Communication, communication, communication. The courageous actress started a major health conversation that’s never been so front-and-center before. The outspoken mother of six was poignant, scientific and eloquent in her article but she’s mobilized a health movement the likes I have not seen before.
When Angelina Jolie underwent a preventive double mastectomy after learning she carried a mutation of the BRCA1 gene — often pronounced “braca gene” in medical circles — she understood the DNA put her at higher risk for breast cancer and ovarian cancer. (Her chances of getting these cancers plummeted from 80+ percent, something very high, to less than 10 percent.)
Jolie wrote in the NY Times article that went viral, “The truth is I carry a ‘faulty’ gene, BRCA1, which sharply increases my risk of developing breast cancer and ovarian cancer. My doctors estimated that I had an 87 percent risk of breast cancer and a 50 percent risk of ovarian cancer, although the risk is different in the case of each woman.
Only a fraction of breast cancers result from an inherited gene mutation.”
“Unfortunately, the discussion on cancer and cancer prevention continues to focus on genes, drugs and surgery, rather than understanding why cancer continues to be our modern day albatross,” says Dr. Tazneem Bhatia (aka Dr. Taz), the medical director and founder of The Atlanta Center for Holistic and Integrative Medicine.
We are learning that three concepts ultimate affect estrogen metabolism and more cancers in women, says Dr. Taz who has been featured on The Today Show and CNN for her forward-thinking holistic philosophies. “Detoxification, alkalization and oxygenation ultimately affect estrogen metabolism and women over 30 should start talking about estrogen metabolism with their Ob-Gyn or a naturopath.”
“Women become at increased risk for breast cancer when estrogen is not appropriately metabolized. I always warn patients that estrogen is everywhere – it is in our environments, our bodies and our food. There are patterns and trends that I continue to see in practice. Heavy hormone use, in the form of oral contraceptives or through repeated IVF treatments, predispose women to this issue. Nutritional deficiencies contribute to this pattern. Stress, triggering cortisol production and inflammation also plays a role.”
Thanks Angelina Jolie for starting the conversation.
Do you know anyone in your family tree with a cancer gene?
Dr. Taz has been featured on The Today Show and CNN for her forward-thinking holistic philosophies.
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