The survival rate for women with advanced breast cancer has dramatically increased in recent years. As reported by The Washington Post, for women under 50 the five-year survival rate has doubled. Older age demographics have also experienced similar increases in life expectancy.
Although this is certainly good news, it does cast a spotlight on the efficacy of mammograms. Why are so many cases of breast cancer going undetected and progressing to advanced stages? I've written many articles on the hazards and drawbacks of mammograms, including the danger of false positives, and the facts that ionizing radiation causes cancer, and that mammograms have no impact on mortality rates.
A major threat posed by mammography is the false negative. A member of my staff, Cindy Olmstead, a Midwest journalist experienced this first hand. Conventional mammography missed a 5-centimeter lesion two years in a row. Olmstead was lying on a gurney outside the operating room, waiting to have her breast removed when she opened a piece of mail brought to her by a neighbor.
In it were the results of a mammogram performed just three weeks earlier. "We are pleased to inform you that we have found no evidence of cancer in your breast," the letter said.
The mammogram embodies much of what is wrong with the failed allopathic model of cancer treatment. Even if it was accurate, the mammogram is at best a diagnostic tool and does not address the underlying cause.
Mammography has failed as a cancer fighting tool but that is no reason to be fatalistic. It is never too late to take control of your health. Consuming only whole and nourishing foods is an excellent starting point. The information contained in my nutrition plan makes this an achievable goal. I also recommend optimizing your vitamin D levels, avoid eating within three hours of bedtime, limit your protein intake and avoid unfermented soy products.