Best of Breast: news for week ending 25 October 2013

A sweep of the latest medical developments in breast cancer from Google Alerts, for the week ending 25 October 2013.

[Google Alerts is currently top-heavy on the fund-raising and charity events as it’s Breast Cancer Awareness month, including pinkwashing news about a tweeting bra – I kid you not!  

So if I’ve missed something out, my apologies. Please post any new developments that I’ve missed out in the comments box and I’ll be glad to include them in the compilation, and include an acknowledgement of your contribution.]

Photo credit: vitaminandweightloss.net

1.  Poor Breast Cancer Prognosis Associated With Low Vitamin D Levels

(This statement is nothing new, but I put it at No. 1 because it meant a happy photo.)  There have been loads of studies done on Vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin, and cancer.  The question is:  what is an optimal level of Vitamin D?  Too much can lead to death from other causes instead of cancer – imagine the irony!  I’m in the process of writing a post “Vitamin D – are you getting too much?”

Best of Breast: news for week ending 18 October 2013

A sweep of the latest medical developments in breast cancer from Google Alerts, for the week ending 18 October 2013.

[Google Alerts doesn’t always have the most up-to-date research developments, and as it’s Breast Cancer Awareness month, heavy on fund-raising and charity events, so if I’ve missed something out, my apologies. You are always welcome to post any new developments that I’ve missed out in the comments box and I’ll be glad to include them in the compilation, and include an acknowledgement of your contribution.]

photo credit: mirror.co.uk

1(a)  Multivitamins May Save Some Breast Cancer Patients’ Lives

This recent study contrasts with one conducted in 2010 which showed that women who took multivitamins were 19% more likely to develop breast tumours (see reference below).

What do you do after breast cancer? Listen to this talk on: “Surviving Survival”

What do you do after surviving breast cancer?

Grace Gawler, a cancer strategist with 38 years of experience and more than 14,000 clients, and the author of one of the first books (Women of Silence:  The Emotional Healing of Cancer) on the emotional and psychological impact of breast cancer

What I’ve found useful whenever I’ve had a consultation with Grace, is her blend of knowledge and experience of treatments and the psychology of cancer patients.  She’s also someone who’s gone through a serious illness, so she knows just what it takes to weather the storms of a life-threatening illness.  It is that level of empathy that makes her unique in her services and someone I feel I can talk to because she truly understands!

In this radio show, Grace talks about surviving survival.Two key areas she covers are:  (1) the void that is created after the flurry of treatment stops and the gap between monitoring visits to the specialist doctor widens (2) the what-if phase after treatment … “what if the cancer recurs?”

With patients living longer, women often have impaired life quality and declining well-being after breast cancer.  The wounds are often unseen. Surviving Survival is about the need to become an alchemist, transforming the threat of losing our life, to helping us find our life!

http://www.voiceamerica.com/episode/73580/surviving-survival-navigating-the-breast-cancer-maze

Hallwang Clinic #13 – Whole-body hyperthermia

Outside the clinic, snow lay thickly on the ground.  Inside, I lay under hot lamps, my core temperature raised to 39 degrees.  The doctor wiped my forehead with washcloths dipped into the snow from the balcony.  How cool was that?

This was my introduction to whole-body hyperthermia, two days after the trans-arterial chemoembolisation (TACE) treatment.

Best of Breast: news for week ending 11 October 2013

A round-up of the latest medical developments in breast cancer from Google Alerts, for the week ending 11 October 2013.

[Google Alerts doesn’t always have the most up-to-date research developments, and because it’s Breast Cancer Awareness month, chockful of fund-raising and charity events, so if I’ve missed something out, my apologies. You are always welcome to post any new developments that I’ve missed out in the comments box and I’ll include them in the compilation, with grateful thanks and an acknowledgement.]

photo credit: The Jackson Laboratory

1.  Could breast cancer soon be treated with a NIPPLE injection?

(I got all excited, until I realised it’s only been tested on mice.  If you’re a mouse or a rat, it’s a good time to have cancer since most of the trials and tests are done on rodents, and everything seems to work on rodents.  And they wonder why the war on cancer hasn’t been won yet?  Yes, it’s been won – on mice and rats!)

Best of Breast: news for week ending 4 October 2013

A round-up of the latest medical developments in breast cancer from Google Alerts, for the week ending 4 October 2013.

[Google Alerts doesn’t always have the most up-to-date research developments, and is heavy on the first-person stories, Angelina Jolie, fund-raising and charity events, so if I’ve missed something out, my apologies. You are always welcome to post any new developments that I’ve missed out in the comments box and I’ll include them in the compilation, with grateful thanks and an acknowledgement.]

photo credit: technorati.com

1.  Teenage girls who eat peanut butter twice a week ‘reduce their risk of breast cancer by 39%’

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2438566/Teenage-girls-eat-peanut-butter-twice-week-reduce-risk-breast-cancer-39.html#ixzz2gwnjDph3

• Nine to 15-year-olds who eat peanut butter twice a week are much less likely to develop benign breast disease by the age of 30
• Some benign breast diseases increase risk of breast cancer later in life
• The findings also suggest beans, lentils, soybeans and corn also help prevent benign breast disease

Why peanut butter, I asked myself? I’d been told to avoid peanuts because of the alleged levels of aflatoxin, a natural toxin produced by certain strains of a mold.  Aflatoxin is a potent carcinogen, known to cause liver cancer in laboratory animals. The jury is still out regarding the danger of long-term exposure of low levels of aflatoxins.  In countries where peanuts are a staple food, it may contribute to liver cancer.  According to Dr Andrew Weil, commercial peanut butter (in the US) is generally safe:

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/id/QAA115491

I suppose peanut butter is ubiquitous so it was easy to run the study on a staple food, rather than, say almond butter or cashew butter.  Peanuts are not really nuts, they are a legume.  if you have to eat a nut butter, go for almond butter which has a better fatty acid profile.  And if you have to eat peanut butter, make sure it doesn’t contain any hydrogenated vegetable oil and is low in sugar.

[Note:  aflatoxin imay also occur in maize, rice, figs and other dried foods, spices and crude vegetable oils, and cocoa beans – it’s a minefield!]

2.  Walking an hour a day can cut risk of breast cancer: Brisk stroll can reduce chance in over-50s by 14%

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2443016/Breast-cancer-risk-50s-cut-14-walking-hour-day.html#ixzz2gwuHVMnw

• Women who do more vigorous activities get almost double protection
• Scientists claim this is the first study to examine walking benefits
• It is thought to cut down the body fat that nurtures cancer hormones

3.  New breast cancer imaging technique could cut down on false positives

Don’t miss! Special Healing Session at the Haven – Saturday 12 October

Tuaca Kelly, a master healer, will be offering a group healing session at the London branch of the breast cancer charity, The Haven, on Saturday 12 October from 6pm to 9pm.

http://www.thehaven.org.uk/node/4923

The group healing is called the Alignment.  Cost of the healing is special price of £40.  There are still 10 places left for this session.

Address:  The London Haven, Effie Road, London, SW6 1TB

For more information and to book your place contact caroline.hoffman@thehaven.org.uk

Please note:  you do NOT have to have breast cancer to attend this event, or even any cancer.  This event is open to all seekers of healing.