Author: Lynda Witt

As you know, October is known as Breast Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM).  People walk for the cure, race for the cure, jump for the cure, shop for the cure, and hike for the cure and yet nothing changes.

Current estimates suggest that 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime.  With all the focus on “Breast Cancer Awareness,” we’d have to ask, is anything really changing?  Has raising awareness caused a drop in breast cancer rates?  Sadly, no.

Thank you.  We are aware.  Now what?  
 
We believe that the conversation needs to switch to one of prevention.  What are the risk factors for developing breast cancer and what modalities can you employ to reduce your risk?

Risk Factors of Breast Cancer

1. Estrogen

The biggest risk factor for breast cancer is estrogen dominance.  A woman can become estrogen dominant through different mechanisms. 

• Absolute dominance:  Too much estrogen in the body or an inability to eliminate/metabolize estrogen
• Relative dominance:  Inadequate progesterone to offset (counterbalance) the existing estrogen

Question:  Can a woman of ANY age who is NOT on any hormone replacement therapy become estrogen dominant?

Answer:  Yes.  Absolutely. 
The truth is, our environment is laden with foreign chemicals that mimic the action of estrogens, contributing to an estrogen dominant scenario.  Many endocrine disruptors exist in our world and many of them lead to hormonal imbalances which can cause estrogen dominance.

2. Poor estrogen metabolism and/or poor elimination

All estrogens are metabolized through the liver.  The end-products of estrogen metabolism can be protective (2-hydroxy estrogens) or detrimental (16α-hydroxy estrogens).  Your ratio of healthy to unhealthy estrogens can be measured through a urine test as directed by your physician.  You can modify the ratio through diet, supplementation, and optimizing Vitamin D levels.

List of Endocrine Disruptors

As we begin another year we look forward to seeing our returning annual clients as well as grow our business with new referrals.
Here are two interesting case studies that we want to share with you:

What can be said about the images above?

• Nothing seems significant or abnormal in these images
• The hands are very cool and this is a unique finding
• The images can possibly indicate autonomic dysfunction

In arms and legs there should be a temperature gradient from proximal to distal of 4˚C.  That means that the upper part of the arm or leg should be warmer (by 4˚C) than the hands and feet.  When there is a loss of this temperature gradient, this is an indication of autonomic dysfunction.  

Autonomic dysfunction is an umbrella term for various conditions in which the autonomic nervous system (ANS) does not work correctly.

The images above show an obvious reversal of the expected proximal to distal change in temperature of warmer to cooler.  

Sometimes, this could indicate auto-immune dysfunction and a diagnosis of an autoimmune-issue.  Understand that this is not a diagnostic test but rather gives us an indication of possible future problem that needs to be addressed. 

Which image below is an indication of fibrocystic breasts?  Why?

Image B is a typical example of fibrocystic breasts.  Fibrocystic breasts are, in general, an inflammatory state of chaos.  Both breast images above show evidence of inflammation so why is image B the correct answer?

Under healthy, ideal situations, thermal patterns are symmetrical in appearance.  Our brain and spinal cord push heat to the surface in an equal distribution under an optimal state-of-health.  Notice the unequal patterns of heat in the left breast compared to the right in image B as opposed to the more equal distribution of heat in both breasts in image A.  Thermal asymmetry is an indication for concern and reversing unhealthy thermal patterns is definitely the desirable goal.  We encourage you to work with your practitioner in achieving optimal health.

So why is there heat in both breasts in image A?  Can you figure this out?

Hint:  In what time of a woman’s life might there be increased blood flow to both breasts?  

Pregnancy!  This woman was pregnant at the time of her thermogram.  Although we can image breasts during pregnancy without concern for harm to mother or developing baby, it would be impossible to determine if there were any changes in her previously established thermal patterns during this phase of her life.  

DITI is not a cancer screening tool, either, as some would believe.  Thermography is used in the following four basic areas:

• Risk Assessment
• Detection (but not as a stand – alone technology)
• Prevention / Early Intervention
• Monitoring Effects of Treatment

The best possible use of thermal imaging is first to determine stable physiology and then watch for changes over time that could alert us to early formation of disease or to let us know of high levels of inflammation, hormonal imbalances, dental pathologies, etc.  

Therefore, annual screening is the optimal time frame in ascertaining personal variants and reducing the chance of false-negative thermal findings.  False-negative thermal findings may occur when the study interval is more than one year as the human body may have accommodated or encapsulated cancer cells and in that case, the developed cancer has become thermographically ‘silent.”

My sister, Lynda, and I are Level III Certified Clinical Thermographers, certified and trained by the ACCT, American College of Clinical Thermology.  We are grateful to be part of this wellness industry and strive to grow our individual businesses with integrity. We have several people working with us as employees or advocates of thermography and we work to ensure that they are properly trained when sharing the benefits of DITI.

We challenge ourselves, our employees and advocates to convey accurate and reliable information regarding what thermography can detect and how it is best utilized as a tool for monitoring breast health.  Our clients understand its effectiveness as a screening tool for determining RISK FACTORS for future disease and its use as an early detection of developing disease, both within the breast region and throughout the body.

Although we feel we’ve covered this topic repeatedly, we’d like to review again the appropriate use of thermography in breast health.  We have broken this particular topic into Part 1 and Part 2 to keep this brief, yet concise.

Understand thermography cannot (and is NOT designed) to “see” structures but rather, blood flow/temperatures related to the health of the breasts.  It is in this fashion that thermography can detect the development of later biopsy-proven breast cancer potentially at a very early stage.

At your appointment, we also discuss the requirement to establish a stable baseline to which all annual studies are compared against.  Any changes in that stable baseline indicates the early development of disease and for those with a mindset of prevention, it’s best to reverse this back to the previously-established, stable baseline.  This is how thermography is best-utilized as a tool for PREVENTING future disease. 

So why does thermography sometimes not identify all breast tumors?
What is the physiological basis for a thermographically “missed” tumor?”

1. Lack of activity.
   In order to understand how a tumor could “hide” thermographically, understand that our cameras can only measure skin surface temperatures related to blood flow.  If a tumor is no longer active and there is no blood flow feeding the tumor, we cannot tell the difference between the temperature of the tumor and the surrounding tissue.  Thermographically, this would be (generally) one temperature and therefore, “missed” during thermographic interpretation.
2. Dormancy.
   Another possible reason for a “missed” finding is that a tumor may become dormant.  Perhaps the immune system has encapsulated the tumor; walled off the tumor from the rest of the body and has contained it.  When you think about it, this is one major role of the immune system.  In this scenario, the immune system is protecting the body from the invading tumor but thermographically it is not seen due to the lack of activity (blood flow) of the tumor.
3. Non-vascular.
   In some cases, some rare cancers may not be vascularized or may be non-inflammatory in nature.  That would mean that there is not a sympathetic component (vasodilatation and vasoconstriction) connected to the activity of the tumor and this would be “missed” as well.

While some may think thermography “failed” they may want to consider whether they truly understand the proper use of this technology.  We utilize DITI (Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging) to watch for changes over time and it is not to be used to find cancer.  Certainly we come across changes that eventually lead to a diagnosis of cancer, but ultimately, DITI is not a cancer detection tool. 

DITI is used by women (and men) who have shifted their paradigm from one of “detection of disease” to one of “prevention of disease.”  Annual breast thermograms monitor for a change allowing early interventions to help shift you back to your stable baseline.  This is the best use of Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging.

Earlier detection may lead to earlier diagnosis and possibly more treatment options, but ideally, it would be best to optimize breast health and prevent the advancement of disease.

In prevention,

Brenda and Lynda Witt

Understanding Breast DITI – Part 2

What priority do you place on your health? Many of our clients, perhaps all, are aware of the things that help us achieve optimal health. Handfuls of supplements, organic diet, meditation, acupuncture, chiropractic care are all utilized to aid in health. Other tools may include chelation therapy, whole-body cleanses, vitamin drips, or glutathione infusions. Ultimately, all of these choices come down to aid in detoxification and limiting the effects of inflammation. Our own innate anti-oxidant system is our glutathione system.

Despite your best efforts (and your hard-earned money), you may not be able to achieve optimal detoxification. All the money you spend on your health and all your best efforts might not be benefitting you as much as you think. Why? You might have a genetic mutation on your MethyleneTetraHydroFolate Reductase enzyme. MTHFR.

There are two key mutations (variants) that are tested for in the MTHFR gene:
MTHFR C677T
MTHFR A1298C

Key definitions:
Heterozygous = 1 copy of the gene from either parent
Homozygous = 1 copy of the gene from each parent

Below is a summary of the frequency of a MTHFR mutation in a mixed population and the effect of the mutation on methylation capacity:

Incidentally, if you are heterozygous for both mutations, methylation capacity is reduced by 50% (frequency of mutation is unknown)

Every cell of our body (all 50 trillion of them!) works to optimize health by changing toxins into less toxic particles. As an example, one of the ways it does this is by adding methyl groups (CH3) to heavy metals, making them water soluble and we then excrete them through urination. Adding methyl groups to detoxify and protect us is called methylation and this is the goal of our body in how it wants to protect us and keep us healthy.

• Repairs and regenerates your cells, tissues and DNA
• Regulates gene expression and protein function
• Synthesizes neurotransmitters that influence mood, sleep, behavior, cognition, and memory
• Controls homocysteine; keeps inflammation in check
• Aids liver in processing fats
• Activates and modulates the immune system
• Modifies toxins and heavy metals

When we eat foods that contain folic acid (vitamin B9), MTHR converts it to methyl-folate. Methyl folate is the key player in the methylation pathway. A defective MTHFR enzyme may cause you to produce 20-70% less methyl folate than others. Lower methylation puts you at risk for developing certain diseases.

Methylation can be optimized but first, find out if you have a MTHFR mutation. Below is a list of resources and tests you can use to determine methylation defects that you may have:

• http://www.dramyyasko.com/about-us/
• https://www.23andme.com/
• http://doccarnahan.blogspot.com/2013/05/mthfr-gene-mutation-whats-big-deal.html

However, before you spend money on any test, make sure you know what it will cost to understand the results and know what to do about it. Your physician is your best resource and consulting her/him is important. 

Again, your practitioner will be your best and most-trusted resource. But you can supplement with methyl folate and methylated B12 to help your detoxification pathway. It’s important to know what type of mutation you have and then what to do about it.

An established client came in for her full body scan and had been diagnosed with the MTHFR A1298C mutation and started on the supplements specific to her condition. She was concerned that she would have lots of inflammation due to this new diagnosis.
This client noted the following since starting on her new supplement regime she has been on for about 2 years:

• Decrease in bilateral breast tenderness
• Able to eat most anything without experiencing flu-like symptoms for several days afterwards / improved digestion
• Significantly decreased sinus congestion and allergies
• Overall feeling of well-being

Below are her images of breast and abdomen. (Due to significant allergy symptoms, client was unable to have her 2015 imaging, so there is a break in the continuity of imaging.)

2014	2016	Breast images
2014	2016	Abdominal images

Realize, thermography cannot diagnose any condition, but often improvement in the ability to detoxify the body can be seen in comparative scans with reduction in inflammation.

We spend lots of money and time working to optimize health. With thermal imaging, we watch for changes over time as an early indication of changes in health. Both Lynda and I have noticed an increase in the number of our clients, both established and new, that come into our clinics with a diagnosis of MTHFR mutation. Many of these clients are finally finding answers to their struggles and we encourage all of our clients to explore this avenue for themselves.

The methylation cycle is complex and this newsletter is not meant to give a complete understanding of its importance. MTHFR mutations effect your detoxification system as well as neurotransmitter production. We may discuss this further in a future newsletter and share our experience with our own familial MTHFR mutation in one of our family member. Please let us know what you think and as always, share this information with your loved ones.

Yours in health,

Brenda and Lynda Witt

P.S. For those interested, Brenda is heterozygous for C677T mutation; no A1298C mutation.