Wednesday, April 21, 2004
Lymphatic Circulation & Breast Cancer
Bras and Breast Cancer
by Ralph L. Reed, Ph.D.
Although I am an environmental chemist (Ph.D in biochemistry), I have been
doing a lot of literature research on breast cancer since I saw an article
on the National Library of Medicine database over a year ago. That article
documented an increase in breast cancer rates between women who do wear bras
versus those that do not.
That Harvard study fascinated me and I searched the medical literature for
possible explanations. In January 1996, I discovered the book by Singer and
Grismaijer and their explanation of impaired lymphatic flow intrigued me. I
have since read everything that I can find on lymphatic flow. What I have
found has amazed me, but that is another story. I can supply you with lots
of info if you like. In essence, what Singer and Grismaijer found was that
the odds of getting breast cancer dramatically increased with bra-wearing
over 12 hours per day.
Women who wore their bras 24 hours per day had a 3 out of 4 chance of
developing breast cancer (in their study, n=2056 for the cancer group and
n=2674 for the standard group).
Women who wore bras more than 12 hour per day but not to bed had a 1 out of
7 risk.
Women who wore their bras less than 12 hours per day had a 1 out of 152
risk.
Women who wore bras rarely or never had a 1 out of 168 chance of getting
breast cancer. The overall difference between 24 hour wearing and not at all
was a 125-fold difference.
The results of this study are compelling, even considering that it was not a
"controlled study" for other risk factors. Bear in mind that known
(published in medical journals) risk factors for breast cancer are mostly in
the range of less than three-fold differences. It should also be noted that
Singer and Grismaijer surveyed bra-wearing behavior of the past, which is
excellent for a disease with such a long development period. In their book,
the authors show how most of the known risk factors can be related to
bra-wearing behavior and/or the lymphatic system.
For example, breast feeding and pregnancy cause full development of the
mammary lymphatics. Also, women of higher economic status have higher breast
cancer rates, and one would expect that they would wear their bras more
hours per day. Women who excercise have lower risk, which could relate to
better lymphatic circulation (and I would add, more breast movement).
To this discussion, I would like to add that lymphatic circulation in many
tissues (especially the primary lymphatics) are highly dependent on
MOVEMENT. When you sit for a long time on an airplane flight, your feet and
ankles can swell, because lymphatic circulation goes to near zero. Wearing a
bra, especially a constricting one with underwires, and especially to bed,
prevents normal lymphatic flow and would likely lead to anoxia (lower than
normal oxygen content), which has been related to fibrosis, which has been
linked to increased cancer risk.
Women evolved under conditions where there was BREAST MOVEMENT with every
step that they took when they walked or ran. My reading of the scientific
literature about lymphatic flow shows me that this may be as important as
the constriction factor. Every subtle bounce of the breast while moving,
walking, running, etc. gently massages the breast and increases lymphatic
flow and thus cleans the breast of toxins and wastes that arise from
cellular metabolism.
Of course, there may be other mechanisms for the damage that bras apparently
cause. One such mechanism could be temperature. Breasts are external organs
and have a naturally lower temperature. Cancers can be
temperature-dependent. Breast cancer is hormone-dependent. Temperature can
alter hormone function. Breast temperature changes throughout the monthly
cycle.
All these facts are from the medical literature. By whatever mechanism,
someone will eventually explain why Singer and Grismaijer found a 125-fold
difference in cancer rates between bra-free breasts and those constricted by
24-hour-per-day bra-wearing.
If you haven't already done so, I suggest that you read the book by Singer
and Grismaijer (Dressed to Kill,Avery Press, 1995). (By the way, I have no
connection to the authors; I think that they live in Canada.)
Also, just for an interesting experiment, the next time you walk down the
street, notice visually how constricting bras are. On many women you can
actually see "dents" around the sides of their chests where there bras are,
even in something as opaque as a black t-shirt.
A physical therapist friend of mine, after reading Dressed to Kill, said
that she was amazed at what she saw in her practice at a local medical
clinic. She noticed how many women have red creases and grooves on the their
bodies caused by their bras. Singer and Grismajer also suggest that you
simply stop wearing one for two weeks and see how you feel.
By the way, I have heard that they are currently working on a new study. The
research is to study whether benign fibrocystic breast disease can be
treated by stopping bra-wearing for eight weeks. That should be very
interesting; this time they are involving medical doctors, from what I've
heard.
Years ago, many people thought that the idea of cigarettes causing lung
cancer was funny. Even if further research with highly controlled studies
only shows a difference of 5-fold, or even 2-fold, it will be no laughing
matter.
Bras and Breast Cancer
by Ralph L. Reed, Ph.D.
Although I am an environmental chemist (Ph.D in biochemistry), I have been
doing a lot of literature research on breast cancer since I saw an article
on the National Library of Medicine database over a year ago. That article
documented an increase in breast cancer rates between women who do wear bras
versus those that do not.
That Harvard study fascinated me and I searched the medical literature for
possible explanations. In January 1996, I discovered the book by Singer and
Grismaijer and their explanation of impaired lymphatic flow intrigued me. I
have since read everything that I can find on lymphatic flow. What I have
found has amazed me, but that is another story. I can supply you with lots
of info if you like. In essence, what Singer and Grismaijer found was that
the odds of getting breast cancer dramatically increased with bra-wearing
over 12 hours per day.
Women who wore their bras 24 hours per day had a 3 out of 4 chance of
developing breast cancer (in their study, n=2056 for the cancer group and
n=2674 for the standard group).
Women who wore bras more than 12 hour per day but not to bed had a 1 out of
7 risk.
Women who wore their bras less than 12 hours per day had a 1 out of 152
risk.
Women who wore bras rarely or never had a 1 out of 168 chance of getting
breast cancer. The overall difference between 24 hour wearing and not at all
was a 125-fold difference.
The results of this study are compelling, even considering that it was not a
"controlled study" for other risk factors. Bear in mind that known
(published in medical journals) risk factors for breast cancer are mostly in
the range of less than three-fold differences. It should also be noted that
Singer and Grismaijer surveyed bra-wearing behavior of the past, which is
excellent for a disease with such a long development period. In their book,
the authors show how most of the known risk factors can be related to
bra-wearing behavior and/or the lymphatic system.
For example, breast feeding and pregnancy cause full development of the
mammary lymphatics. Also, women of higher economic status have higher breast
cancer rates, and one would expect that they would wear their bras more
hours per day. Women who excercise have lower risk, which could relate to
better lymphatic circulation (and I would add, more breast movement).
To this discussion, I would like to add that lymphatic circulation in many
tissues (especially the primary lymphatics) are highly dependent on
MOVEMENT. When you sit for a long time on an airplane flight, your feet and
ankles can swell, because lymphatic circulation goes to near zero. Wearing a
bra, especially a constricting one with underwires, and especially to bed,
prevents normal lymphatic flow and would likely lead to anoxia (lower than
normal oxygen content), which has been related to fibrosis, which has been
linked to increased cancer risk.
Women evolved under conditions where there was BREAST MOVEMENT with every
step that they took when they walked or ran. My reading of the scientific
literature about lymphatic flow shows me that this may be as important as
the constriction factor. Every subtle bounce of the breast while moving,
walking, running, etc. gently massages the breast and increases lymphatic
flow and thus cleans the breast of toxins and wastes that arise from
cellular metabolism.
Of course, there may be other mechanisms for the damage that bras apparently
cause. One such mechanism could be temperature. Breasts are external organs
and have a naturally lower temperature. Cancers can be
temperature-dependent. Breast cancer is hormone-dependent. Temperature can
alter hormone function. Breast temperature changes throughout the monthly
cycle.
All these facts are from the medical literature. By whatever mechanism,
someone will eventually explain why Singer and Grismaijer found a 125-fold
difference in cancer rates between bra-free breasts and those constricted by
24-hour-per-day bra-wearing.
If you haven't already done so, I suggest that you read the book by Singer
and Grismaijer (Dressed to Kill,Avery Press, 1995). (By the way, I have no
connection to the authors; I think that they live in Canada.)
Also, just for an interesting experiment, the next time you walk down the
street, notice visually how constricting bras are. On many women you can
actually see "dents" around the sides of their chests where there bras are,
even in something as opaque as a black t-shirt.
A physical therapist friend of mine, after reading Dressed to Kill, said
that she was amazed at what she saw in her practice at a local medical
clinic. She noticed how many women have red creases and grooves on the their
bodies caused by their bras. Singer and Grismajer also suggest that you
simply stop wearing one for two weeks and see how you feel.
By the way, I have heard that they are currently working on a new study. The
research is to study whether benign fibrocystic breast disease can be
treated by stopping bra-wearing for eight weeks. That should be very
interesting; this time they are involving medical doctors, from what I've
heard.
Years ago, many people thought that the idea of cigarettes causing lung
cancer was funny. Even if further research with highly controlled studies
only shows a difference of 5-fold, or even 2-fold, it will be no laughing
matter.
// posted by Linda Weissinger Lupowitz @ 7:30 PM 
