Breast Cancer

What is Breast Cancer?

​The human body consists of trillions of cells; they are the structural units of all living things. Our cells are constantly dividing and replacing themselves in a precisely regulated fashion. Cancer cells, however, divide in an uncoordinated manner and accumulate in certain regions of the body. Breast cancer is a disease characterised by uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in breast tissue.

 

No one knows exactly why a normal (breast) cell becomes a cancerous one. It is thought that ATP, the power house in our cells, is connected to the function and division of our DNA strands. With age the ATP has reduced capability and can make mistakes so to speak, instructing the DNA to make mutations. One factor that is important in the good working of ATP is diet and having enough cholesterol and protein for its function. Many of us have been for decades on a diet low in natural animal fats and devoid of animal protein. Most people's diet is heavy in carbohydrates, which is not what builds ATP. Besides this, carbohydrates convert into glucose in the body and glucose is the preferred fuel of cancer cells. 

People who have cancer need to really be serious about taking out all sugars, including fruits and starchy carbs and introduce more natural animal fats and protein. If you would like to know more, I am happy to help. 

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Another very important factor in the development of any disease is emotional shock or trauma. We must not under-estimate the power of our emotions, feelings like loss and guilt. You hear often that when one partner passes, the other follows withing a short period of time. I do believe that we can change the way our cells function because of strong emotions. 

So therapy or emotional healing should be a big part of healing any health condition.

 

How does breast cancer develop?

It is possible that breast cancers emerge due to a combination of inflammation, genetics, carcinogens, immune responses, hormones, and tissue composition, but above all, the wrong nutrition. There is sufficient evidence suggesting that it is not our genes that preposition us to disease, but actually the food that we choose to eat. As explained above, ATP needs nutrient dense foods to work optimally.

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The breasts are composed of lobes, lobules, ducts, glands, and a high concentration of blood vessels and fat cells. Many of these tissues in the breast have receptors for the hormone oestrogen, which make them a target for the hormone’s influence. Fat cells, in particular, both produce and metabolize oestrogen. Oestrogen is then metabolised or broken down into carcinogenic by-products, which can effect the DNA of nearby cells and cause their mutation into cancers. Research has shown that some women’s breasts are more susceptible than others to the effects of oestrogen and its by-products.

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It takes 8 to 10 years for the average tumour to grow to be one centimetre in size, and only 1.5 years for it to grow to be 3.5 centimetres.

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Once a normal cell begins to mutate (pre-cancerous tissue), its DNA is altered so that these cells can multiply in an uncoordinated fashion. The extensive vascular beds in the breast tissue provide an optimum condition for this to occur. In order to sustain rapid growth of these pre-cancerous (and cancerous) cells, chemicals are released into the surrounding area which keep existing blood vessels open, awaken dormant ones, and create new ones (angio-genesis).

Currently 90-95% of breast cancers occur in women with no family history of the disease (1).

 

How we can detect  breast cancer early?

Over 90% of women diagnosed with stage 1 cancer are alive 5 years later (1). Unfortunately only 58% of breast cancers are diagnosed at this stage (1). Digital Infrared Imaging has the ability to detect the chemical and blood vessel changes in pre-cancerous as well as cancerous breast tissue. Consequently, Infrared Imaging can be the first indicator that a cancer may be forming or is present. 

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Although there is no one screening technique that is solely adequate for detecting breast cancer,  Breast Thermography is clearly a frontline test for visualising maetbolic changes within the breasts.

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Sources;

1997-2005 Index Medicus ACS, NEJM, JNCI, Lancet, BMJ, J Breast