Mammograms

I decided a few years ago that I would never undergo a mammogram.

I had heard and read negative stories, here and there, which activated my 'be wary' instincts.

When I mentioned it to my Dr, whom I haven't seen for a consultation for almost five years, he suggested that I have an ultrasound instead, which I agreed to consider - but I won't be having one of those either.

The results of a recent study were published in the British Medical Journal and also in the New York Times in mid February ...

"One of the largest and most meticulous studies of mammography ever done, involving 90,000 women and lasting a quarter of a century, has added powerful new doubts about the value of the screening test for women of any age.

It found that the death rates from breast cancer and from all causes were the same in women who got mammograms and those who did not. And the screening had harms: one in five cancers found with mammography and treated was not a threat to the woman's health and did not need treatment such as chemotherapy, surgery or radiation."

Unfortunately, breast cancer is big business, and mammography is one of its primary profit centers. This is why the industry is fighting tooth and nail to keep it, even if it means ignoring the truth.

Several studies over the past few years have concluded that mammograms do not save lives, and may actually harm more women than they help, courtesy of false positives, over treatment, and radiation-induced cancers.

Besides the harm caused by over treatment, the wisdom of radiating your breasts year after year, for decades, is questionable at best, considering the fact that ionising radiation can cause cancer.

I believe that cancer prevention begins with lifestyle choices.

• Avoid sugar and processed foods
• Optimise your Vitamin D levels - with sunshine, not supplements.
• Avoid unfermented soy products.
• Exercise - you don't have to be a gym junky, walking or rebounding is excellent.
• Maintain a healthy body weight - which is easy when you cut out sugar and processed foods.
• Drink vegetable smoothies/juices (organic)
• Avoid, or at least limit your alcohol intake.
• Avoid synthetic hormone replacement therapy.  Breast cancer is an estrogen related cancer, and according to a study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, breast cancer rates for women dropped in tandem with decreased use of hormone replacement therapy. (There are similar risks for younger women who use oral contraceptives. Birth control pills, which are also comprised of synthetic hormones, have been linked to cervical and breast cancers.)

Of course, if you want to be pedantic, there are many, many more things that you can do to reduce your risk of breast cancer, but this is a good start.

A couple of photos from today and yesterday.

I've had such a lazy day today .. and have enjoyed every slothful minute of it!

Nite all.