How to Detect Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death among women, and for women diagnosed between the ages of 15 and 54, it is the most common cause of cancer-related death. In the United States, every 15 minutes 5 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed and at least 1 woman dies of the disease. Given the right combination of alternative medicine therapy and prevention, far more women can survive breast cancer and live long, productive lives than conventional cancer experts would ever deem possible, says Burton Goldberg in his ground-breaking book, An Alternative Medicine Definitive Guide to Cancer.

The most basic way to detect breast cancer early is through self-examination. Many women do not self-examine due to the anxiety associated with breast cancer. Women need to realize that most breast lumps are benign, Dr. Goldberg emphasizes. It is easiest to reverse breast cancer when it is detected in its earliest stages, which makes self-examination a woman's first and most important defense against breast cancer.

If a tumor is pea-sized and located deep within the breast tissues, it may go undetected no matter how diligent a woman is with her self-examinations. For this reason, conventional doctors encourage women to undergo mammograms on a regular basis. While 90% of breast cancers can be detected by mammograms, the remaining 10% are obscured by dense surrounding breast tissue. In fact, the high density of the breast tissue in young women makes mammograms of limited value before the age of 40-50. Additionally, long-term radiation exposure carries the risk of stimulating tumor growth and the development of breast cancer in high-risk women (those with a family history of breast cancer). Mammograms often result in false positives. On biopsy, 70-80% of all positive mammograms do not show any presence of breast cancer.

"Mammography is only leading physicians to diagnose an ever-larger number of harmless tumors. Patients who otherwise would never have known they have a tumor may needlessly suffer through the unique pain, anxiety, disfigurement, and expense associated with modern medicine and cancer," warns David Plotkin, M.D., a 35-year clinical practitioner.

To detect breast cancer, Dr. Plotkin advocates the use of monthly breast self-examination and an annual Anti-Malignin Antibody Screen (AMAS) for women over 49. Unlike mammography, which does not distinguish between benign and malignant breast tumors, AMAS detects only malignant growth and has far greater sensitivity and specificity than mammography. Developed by biochemist and physician Dr. Sam Bogoch over 20 years of research, AMAS analyzes a blood sample to reveal whether cancer antibodies are present. AMAS is 95% effective on the first test and 99% effective when repeated. This blood test can detect breast cancer up to 19 months before conventional medical tests can find it, helping patients avoid unnecessary anxiety and unneeded medical treatment.

Dr. Burton Goldberg presents a thorough discussion of breast cancer and detection procedures in his highly acclaimed documentary video Cancer Conquest. A recognized expert in the field of alternative medicine, Dr. Goldberg advocates a multimodal approach to prevent and fight breast cancer. Next week we'll discuss what you can do to prevent breast cancer. Visit Burton Goldberg's website (just click the post title) to learn more about Dr. Goldberg and alternative medicine therapies that work against breast cancer.