Fighting the C Word: 4 Questions You Should Be Asking About Breast Cancer Part 2

It is that time of year again. The pink banners are waving strong, the walks are planned, the football players are dressed. Yes, breast cancer awareness month is upon us.


Mammograms Do Not Prevent Cancer

Cancer has the second highest mortality rate in the United States behind heart disease and breast cancer is the leading type of cancer in women. Over the past decade, many organizations have done a fabulous job in raising hundreds of millions of dollars for cancer treatment, research, and awareness. I do applaud the millions of people who have taken the time and spent the energy towards these heart felt causes. However, over the next four weeks I am going to ask some brutally honest questions that may challenge many of your beliefs and current understanding in order to bring to light an increased understanding of breast cancer and the restoration of health. 

Over this month, I invite you to follow me through four fundamental discussion points based on our current societal understanding of cancer. Ask yourself what rings true and what could be improved upon. 

Shall we…?

Discussion Point 2: Prevention vs. Early Detection

In the last several months, I have been shopping around for “health” insurance because our government tells me that I must have it (different topic for another blog). Many of the insurance companies tried to sell me on the fact that they offer so many “preventive” screenings per year. If you are getting screened for anything, this falls under the category of early detection, not prevention. If you get screened for breast cancer and they find cancer, you did not prevent anything, and hopefully you detected it early enough that you can do something about it. Please be a wise health care consumer and advocate and know the drastic difference between these two categories.

The only way to prevent cancer (or any disease) is to promote health. Lucky for us, health, homeostasis, or balance is our body’s natural state. We will constantly move toward or away from our natural state of health in direct response to our daily life choices. How do you prevent darkness from occurring in a room? You leave the light on. You cannot remove the darkness because it does not exist; it is only the absence of light. Cancer (disease) is the same way. How do you prevent cancer? You leave your health on by making healthy choices every day in your life. You cannot remove disease from your body, you must promote health.

I do hear the arguments coming in now, “Sure Dr. Dan, you talk about preventing cancer, but what happens if I do get screened and find out that I have it? Is it not better to detect it early?” The answer depends on what you choose to do with the information once you have it.  That leads to next week's Curing vs. Chemicals discussion. 

How Do I Fight Cancer?

The good news is that your body is constantly striving towards health and the minute you decide to start placing your body in a healthy environment is the minute that you will begin to heal, whether you have a cancer diagnosis or just wish to prevent it.

Dr. Dan’s Do-It-Daily Tips:

Eat more veggies. I aim to eat a minimum of 5 servings of vegetables each day. If I miss my vegies, my body knows it due to my low energy.

For the past 20 years, our answer to cancer has been to throw money at the problem with unwavering commitment to reducing cancer rates. We are often reminded that the definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over, expecting a different result. This unwillingness to change has only led to more cancer, decreased quality of life, and death. It is time for you and I to take full responsibility for our health as an individual. As a society, we must start asking better questions to get the answer we are looking for - better health.  It’s not an understatement to say lives depend on it.

Check back next week for our third discussion point - Chemicals vs Curing - and another Dr. Dan's Do-It-Daily Tip.

Dr. Dan Turo is the owner and chiropractor of Turo Family Chiropractic located in the North Hills of Pittsburgh, PA. Follow him on facebook and twitter.