Breast cancer testing technique gains momentum
By DEANNA FLEISCHMANN, Journal Staff Writer – MARQUETTE – If you could detect breast tissue abnormalities years before cancer shows itself, would it be worth $50? A new organization is trying to make the answer to that question a reality.
About 180 women gathered in the Peter White Public Library community room for the Integrative Health Resources’ first health forum Tuesday. The forum featured Dr. Holly Ray of Ishpeming, Dr. Sue Ritter of Marquette and Dr. Leann Hatfield of Marquette. Paula Paszke, a licensed counselor, and Kathy Dunn, a social worker, gave presentations on self-care when dealing with stress.
Among the topics of discussion were alternative medical testing such as breast thermography, a diagnostic procedure that can detect abnormalities in breast tissue years before a mammography.
Thermography examines changes in the temperature and blood vessels of the breasts. Chemical and blood vessel activity in both pre-cancerous tissue and the area surrounding a developing breast cancer is almost always higher than in the normal breast.
“I lost a friend to breast cancer when she was 32 and she left behind an 8-year-old boy. We know now that cancer can take 20 years to develop. We can protect ourselves now,” Valerie Holway of Wellness Resources said. “It really benefits women under 50 with more dense breast tissue.”
Currently, there are no breast thermography units in Marquette.
“The closest units are in Traverse City or Madison and the units cost about $30,000 each,” Holway said.
Integrative Health Resources is attempting to become a non-profit group so that it could apply for grant money to help with the purchase of a thermography unit.
“We’re in the beginning stages as far as the non-profit is concerned but it’s my dream that we might have a unit by spring,” Holway said.”We’re looking for a donor. It would take 600 women to donate $50 each to get a unit.”
Holway said the national statistic for breast cancer is one in every eight women each year.
Vicki Lockwood, 52, Marquette said she attended the forum specifically to learn more about breast thermography.
“It’s always good to know your choices and to educate yourself about the options that are available,” Lockwood said. “Money talks and it’s too bad that money has become so important in our society that it gets in the way of important prevention.”
General health was also discussed at the forum.
“Whether you’re dealing with cancer prevention, fatigue or stress, you need the basics, a good foundation of health to do any of those things,” Holway said.
Discussions were centered around eating well and having a healthy and simple diet through organic foods.
“We know that the sprays they put on our food have been destroying the reproductive systems in animals for years. We’re just beginning to learn what it’s doing to our bodies,” Holway said.
Kathy Lenten, 41, of Negaunee said she thought the forum was interesting and eye-opening.
“It’s just a new concept to think of myself and my health,” Lenten said. “If I were a healthier person I would be a better person to everyone around me. I’m going to start looking at my diet much more because I never realized what the processed foods were doing to my body.”
Jamie Grunert, 23, said optimal health needs to start at a young age.
“Health promotion and disease prevention should start when we’re kids,” Grunert said. “We need to pay attention and be aware of what we’re eating and what we’re putting in our bodies.”
For more information contact Holway at 226-9301.