctors are experts in sorting through all the
miss-information and bridge the gap between conventional and integrative
approaches to cancer care. I will
work with your oncology team to maintain your quality of life, minimize
potential side effects, through a customized diet and lifestyle plan, appropriate
herbal and nutritional supplementation, and IV nutrients such as Vitamin C, B
vitamins, and amino acids. My goal is to keep your mind and body in fighting
form so that you have the strength to get rid of the cancer.
Above all, believe in your body’s wisdom. Your body is as
vital and as strong as your will. As Georg Groddeck
writes, “One must not forget that recovery is brought about not by the
physician, but by the patient themself. She heals herself, by her own power,
exactly as she walks by means of her own power, or eats, or thinks, breathes or
sleeps.”
Dr. Sonja Fung is a naturopathic doctor
at the Live Well Clinic with a focus on integrative oncology. She not only
works towards the prevention of cancer, but offers cutting-edge, complementary
approaches to support women and men who currently have cancer.
Author: Sonja Fung, ND
Naturopathic Doctor
78900 Avenue 47 Suite 102 La Quinta, CA. 760-771-5970
Comments
Post a Comment