Every 12 minutes, a woman in America dies from breast cancer
214,440 cases in US in 2004 (ACS)
43,300 will die from the disease (NBCF)
1,450 male or less than 1% (.067%)
215,990 female cases
Incidence has risen 21 percent in the last 4 years
Number of people per 100,000
110/100,000 people in US
140.8/100,000 white women per 100,000
121.7/100,000 African American
97.2/100,000 Asian American
58/100,000 American Indian and Alaska Native
89.8/100,000 Hispanic Latino
74.4/100,000 UK
36.2/100,000 China
28.9/100,000 India
28.0/100,000 Japan
2) Have our treatments made any difference in survival?
Not much. The death rate of breast cancer has decreased, but these statistics may not accurately reflect an improvement in our treatment approach. This is principally due to the fact that the number of women diagnosed with ductal carcinoma insitu has increased, because of increased use of mammography. We are not sure how many cases of ductal carcinoma insitu actually become invasive carcinomas later. Estimates are that only approximately 20% may become invasive within 5 years. In other words, 80% of women diagnosed with ductal carcinoma insitu never go on to develop invasive breast cancer. Ductal carcinoma is usually lumped into the statistics of all breast cancer cases. Therefore the increase in the detection of this benign, non-lethal condition may give the illusion that we are making more progress in treating invasive breast cancer than we are.
3) Do we know what causes breast cancer?
Researchers have uncovered many of the significant risk factors for breast cancer. Traditional risk factors include increased lifetime exposure to estrogen (early puberty, late menopause, no history of pregnancies before age 30 or breast feeding) and family history. But genetics plays a small role�five to ten percent of all cases�and 75% of all women diagnosed with breast cancer have none of these traditional risk factors. That means there are other factors with much more influence. Epidemiological studies reveal that Asian women have a very low incidence of breast cancer. But if they move to the US and adopt the American diet and lifestyle, their risk quickly goes up. Researchers who looked to diet and lifestyle for the answers were not surprised to find that the American way of living is a recipe for breast cancer. High consumption of red meat, saturated animal fats, sugar, alcohol; low consumption of organically grown fruits, vegetables and whole grains; a sedentary lifestyle; stress; lack of proper sleep; obesity; and the pervasive use of chemical toxins have all been shown to significantly increase the risk of breast cancer.
4) Is there any way to prevent breast cancer?
The risk of breast cancer can be dramatically reduced naturally, hi rural India, the incidence of breast cancer is 8/100,000. hi the U.S., white women have an incidence of 140/100,000. Through adopting a lifestyle and dietary habits that have been shown to protect against breast cancer, it is possible that the incidence of breast cancer in this country could drop as low as that found in rural India. Certain herbs, vitamins, and nutritional supplements have been shown to have dramatic protective effects as well. By taking these supplements, in addition to protective diet and lifestyle changes, it is possible that the incidence of breast cancer could become even lower.
5) What are we doing in our culture that adds to the risk?
High consumption of red meat, saturated animal fats, sugar, alcohol; low consumption of organically grown fruits, vegetables and whole grains; a sedentary lifestyle; stress; lack of proper sleep; obesity; and the pervasive use of chemical toxins have all been shown to significantly increase the risk of breast cancer.
6) What are we not doing that adds to the risk?
Eating a plant-based diet, high in fresh organically grown fruits, vegetables, whole grains, soy, and flax seeds, Omega-3 fatty acids; cooking with medicinal spices like turmeric, garlic, and rosemary; drinking green tea; eating seaweed, which is high in iodine; exercising regularly; keeping our weight ideal; sleeping between the hours of 10 PM and 6 AM; practicing effective stress-reducing techniques daily; using nontoxic products for cleaning, building construction, clothing and personal care; taking a good antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and vitamin supplements; and taking other dietary and herbal supplements that are highly protective.
7) Are there any supplements that can help?
There are many dietary supplements that have been found to be highly effective at protecting against and fighting breast cancer. For example, turmeric, DIM, Maitake mushrooms, Calcium D-glucarate, green tea, grape seed, and CoQIO. They work in many different ways, as antioxidants, for anti-inflammation, detoxification, and enhancing the immune response, to mention a few.
8) Are there any herbs that have been shown to be effective?
Most plants and herbs have nonspecific anti-cancer effects. There are many that also have specific actions against breast cancer, for instance, turmeric, garlic, black cohosh, chaste tree berry, rosemary, licorice root, hops, as well as a variety of medicinal herbs used in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda.
9) Is there anything we can do besides diet and supplements that will lower the risk?
Regular aerobic exercise, go to bed before 10 PM and get up before 6 AM, sleep in total darkness, practice effective stress-reducing techniques daily, seasonal detoxification, laugh and stay positive, don't take care of others' needs at the expense of your own, and use non-toxic product.
10) Is this advice helpful for women who already have breast cancer?
Yes. Most of the natural approaches that help to reduce the risk of breast cancer are also effective in helping women fight it and reduce their risk of a recurrence. Certain supplements, for instance green tea, enhance the effectiveness of chemotherapy while protecting against the damaging side effects.
11) There's so much information, it seems a bit overwhelming - any suggestions to help women make these changes?
My book, due to be released in March 2005, Waking the Warrior Goddess: Dr. Christine Horner's Program to Protect Against and Fight Breast Cancer, presents a simple step-by-step program to help women adopt these changes gradually and to have fun doing it. The key is to not feel that you must make all the changes at once. Start with one change, then keep adding one at a time at a comfortable pace. On the road to breast health, even a few healthy habits can make an enormous difference. Most of all, make it an adventure, have fun, and ask friends to join you.
12) Where can women find more information?
There are several web sites that have good information. My web site, www.drchristinehorner.com, contains many tips from the book, common questions and answers, and a bulletin board where you can write a question and I'll post the answer. I also contribute to another excellent web site containing valuable information, www.protectivebreast.com.
13) What is the Breast Cancer Prevention Foundation?
The Breast Cancer Prevention Foundation is a nonprofit organization designed to raise money for research to study the prevention of breast cancer. It is also an educational foundation. Five percent of the profits of my merchandise will go to this foundation.
14) Is there a personal reason for your initiating a second national breast health campaign?
Yes, at the beginning of the 5-year legislative campaign that I launched in the 90s to make insurance companies pay for breast reconstruction surgery after mastectomy, I lost my own mother to breast cancer. Equally disturbing was the trend I witnessed in my surgical practice and across the country�younger and younger women falling victim to breast cancer every year. This along with my personal unwillingness to become a breast cancer victim myself motivated me to leave surgery and assume the role of women's health advocate and educator.
http://www.protectivebreast.com