Breast cancer – Is there any Good News?

Hi everyone, it’s Jim here. Yes, I am a 76-year-old man (the daddy at Essence of Egypt) writing about breast cancer. Why is this, you make ask? Well, the simple facts are that there are far too many women over the years (friends, colleagues and relatives) that I have known, who have sadly succumbed to the disease. Some have died, but others, despite the odds have survived.

You may know that in 2021 I was diagnosed with stage 4, terminal, metastatic prostate cancer. The diagnosis was dire. But I decided that I wanted to live, and here I am today, healthy and symptom free. I don’t call myself a survivor because that means that you have been in a war. Rather I say that “I have healed,” owing to the fact that in January 2024 my oncologist called to say that the extensive tumours that I had in both lungs had disappeared; and there was no new cancer in my body. I tried to explain to the oncologist how I have managed this , but the minute I mentioned integrated medicine (where the focus is on health and healing), her ears were shut. “I can’t speak about this at all,”she said.” However, I continue to tell my story to give hope to anyone suffering as I was, no matter the cancer type.

There is a sadness in this for the reason that big-pharma (the pharmaceutical companies) in the UK, apparently rule the roost. Integrated medicine is something they do not want to hear about, yet in the US, it’s an entirely different story where ND’s, naturopathic doctors have as much rigorous training as MD’s, medical doctors. But here, “take a pill” is what our doctors are taught. And if that doesn’t work, “take another one,” seems to be the order of play. The spend on pills in 2023 in the UK was the enormous £36.7billion. What’s of more concern is the fact that it’s the pharmaceutical companies who seemingly have a finger in the pie, as reported in some articles I have read, such as the following from the respected BMJ.

This article in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) entitled “Medical textbook authors received £11m in undisclosed payments from drug and device makers,” is a worry.  It goes on to say, “Medical textbooks widely used by students and young doctors are riddled with undeclared conflicts of interest, a study has found.” The question that this leaves, is what undue influence does big-pharma have on all of us. Shouldn’t we all be raising a concern with our politicians?

As for me, I suffered with far too many side-effects with the cancer medicines that were prescribed. I was breathless and being a fit person throughout my life, this was a concern that the workings of my healthy heart had been interfered with. I made the somewhat brave decision in September 2023 to stop taking the medicine. My oncologist was aghast. But since then, my breathlessness has disappeared. Don’t get me wrong, I am not a for a minute suggesting that anyone who reads these words should do likewise. I made a personal decision without discussing it with my GP. There was no other influencer.

However, there was a worry for me when I read about gynecomastia, the potential enlargement of a man’s breasts, usually due to hormone therapy (which was part of what I was prescribed). What made it worse, was the fact that I read about men who were undergoing the same treatment as me and actually had developed it.“Real men wear pink” was a strange thought that came into my head. But, “Jim’s got big breasts” or even “male boobs,” the last thing I was wanting to hear as a comment. Don’t get me wrong, I would be happy to wear the breast cancer awareness ribbon, but breast growth I would be happy without.

It is unfortunate that the incidence of breast cancer in women increases with age. The median age of women at the time of breast cancer diagnosis is 61 years, but with early detection and significant advances in treatment, breast cancer death rates have decreased over the past 25 years in North America and parts of Europe.

But rather than doom and gloom, can I refer you to a lovely man Chris Wark. It’s twenty years since Chris was diagnosed with bowel cancer and it’s on his website, and in his blog’s you can read all sorts of cancer survivors such as Heidi Sorenson, 27-year holistic breast cancer thriver on juicing, raw food and forgiveness. I was leased to listen to her story because the methods that she used are what I did too. Only problem was that I had no support here in the UK. However, I was so thankful to find integrated medicine in the US. By embracing it, I saved my own life.

You can read about me, and what I did to about six weeks before the call from my oncologist, in my book Prostate Cancer So What! And as a thanks for you reading this news-letter I will post you a copy of my book for, Just £10. I will pay the postage cost. Just get in touch by calling me on 0800 099 6065. And of course, read up on all the blogs on Chris Wark’s wonderful website. There is so much for all of us (even me) to learn on it.

And as for the next newsletter, it’s going to be about the skin and health benefits of juicing.

Last but not least

At Essence of Egypt we have made a moisturiser especially for women undergoing radiotherapy, or women who prefer a fragrance-free moisturiser. Its known as Just Moisturiser.