Rosa lost her breast without her consent

Nineteen years ago, on the 10th of February 1997, Rosa underwent a frozen section after having been told it was just a diagnostic procedure, without being informed of likely losing her left breast. She woke up hours later, devastated that she had lost her breast without her consent. That particular day was the start of a personal journey that to this very day has touched countless lives of women facing the same ordeal. She was neither the first nor the only woman to have been traumatized by this unacceptable epidemic but that day ushered in the dawn of breast cancer advocacy in the Philippines.

Rosa moved fast forward, took strong action – being the lone Philippine delegate to the 1st World Conference on Breast Cancer in Kingston, Ontario 5 months later and establishing the Philippine Breast Cancer Network a month after her return home. Rosa had single-handedly changed the landscape of breast cancer in the Philippines in that brief period.

The day of her mastectomy, Rosa became a gladiator enslaved and thrown into the arena of mortal combat. She had no choice but to fight back and this she did to the very end with all her heart and soul with full honor and dignity! And just like Spartacus and Maximus, Rosa’s life and death began a movement to free the slaves. The only difference is that Rosa was a female gladiator in the killing fields of breast cancer.She never submitted to chemotherapy and radiation but instead pursued non-invasive and non-toxic measures.

To this very day, many women continue to be imprisoned by the prevailing ignorance and helplessness brought about by a most obscenely lucrative breast cancer industry. With barely any understanding at all, they are rushed to make hard and fast decisions without knowing all their options and without knowing what to expect from any treatment or intervention. With such blindness, they are led to the arena without the single most important weapon to confront the enemy - that of knowing and understanding breast cancer. They become pathetic torture victims who plead for their lives yet are slaughtered methodically. Their carcasses most often ending up in closed coffins or incinerators due to the severe violence they had been submitted to - with excruciating pain written on their faces that no make-up can hide. Many among them were robbed of the chance to fight back - denied that final victory over death!

It has been 19 years since Rosa lost her breast and the PBCN she started continues to lead the growing army of women breast cancer warriors in attaining their individual victories in the struggle with breast cancer! Despite its gigantic task and meager resources, the PBCN remains undaunted and keeps drawing strength from every breast cancer warrior.

For those who’ve lost their breasts, never lose heart. And for all who have heart, keep your breasts.

“Freedom from Breast Cancer!”

When will breast cancer end?

“If only it were detected earlier, something could have been done.” These are the often heard words of doctors. Very true, but what is that something? Breast removal? Chemo? But even then, when is early detection? How many years ago?

The reality is that breast cancer is most very often realized in advanced stages because it takes 5-10 years before the first signs and symptoms of breast cancer are manifested. This being the case, no woman can be blamed for seeking medical attention at advanced stages of her ailment because they never had any understanding of the disease in the very first place.

When does a woman know she is pregnant? Does it mean that when she misses a monthly menstrual cycle, it can be said she is pregnant? Only with a pregnancy test can she be positive she is pregnant. Therefore, it is only after the fact. Because even without a test, she will know she is pregnant as her tummy starts to grow. But what if a woman misses her monthly cycle but has never had sex, typically among nuns? Would a nun or virgin still submit to a pregnancy test? And what about lactating mothers who notice a lump in their breasts? Would they ever think of a breast disease, thinking that the lump is just milk?

Of course, pregnancy is different from breast cancer because the former is acceptable while the latter is not. Most, if not all women want to get pregnant but no women would want to get breast cancer. A woman can wait and see if she is pregnant but every woman would not want to wait and see if she has breast cancer. Doctors are then just waiting for all women to come to them when they already have breast cancer - and this is called “early detection?” Pregnancy tests are very safe and reliable while mammography is not safe and not reliable. Why else is a biopsy done after a mammogram?

Mammography is NOT early detection! Having annual mammograms is just waiting to be told one day that a malignancy is now detected, despite many years of undergoing mammography that showed benign results. Mammography has a margin of error of 20% for women 50 years & above and 40% for women below age 50 (false positive and false negative).  Mammograms have caused much over-diagnosis and over-treatment, especially in cases of DCIS (Ductal Carcinoma In Situ) because it is non-invasive. Somewhere between 30-50% of DCIS will go on to become invasive but 50-70% could safely ignore it and never have a problem. The dilemma is that there is no current technology to determine whether a woman’s DCIS will become aggressive or not. Because of this uncertainty, women are over-treated with surgery, chemo and radiation – simply waiting whether it will become malignant or not. Although DCIS is pre-cancer, the diagnosis brings much fear, bewilderment and difficult decisions for the woman and her family, most especially when understanding and knowledge of the disease process and non-invasive/non-toxic options are absent.

This October, the PBCN urges women and men to join us in removing the pink ribbon blindfold and ask “why are more and more women getting breast cancer?” Why has the incidence rate of breast cancer in the Philippines increased from 1 out of 32 in 1980 to 1 out of 13 today?  Why does our country have the highest incidence rate in Asia and the 10th highest worldwide? Why does government refuse to acknowledge the environmental and occupational risk factors for breast cancer when the evidence is already out there? The general public needs and deserves a full understanding of ALL potential risk factors for the disease that threatens ALL women – rich or poor, young or old, with or without child, learned or unlearned, Christian or Muslim, whatever ideology or political persuasion.

Government and media continue to focus on “lifestyle” risk factors such as diet and exercise, while ignoring the potential 60% of breast cancer cases for which they have no explanation. What about the role of chemical, environmental and occupational exposures? Why, when the WHO (World Health Organization) states that prevention (which is not the same as early detection) offers the most cost-effective long-term strategy for the control and decline of breast cancer in our country?

Why is primary prevention (stopping the disease before it starts) not given priority over treatment and care? Why are those with the power to influence decisions on public healthcare not acting on what we already know now? Why do they persist in refusing to acknowledge the role of environmental and occupational toxins by ignoring decades of evidence up to the present day on the link between lifelong (womb to grave) exposures to toxins and the escalating breast cancer epidemic in the Philippines?

Since 18 years ago when the PBCN was established, countless women from all over the country (as well as OFW’s worldwide) have taken contact by email, phone call and SMS for varying reasons: from asking what to do and asking for financial aid. All inquiries were promptly replied to: 24 hrs daily, 7 days a week and 12 months a year for the past 18 years. All were given information to arrive at fully informed decisions. But what the PBCN does, barely touches the surface. Not all women have internet nor a cell phone, and neither can the PBCN exist forever.

The PBCN addresses women with breast cancer, women not yet with breast cancer and women still to be born.  Though the first is most immediate, the last is what really matters. Ask any candidate in the forthcoming elections their stand on breast cancer and let us elect whoever will make our country free of breast cancer!  Whoever gets elected President or Senator has to firmly act and not continue the deafening silence of government on this grave public health epidemic. 

Sailing the unknown sea of breast cancer

From January to September this year, a total of 25 client-patients (68% below age 50) were mentored by the PBCN. The youngest was 22 and the oldest was 85. They all underwent an intensive period of detoxification and nutritional healing fortified by an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the environmental causes of breast cancer.

Ages 20-29      2                      Ages 50-59      3

         30-39      6                               60-69      3

         40-49      9                               70 & up  2

                      17                                               8

       

Prior to their individual protocol, 15 had been medically diagnosed positive with malignancy while 10 only had abnormal thermal breast imaging.  The PBCN maintains that having inflammations as shown from an abnormal heat pattern is enough reason for early intervention to be able to correct and reverse the condition without invasive and toxic measures. With conventional textbook medical practice, a positive malignancy must be determined thru a biopsy before treatment is done – surgery, chemo and radiation. 

It must be understood that it takes 5-10 years before the first symptoms of breast cancer are manifested. This is a primary reason why mammography has a very high margin of error of 20% to 40% false negative and false positive. In fact, any mammogram result needs to be confirmed with a biopsy. Worst of all, even women with physical manifestations such as engorged breasts, large lumps or nipple discharge are still subjected to mammography when it is clinically clear that breast cancer can already be assumed. History taking even without any diagnostic procedure can further validate physical examination.

  

These particular cases were prevented from undergoing unnecessary surgical procedures:

A 29 y/o was spared from aggressive medical procedures in Singapore.

Biopsy of right lump of a77 y/o was avoided because her left side was more abnormal.

A 66 y/o was prevented from a mastectomy in a tertiary government hospital.

Of the 15 who had been medically diagnosed and or treated prior to contacting the PBCN, none had any understanding at all of breast cancer and all regretted having submitted to invasive and toxic treatments which made matter worse for them and their families. All lymph nodes removed from 3 cases were negative for malignancies while only 9 out of 61 lymph nodes (15%) removed from 5 cases were positive. Their lymphatic systems have now become impaired by the loss of so many clear lymph nodes.  By having been mentored by the PBCN, four were spared from surgery and chemo while seven did not anymore undergo chemo. The three who submitted to surgery and chemo sought the PBCN as a last resort because they already had recurrence and/or metastasis.

Mammogram and or biopsy only---4

Up to Surgery only--------------------8

Surgery and Chemo-------------------3    

The following cases where spared from the debilitating effects of chemo and huge expenses.

After fully completing the PBCN's protocol, 66 year old Luz was so happy that her repeat thermal imaging after just two months showed a vast improvement of her very severe inflammations after her mastectomy. Furthermore, she has not been taking any of her previously prescribed maintenance medications for her scoliosis and hypertension feels great. She and her entire family are now more than ever fully decided not to undergo chemotherapy and continue all they have learned from the PBCN.

A 44 y/o  OFW nurse methodically cut-up in Dubai for a non-life threatening case of DCIS.

An 85 y/o case who has continued not to submit to chemo since her mastectomy in 2008.

No two cases of breast cancer are the same and this is why one should not be made to routinely undergo and submit to medical textbook procedures and treatments. Harm will always be known after the fact whereas utmost precaution reduces probability of harm and complications. To err on the side of caution is always of paramount benefit to a woman's welfare and well being.

Seventeen years of dealing with breast cancer have brought about the following healing perspective.

1. Empowerment of the individual – character, attitude, purpose and spirituality are qualities which strengthen her will and determination to scale the heights of healing and wellness. She must strive to maintain peace and happiness within herself all throughout her journey.  And only by knowing and understanding the environmental causes and risk factors of breast cancer can she learn how to live with the disease.

2. Support of the individual – Family and friends are crucial in lifting up her spirit and cheer her up as she runs the marathon of her life. Though she will seek the opinion of others, she alone must decide the road to take and whatever her decision, for as long as she is fully informed, must be respected and supported. Having her follow whoever provides financial help is NOT support but pressure or even coercion.  This can be also said of health insurance which automatically decides her treatment in the guise of care and support for its clients.

3. Safe Environment – An empowered individual with all the full support around her will be nothing if she works or resides in an environment that caused her cancer or that will expose her to more  carcinogens.  In confronting breast cancer, so many hard decisions have to be made.  She may have to resign from her job, change occupation or even transfer residence.  She needs to act decisively on the external condition in her daily life to reduce, if not eliminate identified environmental factors that can cause or aggravate her condition.

4. Resources – Expenses cannot be avoided but it is totally untrue and incorrect to think that having so much money and resources can buy a cure.  Nowhere in the entire world can a cure for breast cancer be found or bought, no matter how much money one has. There are only a wide array of treatments and protocols (both conventional and alternative) that have positive and negative results.  Breast cancer would not be a controversy if there truly is a cure.

In mainstream conventional practice,  the order above is reversed where resources is #1 and the individual is last. The more money one has, the more treatments are offered while the patient is given only minimal participation because of absence of full information. She would always be asked if she would prefer this or that, but how would she ever know?

In coping with breast cancer, it is the individual who is the ultimate and final player. And this is why the PBCN was started 17 years ago and continues to exist – to mentor breast cancer warriors.