Cancer treatment

There is only one drug in the world so well known that it’s called “the Pill.” For more than forty years, more people have taken “the Pill” than any other prescribed medicine in the world.

Sex, pregnancy, and contraception have been hot topics for millennia. It wasn’t until the U.S. government approved the birth control pill in 1960 that possibilities for contraception changed dramatically. The majority of women — and plenty of men — welcomed “the Pill”.

The birth control pill was the first medication ever designed for purely social, rather than therapeutic purposes. At the height of the drugs popularity, U.S. Senate hearings focused the nations attention on potentially deadly health risks posed by the high-dose Pill. As a result of the hearings, pharmaceutical companies lowered the dosages and doctors advised women who were obese, smoked, had high blood pressure or a family history of blood clots against taking the Pill.

In the 1980s, the high dosage 10-milligram pill was removed from the market and biphasic and triphasic oral contraceptives were introduced. Today, women can get a prescription for a Pill containing 1 milligram of progestins, one tenth of the original dose, and containing as little as 20 micrograms of estrogen.

From the very beginning, a significant number of women complained of discomfort from the Pill and switched to other methods. When women wanted to discuss the side effects with their doctors, they often met with frustration. It was common for their complaints to be dismissed as exaggerated. In other cases their ailments were just considered the price that women had to pay in return for such an effective contraceptive. The problem was compounded by that fact that female patients were not always informed about the potential for strokes, heart attacks or blood clots while on the Pill. For the most part sharing “the Pills” risk has become a part of the information provided by health care practitioners who prescribe the Pill.

Today, the safety of the Pill is assumed. However, it is important to remember that the pill contains identical hormones to those found in Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). HRT has come under question because of the Women’s Health Initiative Study showing an increase in breast cancer and heart disease for those women who were on HRT.

In October 20, 2004 headlines read “Birth Control Pill Cuts Cancer, Heart Disease Risk: Study - A new study, yet to be published, suggests women who use oral contraceptives have lower risks of heart disease, stroke, and cancer.”

This study has now been denied as accurate by the WHI. “Analyses by the WHI have made it clear that the recent findings were not correct”

The low dose pill today although deemed to be safe has never undergone a large government-funded study similar to the WHI study on HRT. According to Dr. John R. Lee in his book What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Breast Cancer “women up to age 21 who use the Pill increase their lifetime risk of Breast Cancer by 600%. Caution when considering the use of Birth Control Pill should still be used.

This Article Is Copywright 2006 Jackie L. Harvey & Saliva Testing com

Many postmenopausal women are looking for alternatives to hormone therapy, especially in light of the recent Women’s Health Initiative research findings concerning the risks of combined estrogen and progestin therapy. Of particular interest are phytoestrogens, which have been gaining popularity due to their “natural” status, alleged health claims, and availability in a wide range of foods and supplements.

What are Phytoestrogens?

Phytoestrogens are naturally occurring plant compounds that have some similarities to estradiol, the most potent naturally occurring estrogen. However, phytoestrogens tend to have weaker effects than most estrogens, are not stored in the body, and can be easily broken down and eliminated.

Observational studies have found a lower prevalence of breast cancer, heart disease and hip fracture rates among people living in places like Southeast Asia, where diets are typically high in phytoestrogens. In North America, knowledge of these reported health effects has stimulated great interest in the health benefits of phytoestrogens. According to the Food and Drug Administration, the sale of soy foods, a major source of phytoestrogens, has increased dramatically in the past decade.

Dietary Sources of Phytoestrogens

Phytoestrogens consist of more than 20 compounds and can be found in more than 300 plants, such as herbs, grains and fruits. The three main classes of dietary phytoestrogens are isoflavones, lignans and coumestans:

• Isoflavones (genistein, daidzein, glycitein and equol) are primarily found in soy beans and soy products, chickpeas and other legumes.

• Lignans (enterolactone and enterodiol) are found in seeds (primarily flaxseed), cereal bran, legumes, and alcohol (beer and bourbon).

• Coumestans (coumestrol) can be found in alfalfa and clover. Most food sources containing these compounds typically include more than one class of phytoestrogens.

The Skeletal Effects of Phytoestrogens

Much of the evidence concerning the potential role of phytoestrogens in bone health is based on animal studies. In fact, soybean protein, soy isoflavones, genistein, daidzein and coumestrol have all been shown to have a protective effect on bone in animals who had their ovaries surgically removed.

In humans, however, the evidence is conflicting. Compared to Caucasian populations, documented hip fracture rates are lower in countries such as Hong Kong, China and Japan where dietary phytoestrogen intakes are high. Yet reports suggest that Japanese women have a greater risk of sustaining a vertebral fracture than Caucasian women.

Several studies have explored the effects of soy isoflavones on bone health, but results have been mixed, ranging from a modest impact to no effect. Most of these studies have serious limitations, including their short duration and small sample size, making it difficult to fully evaluate the impact of these compounds on bone health.

Ipriflavone Supplements

Ipriflavone, a synthetic isoflavone, has shown some promise in its ability to conserve bone in postmenopausal women. Ipriflavone has also been shown to have a protective effect on bone density in pre-menopausal women taking gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), a treatment for endometriosis that triggers bone loss.

However, a definitive three-year study of more than 400 postmenopausal women concluded that ipriflavone did not prevent bone loss. Additionally, the compound was linked to lymphocytopenia (a reduction in lymphocytes) in a significant number of study participants. Lymphocytes are a type of white blood cell that helps the body fight infection.

Risks and Benefits Are Unclear

Some studies suggest that, unlike estrogen, phytoestrogens do not appear to target breast or uterine tissue. This suggests that they may act more like SERMS (selective estrogen receptor modulators such as raloxifene and tamoxifen) than actual estrogens. However, in other studies high isoflavone levels have been linked to an increased risk of breast cancer.

Clearly, additional research is needed to further evaluate the effects of phytoestrogens before judgments regarding their safety and usefulness can be made.

Key Points

Based on information available at this time, it is reasonable to make the following conclusions concerning phytoestrogens and bone health in postmenopausal women:

• Moderate amounts of foods containing phytoestrogens can be safely included in the diet but do not expect it to help build bone. Keep to the basic rule – eat the least processed forms.

• Due to a lack of evidence and concerns about safety, supplementation with synthetic isoflavones (ipriflavone) is in question.

• Postmenopausal women are encouraged to view evidence concerning phytoestrogens and bone health as conflicting and incomplete. For women who are estrogen dominant increasing their phytoestrogen intake may not improve their bone position.

This Article Is Copywright 2006 Jackie L. Harvey & Saliva Testing com

Have you have chest X-Rays? Well they can lead to Breast Cancer, or rather they can greatly increase the risks they say. A recent report in the UK says the women who are genetically susceptible to breast cancer can greatly increase their risks by getting chest X-rays.

The report States the Following; A chest X-ray could increase the risk of getting breast cancer; More than 1 in 500 with the susceptible gene face a dramatic rise in threat; Women with the BRCA1 and 2 mutation should opt for MRI scans. At least one medical cancer professor states that although this study appears to have proper data showing this there are limitations to the study because those women who are more apt to be in the hospital for another reason might have other issues involved as well.

Nevertheless the study shows the tens of thousands of women have increased their chances for breast cancer thru chest X-rays in the past. There is more information here and in much greater detail than this article shows.

http://news.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=936332006

One research project prior the Lancet Oncology study shows the opposite for BRCA mutations and this does also cause a question to the study X-ray issues and further finds that mammograms appear to not have the problems like the X-rays do. Go do some research on this yourself if you feel that this issue concerns you. Consider this in 2006.

Taking every opportunity to distribute my marketing material for my new book, I stopped by a children’s clothing store one Sunday afternoon. Upon leaving the parking lot, my six year old son caught a glimpse of “those ribbons with two lines”. In my half-engaged attention, I acknowledged his observation that there were “more than three” on this one particular car. From his persistence to gain my feedback, I began to focus on our conversation. I informed him that I was not exactly clear of what he meant by the description of this two-lined ribbon. “You know…the red one…the boob problem…and the…”. Ground zero! I realized that he was speaking of the Awareness Ribbons that so emphatically adorn various vehicles these days. I started to chuckle at his innocence in remembering my recent 15-minute explanation of breast cancer as “the boob problem”. After we enjoyed the moment, I struck a more serious note to remember that the disease is far from funny and can leave heartache and devastation in its vicious path. In fact, according to Dr. Susan Love, breast cancer affects 110 women every day.

My first encounter as a Personal Trainer with a recovering breast cancer client came quite a few years ago and meeting her was quite an experience. If you have ever met a breast cancer victor you will notice that their eyes reflect a beautiful understanding of life. My encounter with my client came while I worked at a swim and racquet club. Even the way she approached me was filled with grace. Wanting to strengthen her body after the illness, she inquired about a weight training routine. She had a beaming, yet subtle smile with each simple question that she asked of me. To look at her would never disclose of her recent pain. Her hair was a typical short style of a middle-aged woman and her legs still presented the years of tennis that kept her fit. I was honored to take the position as her trainer and we worked together on a program toward rebuilding her body for not only the purpose of strength and endurance, but to attain a touch of inner peace as well.

Recovery from breast cancer is not so different a program than simply exercising to avoid such a catastrophic event in a woman’s life. If you have followed fitness for any amount of time, visited your doctor or taken a class in school, the informative path to righteous living is well paved with getting the blood flowing and the heart pounding. In turn, you increase your chances of avoiding disease (heart-related, cancer, diabetes). Likewise, if you have successfully battled the disease and yearn for a method of attack against it recurring or simply want to lessen the unpleasant after affects, the all-knowing finger will be pointing in the same direction…the local gym. Even as early as the 1980’s, research was proving that aerobic exercise improved fatigue levels and nausea in post cancer patients. Fast forward to present and the benefits have multiplied over the years. Subsequent studies indicate that weight training, aerobic exercise, and fitness emphasizing mind and body (i.e., yoga) all have a substantial impact of up to 25-50% improvement on pain, fatigue, overall optimism, the general fitness level of the individual and how much a person can improve their quality of daily life, complete with energy-draining tasks.

It is clear that exercise plays a tremendous role in helping breast cancer survivors feel better. So what are the details of program design? First and foremost, you want to stay clear of stress on the surgical or stitched area. Next, and just as important, begin with the usual 10-15 minute warm-up, no matter if you are doing weight training sets, a cardio routine or a number of yoga poses. It is after this warm-up that variety begins. For resistance/weight training exercises, you will want to start the initial phase of your program with a lowered weight volume but with up to double the repetitions. Elastic tubing and bands are also a good start for the first phase. Though you may not be directly working the muscle tissue in your surgical area, many muscles work together in stabilizing another muscle’s contraction. The lesser weight will insure that your wound is not overexerted to soon. The standard 2-3 sets are appropriate with 15-20 repetitions.

Another area of exercise is that of cardiovascular training. Cardio machines such as the treadmill or elliptical machines are acceptable and can be used for 3-4 days per week. In your initial phase of a recovery fitness routine, you may want to follow an interval program where you begin the session with a higher-intensity minute followed by a low-intensity minute totaling up to thirty minutes. As your condition improves, you can reduce your low intensity minute to 30 seconds and eventually eliminate it all together.

Finally, mind and body exercises such as yoga go a step further in fitness. Not only are you strengthening your body, you are also tapping into inner peace with each slow and controlled breath. Ideal for achieving relaxation, this type of training can be utilized for as little as 5-15 minute a day and still present positive results.

While breast cancer awareness has reached far heights as that of former president, Bill Clinton, who signed the Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention and Treatment Act of 2000, it does not stop the fact that the disease continues to take more and more lives. While a cure is currently elusive, preventative measures are not. Engaging in a fitness program that includes healthy eating, routine exercise and positive mental development is a safe bet of increasing longevity.

Knock, Knock. . . Who’s There?. . .Cancer

I have been told that each person’s experience with cancer is different. Each approach to treatment is different. And each person’s reaction to treatment is different.

It was summer of 2001 and I was driving home from having spent a nice weekend camping at the coast. While in the cab of my truck I experienced a startling pain in my left breast. I drew my right hand to the spot, testing for tenderness to touch. It didn’t feel sore as a bruise would. But there was a lump.

By March of 2002, the lump felt more noticeable. A bit larger and harder to the touch. The lump moved about freely; it was not attached to anything, but I felt a deep concern, and an inexplicable need to have a doctor look at it.

On 3-11-02, I called the doctor’s office and explained I felt I needed a mammogram as soon as possible. It had been a year since my last mammogram so I was due. My desire to have it done ASAP I could not explain except to say I felt deeply compelled to make the request. Following the mammogram several more tests were conducted.

On an April afternoon, on my way back to the office from a home visit with a client I received a call on my cell phone. It was my doctor. He asked me: “Are you in a good place to hear some bad news?” I pulled over and turned the engine off. The test results had come back positive for cancer.

My moments before, lucid world shut down. All doors closed on what had been, in an instant. My world was suddenly a world filled with delirium. What I said, or how I was able to respond at all is mostly a mystery to me. I recall thinking the sun seemed extraordinarily bright. I thought about the people on the street around me, going about their normal and rational activities and how I felt cut off from their reality. I know I spoke to my doctor while at the same time my silently screaming self was reeling.

My mother took me to the hospital on that cold and rainy Tuesday, the last day of April. It was dark out in the early morning hours. I signed in and registered. I had a mastectomy and left the hospital the next day.

My oncologist was a physician at a California Cancer Center, and it was at the Center where I was to have my chemo treatments. I remember dreading my first appointment–my first treatment. My mother, may God bless her, drove me to my first session. I walked into the Center, looked around, saw the people in the waiting room–the patients and their families…and fell apart.

Having been apprised of what chemo could do to a person, the side effects, I felt a little prepared for what might happen to me. But actually facing it…sharing that experience with others was heartrending and spirit-buckling at the same time.

My attitude, in the beginning, was one of defiance, anger, and disbelief. I felt vulnerable and helpless. I felt mortal. None of which felt comfortable.

But after a time, the feeding of those negative emotions began to take their toll on me mentally and physically. They were doing me no good. They only served to cripple my functioning. Rob me of any sanity I might yet be able to cull out of my changed life. I wanted peace and serenity back in my life. I wanted to feel and function as normal as I was able.

The tools to transform my existence into a satisfying experience were within my grasp. There are timeless moments. Many of them. And they blow about just as the wind blows autumn leaves, or scatters words in the skirts of a breeze. The routes of the pockets of timelessness move by no planned course. They just are; like the wind. And they can occur anytime. Any place. They are offered, and only by accepting them will I live them. It is so simple, really. Savor the brush of high emotion on the face of a dear one; allow my spirit to be carried with the wind as it courses through the trees; open myself to all that lives around me. On that walk I may take in the morning one of those pockets may be within my reach. The window of opportunity to reach out and grab hold can be as long as only a single breath. If I hesitate, I have lost that opportunity. I cannot say: I’m too busy now to enjoy that. I’ll wait until the next time. There will not be a next time, for that particular moment. Each one is special and unique. For me, I do not hesitate-I grasp like a starving soul, at each moment.

And I have learned . . .

Each minute I draw breath something divine is happening, and somewhere else, something harrowing. Other beings are experiencing the most exciting moments of their lives. While on the flip side, other beings are suffering through their darkest hours. I will rarely be able to change or affect any of it. I know that it is true and when I am experiencing tough times, I recall that somewhere, someplace, the extraordinary is happening. The sublime. I draw on that. Picture it in my mind’s eye and a peace suffuses my spirit.

Give thanks: It never hurts to do so, and it improves your attitude, gives you a brighter perspective on your outlook for the future.

I give thanks–thanks that God listened to my prayers and the prayers of others, and responded. Thanks that I can still enjoy things like I used to, with a childlike joy and awe. Thanks that life goes on and the world still turns. Thanks that the close friends I have now are the same ones I had before. Either they have good judgment, or I do, or both. It is a blessing! Thanks that though I feel more mortal than before, at the same moment, I feel more alive.

And I respond now: To my heart, my mind, my questing spirit. I don’t let an opportunity slip past me to explore more of the world around me. More of the splendid wonders still wait to be discovered.

I reach out to others who might benefit from my experience. From my pain and my joy. I give them honesty, but do so with compassion.

I respond to my friends and family. They still need me, as I need them. That hasn’t changed. It is what friends and family do for each other. I respond to my needs, be they medical, nutritional, health, physical, mental, emotional, occupational, or financial. I don’t neglect them.

Life goes on: Lock the door, or leave it open. The world continues on, and life in whatever form it exists in goes on, too. I’m not going to change that. So I accept it with a smile. It can’t hurt. And I will live it, every day, for as long as I am here.

The world around me is there for me–today. It is no different for every person on this globe, young or old or middle aged. This is my time and it is no less substantial than any life lived a lifetime ago, or a century ago.

I hope I live it well, honorably, and fully.

Copyright 2003 by Kathy PIppig Harris

Until recently tamoxifen occupied the central stage in adjuvant (post operative) hormonal treatment of breast cancer. Tamoxifen has been the unchallenged hormonal therapy of choice for adjuvant treatment of early stage breast cancer for over two decades.

Things have changed now. A new group of hormonal drugs that has been introduced few years ago has almost replaced tamoxifen as the treatment of choice for early stage breast cancer. This new group of drugs known as aromatase inhibitors has been shown to be more effective than tamoxifen over and over again.

This new group of drugs however is not effective in premneopausal women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. Tamoxifen still remains the hormonal treatment of choice for women with breast cancer who have hormone receptor positive early stage breast cancer.

This new group of drugs known as aromatase inhibitors acts by inhibiting an enzyme called aromatase, which is responsible for production of small amounts of estrogen in post-menopausal women. Estrogen production from the ovaries in premneopausal women is not depended on aromatase hormone, and that is the reason why this drug is not effective in premneopausal women.

Three drugs belonging to the group of aromatase inhibitors are currently FDA approved and available for treatment of breast cancer. These drugs are anastrozole (Arimidex), letrozole (Femara) and exemestane (Aromasin). All these are active drugs are generally considered to be equally effective.

Aromatase inhibitors may be useful even if a woman has already been started on tamoxifen. Aromatase inhibitors can be taken for five years after completion of five years of tamoxifen. A clinical trial (MA-17) has shown that if Femara is taken for another extra five years after completion of five years of treatment with tamoxifen, this would result in improved outcome. Other trials (ABCSG trial, ARNO trial 95, and ITA trial) have shown that it is beneficial to switch from tamoxifen to aromatase inhibitors after two to three years of treatment with tamoxifen.

Aromatase inhibitors have already shown to be superior to tamoxifen in the treatment of hormone receptor positive metastatic (cancer that has spread to distant organs) breast cancer. In this situation Femara is currently the drug of choice and tamoxifen have moved to second or third position as an option for hormonal therapy.

One thing is clear. The very foundation of tamoxifen as the hormonal treatment of choice is shaking and the aromatase inhibitors are here to stay.

If young women take certain simple steps when they are adolescents, they may reduce risk of breast cancer later in life. A research suggests that puberty could be a crucial time for development of breast cancer.

Regular exercise is believed to delay the beginning of a girl’s first menstrual period. That is when the body creates hormones that stimulate the majority of breast cancers. According to a study, just 4 hours of weekly exercise can postpone hormone surges for up to 12 months.

Four hours a week is not a large amount of activity for a girl. She can play dodge ball, play on the playground or ride her bike. Because exercise can lower hormone activity, it can reduce risk of breast cancer, even after a girl starts having periods.

One more way is cutting back on fat. Girl who cut her fat intake by only 6 percent lowered her estrogen and progesterone levels by at least 30 percent, according to a study. These theories are not really well tested and need more research.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women, other than skin cancer. In the United States approximately 183,000 new cases are diagnosed and about 41,000 women die each year from cancer originating in the breast.

I learned some interesting facts about breast cancer that I feel every woman should know. The sources I used for this article included the American Cancer Society, The National Cancer Institute, and the Avon Foundation’s Breast Cancer Crusade.

Early breast cancer isn’t usually detected by pain. In fact, when breast cancer first develops, there may be no symptoms at all. That is why regular exams are important. If you have anything that makes you suspect breast cancer, contact your doctor immediately. Don’t wait around to see what happens. Let the professional decide. Some symptoms that may indicate breast cancer include, but are not limited to, the following:

Nipple discharge or tenderness

Lumps in breast and/or underarm area

Visual changes which include: size of breast including swelling; inverted nipple; and pitting. Pitting means the skin looks like the skin of an orange. Scaling of the breast skin could also be a symptom.

Early detection of breast cancer is important. There is a 97% five-year survival rate when breast cancer is detected early since this can help prevent it from spreading. Below are some guidelines to early detection. I hope they help save someone’s life.

Get a Mammogram

A mammogram is a specialized x-ray of the breast to help detect cancers which cannot be detected by feel. Some women are confused as to how often they should get a mammogram. Here is what the professionals say about mammograms.

At age 40 begin getting annual mammograms by a licensed technician. A mammogram will take about twenty minutes. When getting a mammogram avoid wearing deodorant, powders, or cream under your arms. Sometimes they can interfere with the results. Make sure to contact the center if they do not inform you of the results within thirty days. It is very important that results are compared from one year to the next. Hence, be sure you know where your mammogram film is being held.

Clinical Breast Exam

This is an exam by a health care professional. Women in their 20s and 30s should have a clinical breast exam at least every three years and women 40 or older should have an exam each year.

Self-Examination

Starting at age 20 women should begin doing a self-exam. Ask your doctor if you are not exactly sure how to do this or if you are not sure you are doing it correctly. Here are a few guides to follow: Lie down and place one arm behind your head. Using your three middle finger pads press firmly across your breast in overlapping dime-size circular motions. Use three different levels of pressure: light, medium, and firm. This allows you to feel the tissue close to your skin, to feel a little deeper, and to feel the tissue closest to your chest and ribs.

Move across your breast in an up and down pattern, starting from the underarm and moving across the breast to the middle of the chest bone, repeating the pressure.

Stand in front of a mirror with your hands pressing down on your hips and look at your breasts for any changes in size, shape, contour, or dimpling. Also, do this with your arms slightly raised. Make sure you check under your breasts as well.

I hope that this information proves helpful to you. I am not a health care provider and by no means a professional on breast cancer. I am simply sharing with every woman possible the importance of detecting breast cancer early and some simple guidelines that might save a life.

My sources for the above information are:

American Cancer Society The National Cancer Institute Breast Health Resource Guide by the Avon Foundation’s Breast Cancer Crusade

The biggest majority of women who concern themselves over developing breast cancer are the ones who do not even bother to do a self examination (Not all)

Self inspection of the breasts should be a main priority for every woman. Breast cancer caught in the early stages of growth will give better odds for the patient to control the disease with the help of today`s modern medicines and technology.

Breast cancer is common among the female species and can be a death sentence if ignored. By neglecting yourself in this department with absent regular check ups then you can expect a painful road ahead - congested of heartache and pain for those close to you as well. Breast cancer is treatable, so now is the time to set a date in the diary for regular self breast examination.

One of the first signs or symptoms of breast cancer is a lump in the breast. You will find that most breast lumps discovered early are rated as 9 out of 10 as being benign. Breast lumpiness can be that of breast change which usually becomes more obvious just before the start of a period, particularly in women over the age of 35

Also cysts/sacs of fluid is not uncommon in the breast tissue causing a feel of lumpiness. Fibroadenoma is a collection of fibrous glandular tissue which is more notably known to occur in younger women

If you notice a change in the shape/size of the breast or a lump even thickening then always check this out with your doctor. Other signs to look out for is dimpling of the skin or nipple shape changing, for example, if the nipple turns in or sinks back into the breast. Blood-stained discharge from the nipple or an unusual blemish or rash around the surrounding area needs to be checked out.

A swelling or lump under your armpit can also be a sign. If you have found that you have any of the above symptoms then seek medical attention right away.

Do not worry at this stage because breast lumps as such do not necessarily mean cancer. However the above mentioned inverted nipple or blood stained discharge etc can mean another type of ailment, either way these will need attention

The doctor will examine the breast and if necessary will refer you to a specialist for further checks. If the results from a mammogram or ultra sound shows a cyst, then to have it removed may entail draining it through a fine needle. If the lump is solid then treatment will be with the use of a very fine needle where a sample of tissue will be taken and tested for cancer cells.

This is a disease you can fight but once it spreads, then the breast cancer becomes a battlefield leaving you fighting for survival. Early detection can stop this war.

Dr Watson laid aside his diary and read out aloud what he had written to himself to confirm that everything was as he had remembered of the case.

On glancing over my notes of the seventy odd cases in which I have during the last eight years studied the methods of my friend Sherlock Holmes, I find many tragic, some comic, a large number merely strange, but none commonplace; for, working as he did rather for the love of his art than for the acquirement of wealth, he refused to associate himself with any investigation which did not tend towards the unusual, and even the fantastic. Of all these varied cases, however, I cannot recall any which presented more singular features than “The Case of the Nun’s Disease”.

“That my dear Watson is the crux of the matter on which everything hangs. Without that explanation, our efforts will have been in vain. It is obviously the same question that those of your profession will have asked but have failed to find the answer”. With that he sat silent for a few minutes with his finger-tips still pressed together, his legs stretched out in front of him, and his gaze directed upward to the ceiling. Then he took down from the mantle piece the old and oily clay pipe, which was to him as a counsellor, and, having lit it once again, he leaned back in his chair, with the thick blue cloud-wreaths spinning up from him, and a look of infinite languor in his face. I imagined the chemicals that were pouring into his lungs, and the damage that it would be doing as he contemplated in silence the matter at hand.

I had had so many reasons to believe in my friend’s subtle powers of reasoning and extraordinary energy in action that I felt that it would only be a matter of time before he would have some solid grounds for the assured and easy demeanour with which he treated the singular mystery which he had been called upon to fathom.

So we sat, in silence, lost in our thoughts. Then all of a sudden he exclaimed, “My dear fellow.” says he, as we sat on either side of the fire in his lodgings at Baker Street, “life is infinitely stranger than anything which the mind of man could invent. We would not dare to conceive the things which are really mere commonplaces of existence. If we could fly out of that window hand in hand, hover over this great city, gently remove the roofs, and peep in at the queer things which are going on, the strange coincidences, the plannings, the cross-purposes, the wonderful chains of events, working through generation, and leading to the most outré results, it would make all fiction with its conventionalities and foreseen conclusions most stale and unprofitable. A big smile now crossed his face and he laughed.

“Holmes! What is it that you have discovered that sheds light on this most perplexing and singular of mysteries for I am completely at a loss as to find a it’s solution?”

“Never mind,” said Holmes, laughing; “it is my business to know such things. Perhaps I have trained myself to see what others overlook. The solution here is so simple that words almost fail me.” He looked across to me, his face beaming with delight and mysterious countenance. “Tell me Watson, what did nuns do?”

Now I was completely lost! Everyone knew what nuns did. I collected together my thoughts and answered, “The life in the convent was almost identical those of the male gender who lived and worked in monstestories.

“Can you be more explicit my friend, and tell me what occupations the nuns were involved in?” .

“Well Holmes”, I ventured to add. “Convents were basically self-sufficient in all they did. Besides spending time in prayer, the nuns worked in their garden growing vegetables, harvested what they grew, baked bread, did all the manual tasks associated in keeping the convent in good order.” Much of what they did was very physical, and they all did this in the habit that they wore.”

“True, Watson, but this was no more that what the peasants did in Medieval times, and they wore long flowing garments much the same as the nun’s habit and correct me if I am wrong but there is little or no evidence that they suffered from the disease. Granted peasants breasts were not bound like those of nuns which may explain why they may have been protected from the disease due to the unrestricted movement of their breasts, and also that they suckled their young, but this explanation is inadequate in determining why nuns were more susceptible to the disease that other women”.

“They made candles which the sold or bartered”, I hastened to add.

Holmes smiled at this and he did not need to say anything, for I knew what he was thinking. Candle making was not confined to nuns but was a common trade, and as far as I knew, women of that trade did not suffer from breast cancer or any other cancer for that matter.

“Think Watson, think!”

For once I found myself unable to come up with anything more than that I had already said. “My dear friend, please put this bumbling fool out of his misery and tell me what it is that I have overlooked.” says I.

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To find out what Sherlock Holmes has discovered, please visit this link

http://www.teklinepublishing.com/sherlock.htm

Sample Chapter from Breast Cancer “Prevention and Cure” Your Choice!

By Fred Harding