Plus, how to lower your risk in four simple steps
In recent years, the mainstream medical establishment has developed more and more cancer screening tools.
Some of these advancements may be beneficial. They can detect aggressive colon, prostate, or breast cancers early—before they become difficult to treat or even fatal.
But increasingly, these screenings are overused and even abused—leading to perhaps the most dangerous, unspoken epidemic in modern medicine…cancer overdiagnosis.
As a result, many patients undergo useless and even dangerous treatments for cancers that should actually be considered “fake”, minimal, or low risk.
This is especially true with breast cancer screening and treatment.
In fact, a new study examined treatment options for low-risk breast cancer.
Ultimately, researchers expressed concern that women are getting excess, unnecessary treatments…or even “overtreatment.”
They based this conclusion on their finding that the overall chance of low-risk cancer developing into a more serious form of cancer is highly unlikely. And this was found in women of ALL ages—regardless of whether they treat it.
For women ages 70 and older, the treatments made NO significant difference in whether their abnormal or cancerous cells spread.
Which begs the question: Is no treatment for low-risk breast “cancer” better than some or even any treatment?
Let’s take a closer look. Then, I’ll share four simple ways you can proactively lower your breast cancer risk, starting today…
The DCIS controversy
The American Cancer Society (ACS) recommends that women ages 45 to 55 get annual mammograms. Then, women 55 and older should get screened every two years.
But these yearly screenings equate to more minimal or low-risk “cancers”—the type that’s not likely to spread into the breast or metastasize into other areas of the body.
One of the best-known examples is called ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS).
DCIS is defined as abnormal or cancerous cells that line the interior of the ducts (tubes for milk) in the breasts. Most of the time, these cells stay inside the breast ducts and don’t spread beyond.
In the past, some studies reported long-term health risks, even after 20 years, if a woman doesn’t undergo some kind of treatment for DCIS. These treatments can include lumpectomies, radiation, or even mastectomies.
But newer research is showing that these standard breast-cancer treatments don’t substantially improve long-term survival with DCIS. Which leads me to the new study I mentioned above…
To treat or not to treat
Researchers analyzed data from the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology and End-Results program (SEER), consisting of 13 different cancer registries around the country, from 1992 to 2017.
Specifically, the researchers looked at women 18 years or older with low-risk or intermediate-risk DCIS.
(These cancers were also positive for estrogen and progesterone hormone receptors. Meaning these hormones contribute to their growth.)
The researchers’ goal was to determine whether treatment of the women’s DCIS affected their risk of developing cancer that eventually invaded the breast where the DCIS had first been detected.
There were a total of 21,760 women in the analysis. Researchers divided them into three age groups:
- 22 percent of the study participants were ages 18 to 49.
- 5 percent were ages 50 to 69.
- 23 percent were age 70 or older.
(I should note that DCIS occurrences are most common in women 60 years of age or older.)
Among all participants, 3 percent didn’t receive any treatment for their DCIS; 37 percent had surgery only; and 60 percent underwent both surgery and radiation treatments.
The researchers found that among the women who had no treatment:
- 7 percent of women younger than 50 eventually developed cancer that spread into the breast.
- 5 percent of the 50- to 69-year-old group eventually developed cancer that spread into the breast.
- 2 percent of those 70 and older eventually developed cancer that spread into the breast.
Women younger than 50 who had surgery or surgery with radiation had between a 10 and 21 percent decreased risk of eventually developing cancer in the breast, compared to women in that age group who didn’t receive treatment.
These slight, long-term benefits were similar for 50- to 69-year-old women who had surgery or surgery with radiation, too.
But for women older than 70, there was no significant difference between no treatment at all, surgery only, or surgery and radiation.
So, to recap, the overall risk of DCIS developing into breast cancer was low across all age groups, regardless of treatments. And for the oldest age group, treatments made no significant difference.
Consider the “active surveillance” approach instead
Research findings like these are finally causing oncologists and scientists to rethink their “treatment at any cost” approach when it comes to low-risk cancer diagnoses like DCIS.
Several ongoing international studies are currently looking at whether simply following “active surveillance”—the “watch and wait” approach—would be beneficial compared to breast cancer surgery or radiation therapy. (Both of which, of course, have their own complications.)
This approach is similar to what has been suggested for prostate cancer. That is, basically doing nothing except “watching and waiting” to see if a more invasive cancer develops.
I understand that might sound scary, but it rids you of any treatments that may have harmful side effects without real, long-term benefits.
In fact, researchers noted that simply continuing to follow standard guidelines for surgical and radiation treatments in older women with DCIS may lead to surgical complications, impaired quality of life, and significant healthcare costs.
They concluded that serious consideration needs to be given to active surveillance as an approach to management of low-risk breast cancer. And I agree.
Of course, “watching and waiting” doesn’t mean you can’t be proactive.
In fact, I’ve developed an easy but effective plan to lower your risk of any breast cancer diagnosis—before or after your screenings—and the procedures or treatments that many doctors still recommend, which may be useless.
It only takes four simple steps…
Four simple ways to be proactive against breast cancer
1.) Eat your produce. A study of 1,042 women found that carotenoids in fruits and vegetables—such as alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lycopene, lutein, and zeaxanthin—may help prevent breast cancer.2
Carotenoids are powerful antioxidants that protect against DNA damage. And now, researchers believe they may keep normal cells from mutating into cancerous cells.
Alpha-carotene is found in orange foods like pumpkin and carrots. Beta-carotene is also found in carrots, along with leafy greens and peppers. Lycopene is what gives foods like tomatoes, watermelon, and grapefruit their red color. And you can find high doses of lutein and zeaxanthin in leafy greens.
2.) Take the right vitamins daily. All of these carotenoid-rich fruits and vegetables are loaded with B and C vitamins. But I also recommend taking a high-quality B complex vitamin every day (with at least 55 mg of B6), along with 250 mg of C twice a day to support optimum health.
Plus, a variety of studies have shown that vitamin E can help prevent breast cancer. I recommend 50 mg per day, with a healthy, balanced diet.
And it’s no surprise that the wonder vitamin, D, has been shown in numerous studies to protect against breast cancer. I recommend 250 mcg (10,000 IU) of D3 every day.
3.) Eat calcium-rich foods. Studies show that calcium and vitamin D together are protective against breast cancer. But while you can (and should) supplement with vitamin D, you should avoid taking calcium supplements—which can be ineffective and even dangerous.
Instead, get calcium from your diet alone, from sources like wild-caught seafood, grass-fed and -finished meat, and organic, full-fat dairy.
4.) Supplement with selenium.
Research shows this mineral can help suppress a protein involved in tumor development, growth, and metastasis.
In fact, an analysis of nine studies involving more than 150,000 people found that selenium supplementation cut the risk of all types of cancer by an impressive 24 percent.3
That’s why I recommend 100 mcg of selenium daily. (For more about selenium, see page 8.)
Of course, in addition to these four, simple steps, there are dozens of natural approaches to help fight against all types of cancers, including breast cancer. All without toxic side effects.
I’ve outlined them in a groundbreaking online learning tool, my Authentic Anti-Cancer Protocol. To learn more about it, or to enroll today, click here or call 1-866-747-9421 and ask for order code EOV3Y500.
Sources:
1“No Treatment Versus Partial Mastectomy Plus Radiation for Ductal Carcinoma In Situ.” Ann Surg Oncol. 2022 Jan;29(1):39-41.
2“Specific serum carotenoids are inversely associated with breast cancer risk among Chinese women: a case–control study.” Br J Nutr. 2015 Oct 20:1-9.
3“Effects of selenium supplements on cancer prevention: meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.” Nutr Cancer. 2011 Nov;63(8):1185-95.