Breasts - Avoid the Quackery.

Please tell me just how far into this fantasy you'd be happy to slide before you hear warning bells.

You awaken one morning and for no reason at all you decide that it is time to take your boobs in hand - no not in a fooling around, feel good way, but the grown up, prevent any disaster, way. You might have no reason or symptom or family history to worry about or you might suddenly have become aware of a walloping great lump, in any case you have decided that attention is due.

By serendipitous coincidence you get a link on your facie page from someone you know, and one of the headlines reads, 'Mammograms cause Cancer'.

Shit really?

So you read on.

Dr Ben Johnson MD has written a book, 'The Secret of Health Breast Wisdom' ( Is that the correct title - doesn't seem to be grammatically correct but never mind.)

Earth Patriot (Who?) has posted the article from 'The Health Avengers' (Who again?) and it includes an interview with Dr Ben.

Dr Ben says, 'You are causing much more Breast Cancer with Mammograms than you are detecting.'

Dr Ben says mammograms cannot detect Breast cancers smaller than 1cm in size and by that time there is associated Lymph node infection and cancer cells are flying all around your body, in other words you are doomed so you'd better pick out your grave stone and set out the champers and canapes for the mourning hoards.

Dr Ben says the only way to identify Breast cancers too small to be detected with Mammograms is through THERMOGRAPHY.

Well being a carrier of boobies and not being a doctor you do some more research, cos who the hell knows what THERMOGRAPHY is when it's at home.

Infrared technology has been around since the 1970s. I am pretty sure we have all watched those action movies where the heroes pop on some night vision goggles so they can see the baddies coming, well this is sort of the same. Let's photograph our breasts so we can see the heat activated cancer cells a-coming pardner.

THERMOGRAPHY uses a flash camera to take piccies of your titties from various angles and works on the idea that if there are any pre-cancerous spots or in deed cancer splodges, well they will show up as hot spots because of the extra blood supply etc.

Well that sounds reasonable.

Of course localised infections and cysts etc would also show up as hot spots, and there is no differentiation but don't go into panic just yet.

So instead of getting the big squish you sit topless, in a room and acclimatise to the temperature and then someone takes some piccies. If they provided a cuppa and a biscuit it sounds like a really pleasant way to spend the morning. Yippee.

So you google where you can go for this beauty treatment.

You call the Mobile number cos that's all that was given and a female answers the phone with, 'Yes?'

You ask if this is the THERMOGRAPHY place and she says, 'Yes.'

It's a bit like pulling teeth but you continue even though you are beginning to imagine that she could just have easily answered the other phone - possibly a red one and started in on some lewd sex talk all the while scrubbing out her oven.

You ask for some details.

• $190 with no Medicare or health fund rebate.
• The procedure is explained and is as you have researched.
• ( I forgot to ask about the qualifications of the person doing the clickity click of the camera nor did I ask about the qualifications of the person giving me all this info)
• The images are sent off to THE USA TO BE ANALYSED, because this is not a recognised diagnostic tool in Australia so no-one knows what the images mean cos I guess no-one in Australia reckons it's worth their time doing the study.
• Your report is sent back to you in about 2 weeks.
• You get a rating of 1-5 depending on the severity of the heat in your boobs. ( I presume that no-one ever gets a 0-clean bill of breast health)
• You take the report to your Holistic health provider or your Naturopath who will help you get your body back on track with hope and herbs - (yeh I added the hope bit)
• It is apparently possible to cure estrogen driven Breast cancer by filling up on progesterone but there are other possible cures which can be outlined by your Person. 

Additional google research also explains that the procedure costs about $390 US in the States and that it is not covered by any health insurance there either.

It is recommended that women begin this diagnosis as early as 18 years old so there can be a base marker and that they should be tested every 6 months.

Are those bells ringing for you yet? Shit I feel like I am living in the Bell tower of a fucking great cathedral and it is constantly 12 midnight.

Does this sound like an excellent way to fleece women of a shed load of cash over the whole of their lives and provide little more than FUCK ALL in return?

The truth is that if you push on with your research, it is clear that even if you part with the wonga for this nonsense, if something is found YOU THEN NEED TO GO FOR - YOU GUESSED IT, A MAMMOGRAM.

I cannot be a statistical anomaly. 

I had 2 primary cancers detected  through mammograms, in very dense breast tissue when I was 32. Yes there was associated Lymph node action and I opted for surgery and chemo and radiation. These little suckers were very  aggressive cancers. Had I opted for a visit to a herbalist for some green stuff and and some mantras to chant, I am pretty sure I would not be writing this cos I WOULD BE DEAD.

2 and a half years ago I was diagnosed with another primary cancer in my other breast again through mammography investigation. This was so very tiny that it needed to be pinpointed via a hook wire prior to surgery and I was lucky enough this time to have no lymph node action, so old Dr Ben Johnson would be shocked to learn that tiny cancers can be detected through Mammograms and that a detected cancer is not a death sentence.

This scare mongering really is a disgrace.

I reckon that there is a strong similarity between herbie, green shit, snake oil, curers, and those less than honourable evangelists who ask for 20% of your wages to ensure a first class ride to heaven with a complimentary a quarter pounder with cheese thrown in for good measure.

I reckon the success of this sort of 'medical' attention is is predicated on fear. People's fear of dying, of disease, of doctors and of procedures they can't imagine or understand.

Of course my history is only anecdotal, but I am still here and I firmly believe that it is 100% due to my choosing mainstream medicine. There is no proof that I could find that would encourage me to suggest to my daughter that she follow this suggested, expensive, untested, smoke and mirrors, someone is making a motza out of this, less than satisfactory diagnostic ( I use the term loosely) method.

I am hoping that less discriminating women are not sent this crap in their Facebook updates.  

Seriously, get you tits out ladies and go the squish.