Musings, Part III: May the force be with you

May the force be with you!

Here are the comments of two medical doctors whom I met by chance: “Diet does not affect cancer incidence”, and “I am not excited about [cancer] prevention”. 

Here is my interpretation for you: do not have high hopes that your doctor would help you prevent any disease through lifestyle changes. The doctor would push the pills and treatment procedures, and many of us would be more than glad to accept these, as discussed in Musings, Part II.

Another bad news is that a meaningful prevention initiative from the government is not to be expected, because this is a government assembled by politicians lobbied by big pharma and the food industry.
 

WE ARE BIPEDALS!

The only glimmer of hope to change the status quo is to convince the consumers not to buy the food that makes them sick, and reject the infrastructure that negates their ability of "bipedals". For this to happen, we should all take action.

Here are three stories that teach us how to take action:

Story #1
This is the story of Bernard Fisher, M.D. Before the research of Fisher, breast cancer was “dealt with” by performing the Halsted radical mastectomy. Through this procedure, the women’s torsos were "excavated" and a massive amount of tissue was removed. The barbarian procedure was based upon the hypothesis of Halsted that breast cancer diffused like a dye through the surrounding tissues. Therefore, removal of the breast, underlying chest muscle, and surrounding lymph nodes was to be performed to improve survival. 

The radical mastectomy dominated the operating rooms for 75 years. Fisher proposed clinical studies that led to a more effective and merciful treatment of the female body. In fact, survival rates increased and the quality of patient life improved. Fisher proposed (against everyone in his field) that breast cancer is a systemic disease (that is, spreading through blood and lymph), in which malignant cells could spread throughout the body even before diagnosis. Therefore, a radical mastectomy could not improve survival in a dramatic manner. Fisher reasoned that lumpectomy, a removal of the tumor and a small portion of the surrounding tissue, should be sufficient in most of cases. Bulldozed reputation and sabotaged career, this is what Fisher went through in his quest to the truth. Remember that for Fisher, the truth was worth losing everything else.

 
Story #2

This is the story of Rose Kushner, an American journalist, a breast cancer patient, and a fierce advocate for breast cancer patients. Orphaned at age of 10, Rose wanted to become a physician, but the family was unable to support her ambition. As a result, Rose became a journalist. 

She also became a breast cancer patient at the time of radical mastectomy and one-step surgery. Here is a brief deviation to explain the "one-step procedure": back then, if the woman had a tumor, she had to undergo anesthesia in the operating room, and have a biopsy. If the malignant pathology was confirmed, the patient, still under anesthesia, was subjected to a radical mastectomy. In her journey to eliminate this practice, Rose Kushner became a vehement advocate for women to be able to choose lumpectomy, rather than the mandated radical mastectomy. Rose wrote a book about the cause, she also started a telephone hotline for women in need. Her efforts were bitterly criticized by doctors and the American Cancer Society! 

Rose however, was unstoppable, she stormed into medical meetings, interrupted and questioned the presenters, and spoke against the status quo. Witnesses claim that medical doctors were quivering in the presence of the petite lady. At the time of her death, it was acknowledged that Rose was "probably the single most important person" in ending the practice of radical mastectomy and one-step surgery for breast cancer in the U.S. Remember that just one layman person, a petite lady like Rose Kushner, can create a storm.



Story #3 

This story comes from a Chicago public high school, where the students started to boycott the school lunch. Why? “The hamburger meat is raw, the chicken patties taste like fish and the fruit cups are frozen. And the pizza? They should use ... real cheese", according to this report. The school-wide cafeteria boycott was a part of the "The School Lunch Project: Culinary Denial", developed as a civics class lesson. 

The students even created their own website featuring the current menu, and what they would like to have in the cafeteria - real, fresh, and healthy food. Remember, these students are younger than most of us, and yet, they have the courage to speak out and act. To me, these young people are stealth heroes worth following.

 Actionable

• Learn the facts: most cases of chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular problems are preventable.
• Simple changes in our lifestyle and diet will allow us to gain years of freedom. 
• It is up to all of us to bring a positive change. May the force be with us!  
• Be the change you want to see in the world.