I want to extend a warm welcome to you as a potential client of
The Moss Report on Cancer of the Breast. For over 35 years, it has been my
mission to educate and empower patients, including many with breast cancer. I
would be honored to be part of your healing journey.
There
are several kinds of cancer of the breast. These include ductal carcinoma in
situ (DCIS); invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC); invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC);
inflammatory breast cancer; lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS); male breast cancer;
Paget’s disease of the nipple; phyllodes tumors of the breast; and recurrent
and/or metastatic breast cancer.
This
report includes a discussion of the main varieties, as classified by the World
Health Organization (WHO) and other agencies. These are generally classified by
(a) cellular origin and (b) how those cells behave—ranging from the least
aggressive to the most malignant. The classification and grade of a tumor may
be used to predict its likely behavior. In cancer of the breast, this is based
on the microscopic appearance of the tumor tissue as derived from a biopsy
sample.
Over the years, my thinking about the overall category of breast
cancer has evolved considerably. I would like to share with you some of the
core beliefs I have developed about this type of cancer and the recovery
process.
In the Moss
Report on Breast Cancer we fully deal with the conventional treatments of this
disease category, including adenocarcinoma and other varieties. What are these?
They mainly consist of surgery, such as lumpectomy, various types of radiation
(including external beam, brachytherapy or radioactive seeds, and proton beam
therapy), as well as various types of chemotherapy and ‘targeted’ agents. We also discuss the issue of “watchful
waiting” in breast cancer. When might this be appropriate as an option?
We are not allied with any doctor, hospital or agency that
administers such treatments. This gives us the unusual ability to assess the
effectiveness of these treatments without any prejudice created by how we earn
our living. We combine this with a detailed knowledge of how these treatments
are actually administered and what they are likely to deliver.
While
conventional treatments of cancer of the breast definitely have their place,
and have often been instrumental in a cure, I also believe that there are new
treatments that offer hope to cancer of the breast patients, such as those
involved in secondary prevention (to ward off recurrences).
There also are scientifically valid treatments that come from
outside conventional Western medicine. These treatments offer hope of real and
substantial benefit to cancer of the breast patients, even those with advanced
disease. In this Moss Report I will discuss the ones that I believe are most
promising and relevant. Some of the most promising involve the medical use of
heat and electricity, immunotherapy and virology.
Keep in mind that some of what are called “alternative treatments”
in the United States are accepted and used in other countries. Some cancer treatments
are so embroiled in controversy that it is difficult to arrive at objective
information about their effectiveness. I have done my best to reach a realistic
judgment on many of these. Yet other treatments and approaches appear worthless
or even dangerous.
My goal is to
provide you with information as well as to convey a way of looking at these
questions that you can apply to other treatments. I hope to give you a compass
with which to evaluate the many conflicting treatment claims in the cancer of
the breast field and to help you formulate a winning plan for yourself. Let my
knowledge, objectivity, and experience help guide your journey!
I believe that overcoming one or another form of cancer of the
breast and remaining well is more than just a physical process. Of course,
medical treatments, such as surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, as well as
more natural therapies, have their place in the treatment of this disease, and
you need scientific information to make rational decisions about them all. But
there is another dimension to the cancer problem. As one long-term survivor put
it, “Returning to a state of health is not just about having treatment; it
means dealing with the mental, emotional and the spiritual issues that tend to
manifest physically. It means asking, ‘Am I on the path that I want to be on?’
This Moss Report on Cancer of the Breast is dedicated to helping
you to repair the breach that this cancer has created in your life. To do so,
you need to seek emotional healing as well. The attention you give these less
tangible areas can speed healing and enhance the effectiveness of your physical
treatments. But it can also serve as a profound source of strength, peace, and
inspiration for you. What we call body, mind, and spirit are interwoven strands
that form the whole person.