Breast cancer options

pink

In many parts of the country the leaves are beginning to turn red and gold, but in a matter of days, the entire country will suddenly turn pink. No question about it—Breast Cancer Awareness month is a true marvel of brand marketing. (In doing research for this blog I even came across a porn website that wants to save boobs!) I sincerely believe that every person in the US over the age of 2 is fully aware of breast cancer. Great job! But, now what?

My hat is off to the diligent volunteers who have sponsored and participated in the fundraising runs and talked pro sports teams into wearing pink. I have an idea. Breast cancer options aren’t limited to minor variations in what we’ve been doing in the 40-year war on cancer. Can we possibly consider a different shade of pink? It’s just that I’m a bit discouraged that most of the charities that benefit from the pink revolution seem to continue using the money raised mainly for grants for pharmaceutical research. While benefits have been seen here and there, the effort has clearly not lead to “THE CURE” envisioned 30 years ago when the marketing campaign first began. (It was started by the American Cancer Society and the pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca.) Increased breast cancer awareness certainly has resulted in more screening. The increased screening has led to more women being treated. (Note: there is some controversy about the potential risks of over-treatment of non-invasive forms.) Breast cancer rates have declined over the years, but mainly because of a significant decline in smoking and a reduction in the use of unsafe hormone replacement therapies.

What if we turned a lot more attention to similar improvements in diet, lifestyle and environmental toxins that might help prevent all cancers? And, why not lend more support to research and education about natural ways to support treatments and achieve more of those Radical Remissions (Surviving Cancer Against All Odds) that Dr. Kelly Turner has been cataloging? An article in our library, Breast Cancer – 13 Preventive Steps, offers a baker’s dozen of postive ideas. (There are several other pages on cancer under the Library heading “Immune and Cancer.”)

We all want to know that our donations of hard-earned money are going to truly worthy causes. Charity Navigator is a valuable online resource where you can check charities of all kinds for their honesty and to see how much of the money raised goes to the ultimate goal rather than to more fundraising, overhead and salaries. (You might be surprised how poorly some of the well-known organizations rank.) I’d love to hear from readers who have found responsible organizations that support research on natural approaches to cancer. In the meantime, I have an idea how to make a donation that we know for sure will directly benefit a wonderful person you may even know.

Renee Smith is a delightful lady who volunteers to help manage the speaker stage at our Natural HealthFest events. She has been bravely and cheerfully fighting a breast cancer diagnosis that included a recommendation for ovary removal. Cancer treatment is expensive. Her friends, Renee’s Warriors, have started a fund to help. At this link you can offer encouragement or make a donation of any size. It will all help. (Note: the financial companies typically charge 2-5% to process the donation and the GiveForward site retains 5% to cover the hosting of the site.) Check out her page. If you would prefer to donate by check, you can mail it to Healthy by Nature at 3221 Independence Parkway, Plano, TX 75075 and we will deliver it to Renee. Thank you in advance for your support.



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