Wednesday, December 8, 2010

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Sunday, November 7, 2010

For Practitioners - Why breast health monitoring

Over the past few weeks we have not done any breast imaging. This was due to a number of factors, initially due to a glitch in paperwork. While we have been waiting for documentation, it has offered a time of reflection on what we are offering, why we are offering it and how we are offering it.

Current Practice
For the past 50 years there has been a strong campaign to promote mammography for breast cancer screening and discourage other forms of breast imaging. This is just as relevant today, with recent articles in the media warning women against new breast screening, “as mammograms are the only proven breast cancer screening technology”.

In Australia, BreastScreen has been operating for 19 years. It offers a free screening mammogram to women with NO symptoms (asymptomatic). Despite this,
43% of women targeted (50-69 years) do not have a screening mammogram
Women under 50 are not targeted for a screening mammogram
Women under 40 are not eligible for a screening mammogram
Women over 70 are no longer invited for a screening mammogram

Breast cancer is now top of mind for many women, who worry about their breast health and risk.

What we are offering
Safe Breast Imaging recognises that women are concerned about their breast health and want to monitor and check their breast health. We therefore offer an option of breast imaging for women who:
• currently have no breast imaging at all
• want additional information regarding their breast health
The imaging offered by Safe Breast Imaging is another tool for practitioners and patients to assess the current status of breast health.
We do NOT suggest the imaging is a replacement for a mammogram. It is a replacement for no imaging. It is also an adjunct to other forms of breast imaging.

The MEM electrical impedance device used by Safe Breast Imaging maps the electrical properties of breast tissue. It is not an x-ray (no radiation), not thermography (not heat), not ultrasound. It maps lumps and breast structure. In addition it also highlights asymmetry, glandular tissue, hormonal imbalance and other factors that give an indication of current breast health. Watch the procedure here: http://bit.ly/avod2H.

The Safe Breast Imaging doctor, who reads and interprets the MEM images, expects to see normal patterns and some symmetry. Subtle differences from one side to the other are identified, which can indicate anomalies. Results have shown that women who have abnormal images often have other hormonal issues past, present and future which can increase their risk. Working with their health practitioner to make changes is encouraged.

Why we are offering Imaging
Women do not want breast cancer. Despite pressure from cancer experts, radiologists, surgeons, oncologists, doctors, etc, to stick to the proven methodology (find cancer and treat it), women are looking at other options of imaging, lifestyle choices, prevention strategies and treatment strategies. You know that.
For the past 6 years, Australian women have included MEM electrical impedance breast imaging as part of their breast health strategy. The MEM is not treatment, rather a tool to provide an indication of their current breast health status.
Breast cancer is very difficult to find, no matter what the technology. In Australia, 17% of all women diagnosed through the BreastScreen program (1 in 6) have interval cancers. Nearly 50% of all breast cancers diagnosed in women 40-49 years are interval cancers (Screening Monograph No.1/2009 BreastScreen Australia Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report).

How we offer MEM Imaging
While breast health is important for most women, it is not urgent until there is a problem that manifests for many. To acknowledge this, we have worked from over 170 venues in the past year. We have created a model of going to the women in their community – city or regional. This has worked best with the clinics who have actively participated in advising their patient base that the MEM imaging will be offered from their clinic.

You realise that you need to make it as easy as possible for your patients to undertake your recommendations. Patients have good intentions, but a combination of time, other priorities, ease and procrastination mean that your patients often don’t follow through on treatment and strategies. By offering breast imaging in your clinic, it is an environment patients are familiar with. It also reinforces the need to work with the practitioner, as it is rare for us to see breasts that are particularly healthy.

In order to maximise our time and yours, we are confirming clinics who wish to offer the breast health imaging option to their female patients. This service is a starting point for women to improve their health and outcomes. The MEM imaging is looking for indicators of early change – often these precede anatomical evidence.

As a health practitioner, you have three options:
1. Offer a regular imaging service from within your clinic, outsourcing the service to Safe Breast Imaging.
2. Let your patients know that there is an option, and they can find a location and time that suits. The report can be copied to you.
3. Do nothing.

Sunday, October 17, 2010

What if you dont have a mammogram?

Recently there has been media cover in Australia warning women not to partake in any other breast screening apart from mammogram, as mammograms are the only “proven” technology for breast cancer screening. How do you feel about that?
Three questions to think about:
1. Is a mammogram suitable for every woman?
2. Will a mammogram find every cancer?
3. Does a mammogram give you enough information?

What do you do if you are too young for a mammogram? Or are pregnant? Or breastfeeding?
What do you do if you will not have a mammogram?
How do you feel to be told not to do anything else?
What do you do if you want to monitor your breast health and look for early changes within the breast?
What do you do if your mammogram result is negative but you feel something is not right?
Are you compromising your right to your own health decisions?

Dr Gilbert Welch of Dartmouth Institute says scientists have come to understand that breast cancer isn't one disease but many. Some tumours are indolent and never cause trouble. Others grow slowly and may eventually spread. The most aggressive cancers metastasize before doctors and patients even know they're there. Doctors can't tell which tumours are harmless so they treat all of them as if they were the worst kind.

“Screening tests like mammograms and self-exams are most adept at finding the indolent cancers”, Welch says. “As a result, the more we screen, the more women we subject to surgery, chemotherapy and radiation for cancers that never would have harmed them. A paper published last month in the New England Journal of Medicine estimated that for every life saved by a screening mammogram, five to 15 other women needlessly became diagnosed and treated”. http://nyti.ms/cUD6ZK

At Safe Breast Imaging we are receiving three messages from you loud and clear:
1. You are concerned about your breasts.
2. You do not want breast cancer and will do all you can to keep healthy. You are taking action to put prevention strategies in place and you are not passively waiting for a cancer diagnosis.
3. You want to use all the tools available to give you the best chance of getting a good picture of what is going on so you can make an informed breast management decision. After all, breast cancer is very difficult to find, no matter what the technology.

What can we do?
We know you are busy, have the best intention of having imaging done and know your diet and lifestyle could be better.
How can we understand and respond to your needs?
How can we cut through your fear?
Your inaction?
Your busyness?
Your justifications?

What can you do?
• Make a decision to be responsible for your own health.
• Tell us what results and information would be useful for you to encourage action to improve your health.
• Act responsibly upon any change to your health – have early investigation without delay.
• Tell your doctor and health professional you also want imaging to check your breast health.
• Tell your family, friends and colleagues that they can now also monitor their breast health.

Imaging your breasts in a new way

Safe Breast Imaging uses the unique MEM imaging technique that has been used in Australia for 5 years. The MEM maps the electrical properties of breast tissue. It is not an x-ray (no radiation), not thermography (not heat), not ultrasound. The MEM maps your lumps and breast structure. In addition the MEM also highlights asymmetry, glandular tissue, hormonal imbalance and other factors that may increase your risk into the future. Watch the procedure here: http://bit.ly/avod2H.

Our Safe Breast Imaging doctor, who reads and interprets the MEM images, expects to see normal patterns and some symmetry. Subtle differences from one side to the other are identified, which can indicate anomalies. Most are explainable and don’t require additional testing. Results have shown that women who have abnormal MEM images are at a higher risk of developing hormonal dis-eases. You are actively encouraged to improve your breast health in conjunction with your health practitioner.

At Safe Breast Imaging we indicate your current breast health status. It is your starting point. Please do not necessarily assume that because you have symptoms you have breast cancer. There are many options you have to improve your current health and risk status. Isn’t that a positive and empowering approach?

Use your options

Breast cancer is very difficult to find, no matter what the technology. In Australia, 17% of all women diagnosed through the BreastScreen program (1 in 6) have interval cancers (missed on their previous mammogram). Nearly 50% of all breast cancers diagnosed in women 40-49 years were interval cancers (Screening Monograph No.1/2009 BreastScreen Australia Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report).

You may also be interested in this: http://gaylesulik.com.

Book now
We are fast approaching the end of the year.
Have you been putting off having a breast checkup? Is it on your list of things to do?
Book now on 1300 310 820 to secure your appointment. Or email us with your suburb so we can find your nearest location.

Please Note:

Safe Breast Imaging is not a replacement for a diagnostic mammogram.
Safe Breast Imaging does not use a “proven” breast cancer screening technology. Your results, however, provide information that may assist you in understanding your current breast health status.
Like a screening mammogram, the imaging done by Safe Breast Imaging does not provide a final diagnosis for breast cancer.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Good breast health starts in the gut

IF YOUR DIGESTIVE SYSTEM DOESNT WORK WELL, NOTHING WORKS WELL.


The gut is responsible for the processing of the food we eat and absorbing the nutrients, vitamins and minerals needed for the body to function properly and keep healthy. Hormones and the nervous system coordinate digestion and absorption. Everyday factors such as poor diet, stress, illness and certain drugs can have a detrimental effect on the gut and can inhibit digestion. Stress is a normal part of life in today’s modern society however, problems arise when our lives cause an abnormal amount of stress, and one of the first parts of the body to react to stress is our digestive system.


Gluten

Nutrient absorption is efficient because the Gastrointestinal tract is folded with several surfaces for absorption and these surfaces are lined with villi (hairlike projections) and microvilli cells. If we are gluten intolerant, an immune reaction occurs that causes the villi to become damaged, which interferes with the body’s ability to absorb nutrients such as proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, even water in some cases.

A gluten-free diet allows the body to repair and heal itself because it is no longer being challenged and attacked by the immune system.


Grains and Sugars

Refined grains are energy-dense but nutrient-sparse. Grains disturb insulin levels.

Insulin helps control sex hormones estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone as well. Insulin helps control the manufacture of cholesterol . DHEA levels are directly correlated with insulin levels.


Sugar is an addictive substance and depresses the immune system. Sugar lowers the ability of enzymes to function and interferes with absorption of protein, both necessary for health digestion. Sugar also feeds cancer cells. Any time you have excess sugar you store it as fat and any time you are deficient you burn up your muscle. Eliminating sugar as much as possible has a dramatic effect on your health. Here is a list of reasons why we should eliminate sugar from our diet: http://bit.ly/dnBaj4 .


If you made no other adjustments to your diet but eliminated or vastly reduced grains and sugars, particularly processed, it is likely your health would rapidly improve and within days you’d start losing weight and bloating. Within weeks you’d have a very noticeable improvement in health and weight. Within months, in addition to the dramatic health and weight improvement, you’d also be experiencing a tremendous increase in your energy, mental acuity and positive focus.


What to eat?

We have come across a list of foods and drinks allowed/not allowed. It may be a worthwhile starting guide for you: http://bit.ly/NkD3P


Your future is your choice. It requires action.

Usually we rediscover health only when it is taken from us.



Your breast health starts with your digestive health

Case 1 – 39yo, two young children. Painful, lumpy breasts. MEM images showed excess glandular tissue (hormonal imbalance and higher risk). 3 months of diet change and probiotics. Repeat images showed breast tissue less glandular. Lumps reduced, tenderness subsided, feeling of wellness and energy.

Case 2 – 49yo cyclical tenderness and lumps. Years of high carbohydrate and sugar consumption. One month elimination glutens, grains and sugars settled down breast symptoms, improved MEM images, bloating gone, clearer thinking, feeling of wellness and happiness.

Case 3 – 54yo with history of auto immune, chronic fatigue, hypothyroid, uterine fibroids, stress, breast lumps, poor digestive and liver functions. MEM images show severe hormonal imbalance (glandular tissue), cystic breast tissue, irregular breast anatomy, higher conductivity in one breast suggesting tissue change. High risk. 3 months of gluten, grain, sugar and lactose elimination showed improved MEM images, softened breast tissue, bloating gone, weight loss, positive feelings of health, increased energy.


Safe Breast Imaging can provide you with a picture of your current breast health. It is your starting point and allows you the opportunity to improve your breast and overall health and reduce your risk of serious poor health. It is not too late to change, but it is necessary.


Watch the breast imaging procedure here: http://www.vmbiz.com.au/safebreast.html

Monday, July 12, 2010

Digestive Wellness

Digestive Wellness

Symptoms of discomfort are our body’s way of saying “pay attention to me!”
Liz Lipski (Digestive Wellness)

Most of us pay little attention to our health until we don’t feel so well. We rarely think about our digestion and its importance until we feel bloated and windy or suffer from nausea, constipation or diarrhoea. Our stomachs today are generally treated like a garbage bin where everything is just thrown in; the good, the bad and the ugly. Little thought is given to nutrition. It just needs to taste good. We assume that our stomach will just deal with it; all will be digested, the goodies will be absorbed so our organs can be nourished and support our life and the bad stuff – well it will just be eliminated! OOPS!

If we have symptoms of digestive discomfort such as bloating, it is easy to figure out that our gastrointestinal tract is out of balance. But if we experience arthritis, eczema, acne, autoimmune disease, mood swings, depression, fatty liver, chronic fatigue, regular and persistent cold and flu symptoms, chronic headache or migraine, oestrogen dominance, chronic vaginitis or bladder infection due to Candida infection - and the list goes on – perhaps it would be surprising that these symptoms also could indicate that parts of our gastrointestinal tract are out of balance?

What do we know about the gastrointestinal tract that could explain this surprising association?

• Gut flora in an adult weighs about 3-4 kgs. The importance of the proper balance between the good and the bad bugs is now being recognised as essential to good health.
• Good bugs complete digestion and facilitate nutrient absorption. Their metabolism provides us with essential vitamins and cofactors such as B vitamins, folate and Vitamin K. Good bugs are also important immune system modulators.
• Broad spectrum antibiotics can destabilise the normal microbiological balance and allow opportunistic pathogens – the bad bugs – to proliferate which can result in both acute and chronic health issues.
• Good Lactobacilli are shed from our gastrointestinal system in times of stress. This destabilises the normal microbiological balance and allows the bad bugs to proliferate.
• 75% of our lymphatic system and 80% of our antibody producing B cells are found in our gastrointestinal system. Autoimmune issues often arise in susceptible individuals due to the proliferation of bad bugs in the gut.
• 90% of our Serotonin is manufactured within our gut. Without adequate serotonin we can develop insomnia and become depressed.

As we can see gastrointestinal imbalance or dysbiosis can often be an important underlying factor in many common health issues. If our gut isn’t right – we are not right!

Reclaim Your Health is about sharing some amazing foundational health information, which can empower you to take control of your health issues and begin a positive journey to a better, healthy future by reclaiming digestive balance.

(Article references available upon request)

Reclaim Your Health - Colleen Smith Dip App Science (Med Tech)
Colleen can be contacted on 0423 779 350.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Multivitamins and Your risk

Multivitamins and Your risk
Headlines are designed to catch the eye and sensationalise. When looking at research results, it is important to understand how the results are presented.

You may have read about a recent study suggesting that taking multivitamins on a daily basis can increase your risk of getting breast cancer by 19%. Many women have contacted us asking if that means they have a 20% chance of getting breast cancer if they take multivitamins.

Closer examination of the results of the study in question showed that there was a difference in diagnoses between a large group of women over 10 years who said they did not take daily multivitamins, and a smaller group who said they did take multivitamins daily. The difference between the two groups was 19%. This is called a relative risk.

Expressed as an absolute risk, the same statistics say that over 10 years, 1 extra woman out of 1667 who took multivitamins on a daily basis would be diagnosed.

Increasingly a study or problem will be presented in an absolute way but the solution or outcome will be reported in a relative way to increase the perception of the results.

Manipulating study results should not undermine your choice or a health professional recommendation to take multivitamins or make choices regarding your health.

Saturday, May 1, 2010

Should a mammogram be the only breast imaging option for women?

Often women are warned by their doctor or breast specialist against any breast cancer screening technology other than a mammogram on the basis that a mammogram is the only ‘proven’ breast cancer screening method. One reason a mammogram is the only proven breast cancer screening method is because there is very strong resistance to supporting clinical trials comparing other technologies. Safe Breast Imaging is actively seeking opportunities to participate in clinical trials and has an extensive database to contribute to such a trial.

Mammograms are a useful tool to identify suspicious masses at an early stage (up to 5cm). We are fortunate to have a free national breast cancer screening program in Australia (BreastScreen) for women over 40 and under 70 who have NO SYMPTOMS. However statistics show that nearly half of women specifically targeted for a free screening mammogram (50-69 years) choose not to have one.

More than a quarter of Australian women diagnosed with breast cancer are under 50. Premenopausal women (under 50ish) usually have dense breast tissue and a mammogram is less effective for this group.

While few women in Australia are diagnosed with breast cancer each year, most women have breast symptoms that are not breast cancer. Women of all ages are increasingly seeking ways to proactively monitor and understand their general breast health beyond just looking for cancer. The MEM looking at the electrical properties of breast tissue, has been a beneficial breast health monitoring technology to many Australian women. The MEM identifies lumps, hormonal imbalance and early behavioural changes that may require further investigation.

When a mammogram is not a woman’s preferred breast imaging option and for women who are ineligible for a mammogram, we believe women deserve other options. This is why Safe Breast Imaging actively promotes worthwhile initiatives for you to proactively monitor and maintain your breast health.

A picture of your breast health will assist you and your health professional to make informed decisions about an effective strategy to manage your hormonal and breast health.

Multivitamins and Your Breast Cancer Risk

Headlines are designed to catch the eye and sensationalise. When looking at research results, it is important to understand how the results are presented.

You may have read about a recent study suggesting that taking multivitamins on a daily basis can increase your risk of getting breast cancer by 19%. Many women have contacted us asking if that means they have a 20% chance of getting breast cancer if they take multivitamins.

Closer examination of the results of the study in question showed that there was a difference in diagnoses between a large group of women over 10 years who said they did not take daily multivitamins, and a smaller group who said they did take multivitamins daily. The difference between the two groups was 19%. This is called a relative risk.

Expressed as an absolute risk, the same statistics say that over 10 years, 1 extra woman out of 1667 who took multivitamins on a daily basis would be diagnosed.

Increasingly a study or problem will be presented in an absolute way but the solution or outcome will be reported in a relative way to increase the perception of the results.

Manipulating study results should not undermine your choice or a health professional recommendation to take multivitamins or make choices regarding your health.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

New Reprt out on Vitamin D for Cancer Prevention

A new epidemiology report on Vitamin D suggests that raising the amount of Vitamin D could result in prevention of 58,000 new cases of Breast Cancer in the USA.

Here is an abstract of the report:

Vitamin D for Cancer Prevention: Global Perspective
Ann Epidemiol. 2009 Jul 1;19(7):468-483, CF Garland, ED Gorham, AR Mohr, FC Garland


PURPOSE: Higher serum levels of the main circulating form of vitamin D, 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), are associated with substantially lower incidence rates of colon, breast, ovarian, renal, pancreatic, aggressive prostate and other cancers.



METHODS: Epidemiological findings combined with newly discovered mechanisms suggest a new model of cancer etiology that accounts for these actions of 25(OH)D and calcium. Its seven phases are disjunction, initiation, natural selection, overgrowth, metastasis, involution, and transition (abbreviated DINOMIT). Vitamin D metabolites prevent disjunction of cells and are beneficial in other phases.


RESULTS/CONCLUSIONS: It is projected that raising the minimum year- round serum 25(OH)D level to 40 to 60 ng/mL (100–150 nmol/L) would prevent approximately 58,000 new cases of breast cancer and 49,000 new cases of colorectal cancer each year, and three fourths of deaths from these diseases in the United States and Canada, based on observational studies combined with a randomized trial. Such intakes also are expected to reduce case-fatality rates of patients who have breast, colorectal, or prostate cancer by half. There are no unreasonable risks from intake of 2000 IU per day of vitamin D3, or from a population serum 25(OH)D level of 40 to 60 ng/mL. The time has arrived for nationally coordinated action to substantially increase intake of vitamin D and calcium.