General Robert Thomas January 17, 2025

Functional approaches to treating breast cancer can make a difference.

Today we are pleased to offer guest newsletter content from Dr. Richard Powers explicating his focus on waging the war against breast cancer from a comprehensive and functional perspective. At the end, you’ll find an identification of some panels from Precision Point Diagnostics, and how they can be enlisted in the fight.

Key take-aways:

·      Research reveals that breast cancer isn’t caused so much by bad luck and bad genes, but by lifestyle habits and environmental factors.

·      Women can significantly reduce their risk of breast cancer by taking action demonstrated to keep breast cancer cell populations in check.

·      A new, integrated method of monitoring breast health enhances the ability to more precisely detect potentially life-threatening breast cancer early on (and with less false positive results).

·      A science-backed online course to help your patients, family and friends prevent breast cancer is now available.

The primary drivers of breast cancer are actually not genetic but clearly delineated in the research to center around modifiable risk-factors – diet, lifestyle, endocrine-disrupting environmental pollutants, and exposure to exogenous estrogen (from HRT and hormonal contraceptives).  With wholesome and science-backed guidance that practically addresses these factors our patients (and their families and friends) can significantly reduce their risk of a breast cancer journey.

To this end, I have simply and clearly presented the breast cancer-preventive research findings in an online course for lay audiences, Breast Cancer Prevention: How to significantly reduce your risk of breast cancer.

This step-by-step, science-backed course reveals:  

(1) an anti-cancer diet, lifestyle, and mindset

(2) how to best estimate breast cancer risk

(3) a safer, more effective approach to monitor breast health

(4) how to reduce the body’s toxic burden of cancer-inducing and hormone-disrupting chemicals

(5) targeted anti-cancer nutrients and natural medicine

If you or a loved one has ever been diagnosed with breast cancer – or know someone who has – you are likely acutely aware of the inevitable struggle and suffering associated with a breast cancer “journey.” The good news is that there is much that you can do to significantly reduce your patients’ risk.

Shifting from breast cancer “awareness” to “prevention”

Breast Cancer Awareness month comes and goes each October, but breast cancer is still a reality for many women. It is estimated that one woman in eight who lives to age 85 will be diagnosed with breast cancer.  Yet, the research clearly indicates that the incidence could be significantly reduced if we shift our attention from breast cancer “awareness” to taking preventive action by addressing the underlying causes (many of which have been identified), coupled with a more effective breast health monitoring approach.

Underlying causes of breast cancer

Paleoanthropological research indicates that cancer was virtually nonexistent in humans before poor diet and pollution appeared, pointing to the fact that cancer appears to be a man-made disease.

Is the continued prevalence of breast cancer primarily due to inherited, germline mutations, like BRCA1, or BRCA2? Not likely, as 90-95%of women diagnosed with breast cancer have no family history of breast cancer, and only about 0.2% of the population carry a BRCA (1 or 2) gene mutation (and about 2-3% of women diagnosed with breast cancer).

Cumulative somatic mutations – genetic changes occurring after conception caused by transcriptional and environmental factors – is another story. For example, mutated proto-oncogenes (e.g., HER2) from diet, lifestyle, and xenoestrogen exposure become oncogenes, which subsequently promote uncontrolled cell growth(impaired apoptosis).

“Nurture” (vs. “nature”) appears to be the dominant factor with breast cancer as becomes evident within the research paper, Exposure to Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals and Risk of Breast Cancer, “According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), 36.8% of BC are attributable to lifestyle and environmental factors in adults over 30 years of age. These risk factors include alcohol consumption (15.1%).

In addition, high-dose and long-term exposure to endogenous estrogens is known to be a major risk factor for BC. Exposure to certain exogenous estrogens such as HRT or hormonal contraceptives increases the risk of developing BC.

And …

In addition to changes in lifestyle and reproduction, exposure to environmental pollutants—in particular pollutants with endocrine disrupting properties—has been suggested to contribute to the increased incidence of BC.”

This reality is further demonstrated when we note that most breast cancer occurs in older women (>50 years), with” the strong dependence on age probably related to accumulating genetic damage that occurs during a human lifespan.” (Radiation and Breast Cancer)

To summarize, one can significantly reduce one’s breast cancer risk by thinking, eating, and living in ways that optimize methylation, minimize oxidative stress, and promote balanced immune function. This helps inhibit oncogenes (e.g., HER2, MYC), upregulate tumor suppressor (repair) genes (P53, BRCA1, BRCA2, PTEN), and minimize DNA insults/damage.

Anti-cancer diet, lifestyle, and supplementation

The research shows that foods that support these breast cancer-protective pathways include ground flaxseed (lignin/SERM, omega-3), green tea (EGCG), turmeric, pomegranate juice (ellagic acid), tempeh (soy isoflavones/SERM), salmon (EPA/DHA), liver (vitamin A, iron, methylation), beets (betaine, methylation), sweet potato (beta carotene, polyphenols), and berries (resveratrol).

Additional diet, exercise, and lifestyle support can be provided with targeted, anti-cancer nutrients and natural medicine. Nutrients critical for breast health (and often difficult to acquire by diet/lifestyle alone) include omega-3 fatty acids (as EPA/DHA) and vitamin D3 (requires hydroxylase enzymes frequently monopolized by detoxification pathways). Multiple botanicals have been demonstrated to help preserve breast health, for example, DIM (diindolylmethane), curcumin, and silymarin.

Breast cancer – triggers and mediators

The underlying mechanisms that open the door to breast cancer revolve around altered immune function, hormone imbalance, impaired apoptosis, and accelerated breast cancer cell formation (e.g., from oxidative DNA insults).

Chronic inflammation promotes the growth of breast cancer stem cells and is linked to poor dietary choices, toxic exposure, and more, but can be tamed by consuming an anti-cancer diet, exercising regularly and properly, getting restorative sleep, minimizing your toxic body burden, and targeted supplements.

A substantial body of scientific evidence indicates that exposures to common chemicals and radiation, alone and in combination, are contributing to the increase in breast cancer incidence observed over the past several decades. State of the Evidence– The Connection Between Breast Cancer and the Environment, Int’l Jn occupational and Environmental Health.

Several of the mechanisms by which chemical (and heavy metal) toxins promote breast cancer beyond inflammation include the induction of DNA (double) strand breaks, methylation impairment, and disruption of hormone balance (particularly estrogen dominance).

Common sources of toxicity:

·      Food–chargrilled and broiled meats and fish, food coloring, flavoring, and preservatives

·      Water– nitrates, arsenic, PFAS and more

·      Alcohol, at any level, increases risk (possibly because it impairs methylation and increases oxidative stress)

·      Tobacco, including second-hand smoke

·      Chemicals – gasoline; deodorant; hand lotions; nail polish; hair spray; detergent, soap, cleaners, drinking water

·      Plastics– often contain BPA, BPS, and phthalates, such as in water bottles, food containers, plastic wrap, and cosmetics (+ are hormone disrupting, as well)

·      PFAS “forever chemicals”– non-stick pans and anything stain- or wrinkle-resistant, like upholstery, clothing, rain/waterproof outerwear

·      Pesticides–glyphosate, atrazine, chlorpyrifos, 2,4-D herbicides (+ are hormone disrupting, as well)

·      Radiation– CT-scans, X-rays, chronic sunbathers, farm workers, construction workers

High or imbalanced levels of estrogen are closely linked with breast cancer risk and frequently arise from

(1) chronic stress (low progesterone/estrogen dominance from cortisol “steal”)

(2) hormonal contraceptives (Cancer Epidemiology)

(3) synthetic HRT – hormone replacement therapy (79% increased breast cancer risk with recent or long-term users) Note: appropriately dosed botanical and bio-identical hormone replacement options have not demonstrated an increased breast cancer risk

(4) estrogen-like, hormone-disrupting environmental compounds (xenoestrogens) from plastic in food/beverage packaging (plastics/BPA cause undesired gene stimulation or repression that increase the risk of breast cancer), food additives (artificial sweeteners, preservatives, coloring, flavor-enhancers commonly found in ultra-processed food), household cleaners and fragrances, and pesticides.

Breast health assessment

Beyond fostering an anti-cancer mindset, heart space, diet, and lifestyle, it is critical to safely, regularly, and effectively monitor breast health. It is well established and common sense that the earlier an abnormality is discovered, the sooner appropriate action can be taken to help slow, stop, and potentially reverse it. That said, accurately and harmlessly diagnosing breast cancer in its early stages is not an exact science. Mammography – the current conventional breast cancer screening approach – has not lived up to expectations and proven ineffective at saving lives (at best) and is harmful to some – from overdiagnosis/false positives and resulting overtreatment, and in some cases (especially younger women) early intervention associated with mammography appears to activate dormant metastases.

Consider the following:

·    Seventy-five percent of breast cancers are found through breast self-exams – as many as are discovered with the addition of mammograms.

·    Up to 80% of breast lumps are NON-cancerous (e.g., fibrocystic, fibroadenomas, etc.), and more so in younger women.

A breast health monitoring strategy that helps minimize false positives (and unnecessary alarm) and false negatives (and a false sense of security) requires a combination of harmless assessment approaches – breast self-examination (done correctly), breast thermography (which predicts faster growing tumors), and breast ultrasound (ideally 3D ultrasound and/or combined with ultrasound elastography which measures tissue stiffness). Screening frequency and onset depend on a woman’s breast cancer risk level.

Any concerning findings, particularly those consistent with the breast self-exam and thermogram or ultrasound, can be further corroborated with a breast MRI (and ideally with a Gallerii cancer-screening blood test). If there is a high level of suspicion for an invasive, potentially life-threatening breast cancer, then a biopsy is in order at that point.

With the right guidance –wholesome and science-backed – our patients (and their family and friends) can significantly reduce their risk of a breast cancer journey. To this end, I have created a user-friendly online course, Breast Cancer Prevention: How to significantly reduce your risk of breast cancer. This practical, step-by-step course helps women make better decisions to help steer clear of breast cancer (and most chronic, degenerative diseases), including:

·      Establishing an anti-cancer mindset and heart space

·      Creating an anti-cancer diet and lifestyle

·      Reducing your body’s cancer-inducing toxic burden

·      Monitoring your breast health

·      Estimating your breast cancer risk

·      Understanding breast cancer and its prevention

·      Putting it all together to successfully implement and maintain cancer-protective strategies

The course also introduces BreastProtect and BreastProtectMax formulations which provide targeted supplement support demonstrated to help deter breast cancer cell formation and proliferation based on the most current research.

To share this valuable resource with your patients/community, reach out to me at reducebreastcancerrisk@gmail.com and and I will provide you with a link to a Free 18-minute Webinar you can give to your patients, family, and friends. This short webinar offers some of the new, research-based, cancer-busting concepts, as well as introducing my Breast Cancer Prevention course. I will also provide you with a special discount code to give to your patients (and family and friends) which provides you with a 20% referral commission (and them with a 50% course discount).

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