female concerns
Overdiagnosis of breast cancer may be higher
than previously thought.
National programmes of mammographic screening can lead to one in three breast
cancers being overdiagnosed. Zahl and colleagues (p 921) report that the incidence
of breast cancer among women 50-69 years of age increased by 50% when Norway
and Sweden introduced mammographic screening. They also found no compensating
fall in incidence over age 69, when women are no longer invited for screening.
In the absence of screening, the authors say, one of three women in the 50-69
age group who were diagnosed with invasive breast cancer would not have been
diagnosed as having breast cancer in her lifetime. The authors conclude that
women cannot make an informed choice on screening unless the level of overdiagnosis
is properly explained to them.
http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/328/7445/0-b?etoc
Successful Pregnancy Following Diagnosis
of Infertility And Miscarriage:
A Chiropractic Case Report
This case report of a woman with a history of infertility and miscarriage contributes
to the growing body of literature on the response to chiropractic care among
infertile women. The article discusses the impact of stress on a woman's nervous
system, and the possible associated changes in reproductive health. Further
research is called for to evaluate the safety, cost, and effectiveness of chiropractic
care in women's health.
http://www.jvsr.com/access/abstracts.asp?catalogid=186
Preeclampsia problems during pregnancy
The following article shows a significant
relationship of the increased incidence of preclampsia in pregnant working
women. Pregnancy is a time where the body systems are already
taxed and the additional stresses of working appear to have
an added toll on the mother's well-being. It would be very
interesting to see this same study done with a group of women
under chiropractic care. Peer reviewed journals have reported
the relationship between the correction of spinal misalignment
and lowering blood pressure. (References Below)
"Pregnant women
who work are more than five times more likely than women who
do not work to develop preeclampsia, a pregnancy complication
marked by high blood pressure, swelling in the legs and other
symptoms.
The complication affects as many as 1 in 10 first
pregnancies. If left untreated, preeclampsia can develop into
eclampsia, a life-threatening condition in which a woman has
convulsive seizures in late pregnancy or during the first week
after delivery. The study was performed at a large maternity
hospital in Dublin, Ireland."
http://jech.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/abstract/56/5/389
Based on this study, it is essential that working women make lifestyle choices
to counteract the potential overload of working during pregnancy. According
to the studies listed below, chiropractic care provides a means to establish
normal blood pressure. Just another reason for the importance of chiropractic
care in pregnancy
References relating correction of spinal misalignment to lowering blood pressure:
http://www.icpa4kids.org/research/blood.htm
Some of the abstracts:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=3075649&dopt=Abstract
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=3171413&dopt=Abstract
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=7797430&dopt=Abstract
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=8263434&dopt=Abstract
FDA Insists Estrogen Products are Hazardous
The Food and Drug Administration has announced that manufacturers of drugs
that contain either oestrogen alone or both oestrogen and progestogen together
for the treatment of symptoms associated with menopause must include a new
warning on the labels. The warning must state that the drugs may increase the
risk of heart attacks, strokes, blood clots, and breast cancer.
FDA
insists oestrogen products for menopause carry a warning Brit
Med Journal 2003 (Jan 18); 326 (7381): 126
Soy Isoflavones for Women's Health
In April and May (of 1998), newspaper headlines were buzzing with news of the
latest cancer prevention pills. Two prescription drugs, tamoxifen and raloxifene,
were found to reduce the risk of breast cancer. There were drawbacks to the
pharmaceuticals, however, as there usually are: Tamoxifen increased the risk
of endometrial cancer and pulmonary embolism (blood clots in the lungs), and
raloxifene users were more likely to suffer from hot flashes and leg cramps.
Is there a safe and effective alternative for reducing the risk of breast cancer?
According to a rapidly growing body of evidence, it may be eating soy foods,
which are rich in the phytoestrogen isoflavone. Phytoestrogens are estrogenlike
compounds found in plants; they have slight hormonal (and sometimes hormone-blocking)
properties without being true steroid hormones. Eaten for more than 5,000 years
in Asia, soy appears to reduce the risk of breast and other reproductive-organ
cancers--and doesn't have the unwanted side effects or risks of drugs.
JACK CHALLEM Soy
Isoflavones for Women's Health: Is Soy a Viable Alternative to Traditional
Estrogen Hormone Replacement? Nutrition Science News 1998
Mammography
Women
need better information about routine mammography Scientists
continue to argue about the benefits of breast screening,
but ultimately decisions about screening should be made
by women themselves. To make this decision, however, women
need to fully understand both the benefits and the potential
harms. BMJ 2003;327:101-103 (12 July)
The relationship of pesticides to breast cancer
This abstract reports histology exams which reveal higher concentrations of
pesticides found in fat samples from women with cancer, as compared with those
who had benign breast disease.
Pesticides
and polychlorinated biphenyl residues in human breast lipids and their relation
to breast cancer Arch Environ Health 1992 (Mar); 47
(2): 143-146
Other Resources
Women's Health Articles
@ Chiro.Org
The Menopause
Relief Page
The Soy Protein
Page
The Nutrition Section