The recent media coverage of actress Angelina Jolie’s decision to have prophylactic bilateral mastectomy has catapulted breast cancer into the spotlight.
Millions of women the world over are asking the obvious questions. What would I do? Is there anything else I could do if this were me?
BRCA1 and BRCA2 are cancer suppressor genes but if they become mutated, the protective benefit these genes offer is lost! In normal cells, BRCA1 and BRCA2 help ensure DNA stability, thereby preventing uncontrolled cell growth.
A woman who has inherited a harmful mutation in BRCA1 or BRCA2 is about five times more likely to develop breast cancer than a woman who has not. It has been estimated that inherited BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations account for 5 to 10%of breast cancers
There are clinical opportunities to reduce the risk of DNA mutation.
Intergrative medicine practitioners have great skill at upregulating genes so the negative effects do not manifest.
Dietary and lifestyle support makes a big difference to genes and overall health. Eating organic food and a large amount of green leafy vegetables, turmeric, onions and garlic has a positive effect; as well as eliminating caffeine, alchohol and sugar from the diet. Walking for half an hour a day or doing other exercise oxygenates the blood, improves circulation and stimulates the lymph.
There are products that are nutrigenomic in other words they have a positive effect on stopping these genes manifest for example sulphurophane from broccoli sprouts. However the quality of different brands can vary considerably so it is important to get advice from a qualified health practitioner who understands genetics
Ref: http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/BRCA/print
