Considering Alternative Breast Cancer Treatment? 5 Important Facts!

Here are 5 reasons why you should definitely consider an alternative breast cancer treatment.

1. Despite all of the advancements in medical technology, the many cancer organizations around the world, the millions of dollars raised to fight the disease each year, the intense expensive treatments which include chemotherapy, radiation, drugs and surgery..... despite all of these things, the number of women dying of breast cancer continues to rise. Breast cancer takes the lives of over 50,000 women each year, which is more deaths from this disease now than every before in history.

2. Many women have actually died from the actual treatments and many women have a recurrence within 3-10 years of treatment. And let's not forget about the extreme side effects that these treatments cause. There is never any guarantee that radiation, chemotherapy, drugs and surgery treatments will work. It is basically a hit or miss, you have just as much chance of surviving as you do of not surviving. Because of this, many women are opting for an alternative breast cancer treatment.

3. Breast cancer cells do not multiply rapidly, so you have time to try an alternative breast cancer treatment. Doctors will make it seem like you have to act really fast or you will die within a very short time. This is not at all true. The breast cancer cells did not just appear that week. You have been living with these cancer cells in your body for a long time. Traditional breast cancer treatments should always be a last option, and in most cases is not necessary.

4. Most patients feel just fine until they are diagnosed and start to undergo treatment. That is when they begin to get sick. This is because the toxic treatments are severely compromising their immune systems ability to keep the body strong. Also, because the immune system is so weakened, other medical problems begin to surface, or previous problems will start to intensify. This coupled with the emotional stress of dealing with having cancer is what causes the body to break down rapidly.

5. Changing your diet and lifestyle is essential if you want to cure using an alternative breast cancer treatment. Many women get a recurrence of cancer because they complete the treatments, and then continue to eat the same diet and live the same lifestyle that caused the cancer to appear in the first place. Even during the treatments, they still continue to put toxic foods and chemicals in their bodies. Some make slight diet alterations, (ie baked chicken instead of steak) but this still is not enough. In order to cure cancer naturally, one must be willing to embrace an entirely new lifestyle.

Natural breast cancer treatments work, not just for curing breast cancer, but for curing practically all cancers. But you must arm yourself with knowledge! The most important thing to know is that chemotherapy, radiation, drugs and surgery are not your only options. Women CAN be cured of breast cancer naturally. Visit alternative breast cancer treatment and learn much more about curing cancer naturally. There is a powerful video clip on healing cancer on that site as well. Also, be sure to visit Natural Treatment For Cancer and learn what you can do to start healing breast cancer naturally today!

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A Lasting Gift - Straight Talk About Breast Cancer

Every October, the pink paraphernalia blossoms everywhere-car magnets, bracelets, coffee mugs, and even upscale attire. October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. With the lifetime incidence of cancer at 1 in 8, everyone knows someone who has had breast cancer, received treatment for it, or passed away from it. Honoring loved ones and celebrating survivors feels rewarding temporarily, but we honor them best in the long term by taking meaningful action that will help many over time. That's why I'm writing this short commentary and research-based strategy, as a way of thanking everyone who has ever helped a loved-one through cancer or memorialized them after a heart-wrenching loss. This paper is a gift that you may send to anyone who needs it. Some medical "experts" aren't likely to agree with me, but I won't let that dampen my resolve. I speak from both scientific knowledge and first-hand experience.

I am a survivor of chemotherapy, radiation, and bi-lateral mastectomy, as I like to say. These can often prove deadlier than cancer. I was diagnosed with Stage III lobular carcinoma of the right breast in 2002, after many regular mammograms, "doing all the right things" except for sleep deprivation, and considering myself as succeeding against the odds after my mother succumbed to the disease. Today I am healthier than ever. My mother was not so fortunate: after a second diagnosis of cancer around her 48th birthday, she bravely endured the accelerating downward spiral of terminal cancer for 9 very long years.

The long-term survival statistics for breast cancer, despite decades and billions of research dollars and years of "races for the cure", are still not very encouraging. While the official word is that deaths from breast cancer are declining, the reality is very different: since chemo damages the immune system, breast cancer patients often have a diagnosis of a second cancer, not just a recurrence or metastasis of breast cancer. It's that second cancer that the medical authorities associate with the patient's demise, not the breast cancer treatment that destroyed their immune system in the first place.

After my treatment, recovery and experience of health regained, I can speak with no small amount of authority. We can do much about breast cancer, but the conventional thinking about it is wrong.

Last fall, Laura Bush was interviewed at the White House after lighting it pink (outdoors, no less) in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month. While I admire her willingness to speak out for causes, I was dismayed with her message: get a mammogram and get every woman you love to have one, too. She emphasized ONLY the value of early detection. The problem is that mammography is radiation, which recent studies are showing contributes to cancer. Newer practitioners are very concerned about radiation exposure.

Not only that, but many women like me (or the former me!) have dense breast tissue and mammography often doesn't reveal tumors in such tissue. Furthermore, certain forms of cancer, such as lobular--about 15% of cases, mine included-- are impossible to detect early because they do not form well-defined tumors until the later stages. Mammography can give women a false sense of security that they can continue unhealthy lifestyles and not have to be concerned about breast cancer. That is, until it's too late.

Prevention, not frequent mammography, should be the emphasis. And for those who have been treated, rebuilding the immune system should be a life-long pursuit.

I've been reading research since before I was diagnosed in 2002, and I want to pass along to you and your loved ones what I have learned.

1. You can take meaningful steps to avoid breast cancer, and every woman can do them:

• Get plenty of sleep (easier said than done!). Studies show that this is a risk factor for breast cancer. The body and the immune system need daily recovery and repair.
• Get plenty of sunshine and Vitamin D. Studies show that Vitamin D, as much as 5,000 units daily, is needed for proper immune function. The RDA of 400 units is woefully inadequate.
• Support your liver. Studies show an increased risk of breast cancer after long-term alcohol consumption. What they aren't telling you is how medications, such as seemingly harmless Tylenol®, can damage it. You can protect and restore your liver with a number of herbs, and by limiting medications and alcohol.
• Maintain a normal body weight.
• Exercise. Cardio exercise in at least moderation (but not over-training) stimulates the immune system.
• Supplement your health:

- Try flax seed oil, which can reduce the risk of breast cancer.
- Selenium and turmeric have tumor suppressing benefits.
- IP-6, an inositol-based substance, can increase natural killer cells in the body (those that attack mutated cells) as much as 300%.
- Nucleic acids, such as RNA, help with correcting errors in cell replication, and should be seriously considered by anyone at risk by age or genetics.

These strategies are not expensive or time-consuming. However, entrenched patterns of behavior are resistant to change.

2. If you have been treated for cancer by chemotherapy or radiation, you MUST rebuild your immune system.

Chemotherapy and radiation kill healthy cells as well as cancerous ones. They damage the body's ability to resist another assault and hinder the natural process of identifying and killing cancer/mutated cells. The reason why the long-term survival rates for breast cancer appear to be improving is because thousands of women are diagnosed with another cancer within years of cancer treatment, and that second cancer is then counted as the immediate cause of death. When immune systems are compromised, the body cannot fend off additional attacks. Also, many women find that their brains no longer function as well as they did before chemotherapy: this condition is known as "chemobrain" or chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment. The good news is that you can recover and you can help your immune system.

• Follow ALL the recommendations above, with a stricter adherence to the plan, and:
• Avoid soy and plastics (emit gases). These may have undesirable estrogenic effects in the body.
• Drink filtered spring water, not tap water, which has added fluoride and chlorine.
• Restore your digestive system, which also affects immunity, by taking a broad spectrum probiotic.
• Address your stress. If you had a stressful life before cancer diagnosis, don't dive back into it.
• Add more immune-enhancing supplements, such as quercetin, magnesium, Vitamin C and a cordyceps mushroom complex.
• Go to a reputable complementary medicine practitioner and have your thyroid and adrenal functions tested. Chiropractic can also help the healing process.

The mind is powerful. Healing and recovery begin in the mind and spirit. Believing that you can recover helps motivate you. Visualizing the new, revitalized body and mind can create new experiences that will enrich your life, not just extend it.

If you know someone who can benefit from this paper, please send it with my best wishes for health.
If you have a survivor hint or a story to share about recovery or prevention, a new web community is available as of May1, 2009: http://www.healthafterchemo.com

Best wishes for excellent health and vitality!

Susan Hardwicke, Ph.D.
susan.hardwicke@vabion.com

Susan Hardwicke, Ph.D. is a cognitive psychologist who has pioneered the field of neuro-nutrition. She has recently published an ebook on titled The Chemo Brain Report, which is available through http://www.vabion.com, or calling the office at (804) 308-1956.

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