In the spring I went to my mid-wife for my 'well woman' check-up. There was a bump in my breast. I call it a bump because the word 'lump' just sounds too gloomy and doomy. I had an ultrasound done what seemed like several weeks later and an appointment with a surgical breast specialist. No abnormalities were found. I just have bumpy boobs. Life goes on. Me and my bumps.
October is breat cancer awareness month. There is an article in the October issue of Body & Soul magazine called 'Know the Risks'. The opening caption says "Sure, genes affect our breast cancer odds. But so does what we breathe, eat and put on our skin." The article goes on to say that only 1 in 10 breast cancer cases has a genetic connection. They quote Devra Davis, Ph.D., who says "Genes don't tell the full story. Genes sometimes give us the gun, but the environment pulls the trigger." Davis is the director of the Center for Environmental Oncology at U. of Pitt. The article goes on to talk about many different types of environmental triggers or connections to breast cancer such as air pollution, pesticides, cleaning and beauty products and plastics but also gives suggestions about how to reduce our exposure to these things and therefore reduce our risk.
Chemicals to watch out for around the house:
They suggest 'greening your cleaners'. I have talked about natural clening products before here and here. Avoid ingredients like alkyphenols, methoxyphenol and nonylphenol.
Look in your medicine cabinet and makeup bag. Avoid ingredients like Phthalates, parabens and ethylene oxide.
Plastic: there's been LOTS of talk about plastics lately. Avoid hard plastics that contain bisphenol A and softer plastics made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC).
I just paraphrased the article. I would highly recommend heading to your nearest library or getting the October issue and sharing with a friend (reduce paper waste ;) and read the entire article. It explains the connections clearly. For me, the article reinforced a lot of what I have learned and read over the past couple of years about the connections between our environments, the things we put in and on our bodies and the diseases that we now struggle with. Always do your own research and make up your own mind.
happy living = whole living.
credit: Body & Soul magazine, October, 2008
