The dangerous threat of cancer over-diagnosis

Cancer is one of the most terrifying health epidemics worldwide. But there’s another epidemic that’s just as scary… cancer over-diagnosis.

Aggressive cancer screening is designed to catch cancer early and save lives. But instead, it’s detecting minor abnormalities that are unlikely to ever cause symptoms. These abnormalities won’t develop into full-blown cancer or lead to death. The body will most likely resolve them on its own.

But people are receiving a cancer diagnosis and undergoing dangerous treatments for these abnormalities anyway. They’re having body parts surgically removed and putting themselves through the torment of radiation and chemo…. when it isn’t necessary.

Take breast cancer, for example…

In 2012, a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine examined over 30 years of data on breast cancer screening and diagnosis. And the study’s conclusion was shocking…

Over a 30-year period, 1.3 million U.S. women were diagnosed with early stage breast cancer even though it’s unlikely their tumor ever would’ve resulted in any symptoms or harm. That means over one third of American women newly diagnosed with breast cancer are being overdiagnosed.

And on top of all that, researchers found that breast cancer screening isn’t doing much to reduce the number of deaths from breast cancer anyway.

It’s no secret either, that, in high enough exposures, ionizing radiation can damage your cells and DNA in a way that can contribute to cancer. But researchers recently found that those unnecessary tests may  also boost your Alzheimer’s risk too.

And now it’s happening with thyroid cancer too…

A recent report published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that 90 percent of thyroid cancer diagnoses in the world’s 12 wealthiest nations are textbook cases of over-diagnosis. That means these tumors were “very unlikely” to cause symptoms at all… and even less likely to cause death.

In the U.S., the number’s a bit lower, but still shockingly high — 70 to 80 percent of American thyroid cancer cases are over-diagnosed.

And the stakes are high for people who unnecessarily receive a thyroid cancer diagnosis. They usually have part or their whole thyroid removed, which can cause chronic pain. They also have to undergo hormone therapy for the rest of their life.

So how can you protect yourself from becoming another victim of the cancer over-diagnosis epidemic?

Be a critical thinker when it comes to cancer screening. Do your research. And always ask for a second opinion. Prostate cancer is a perfect example where some in the medical community are realizing that taking a “watchful waiting” approach may be best in some situations.

But, most importantly, devote yourself to cancer prevention by:

• Eating cancer-fighting foods like leafy green vegetables, berries, turmeric, garlic, broccoli, onions, tomatoes, green tea, grapes, fiber-rich whole grains and beans.
• Getting least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity per week.
• Maintaining a healthy body weight
• Not smoking or drinking alcohol

Editor’s note: Natural cancer remedies and preventatives exist in nature. But the sad truth is, conventional medicine would prefer you never learn of them. Dr. Michael Cutler reveals how to escape their outdated and useless treatments and drugs — and lists dozens of the best vitamins, supplements and alternative methods to help you avoid cancer in his comprehensive guide, Surviving Cancer! To get your copy today — plus 3 FREE reports — click here!

Sources:

1. Bleyer, H. Gilbert Welch, “Effect of Three Decades of Screening Mammography on Breast-Cancer Incidence.” New England Journal of Medicine 2012; 367:1998-2005.

2. Vaccarella, S. Franceschi, F. Bray, C.P. Wild “Worldwide Thyroid-Cancer Epidemic? The Increasing Impact of Overdiagnosis.” New England Journal of Medicine 2016; 375:614-617.

3. “Cancer prevention: 7 tips to reduce your risk.” The Mayo Clinic. http://www.mayoclinic.org. Retrieved August 19, 2016.