WHAT'S NEW AT THE CENTER
Important Update on Mammography Guidelines – Robert Erickson, M.D.
Mammogram facilities will need to follow some new rules soon. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in March 2023 released updated regulations that require mammogram providers to notify patients about the density of their breast tissue. The updates give the FDA more oversight as well over individual mammography facilities — with the purported goal of improving patient care and communications.
During a screening mammogram, a technician uses a special X-ray machine to detect abnormalities that could indicate a risk of breast cancer. The images also show whether a woman has dense breast tissue, which can make it more difficult to spot cancer warning signs. Women with dense breast tissue are at a higher risk of developing the disease (approximately half of all women over age 40 are in this category).
As a patient being aware you have denser breast tissue allows you to talk to your health care provider as to whether additional screening is recommended. The FDA did not offer a solution to this problem. The U.S. Preventive Task Force recommends that women 50 years or older get mammograms every other year, and for those with a family history of breast cancer, begin at age 40.
Some integrative physicians are concerned that these guidelines will lead to more patient-driven imaging which will lead to a risk of more breast cancers due to the accumulative radiation exposure over a person’s lifetime.
One solution is considering breast thermography, which is an FDA approved adjunct to mammography. Thermography is not an x-ray and there is no radiation or compression/touching of the body. Thermography is a test of physiology and provides valuable information that complements the anatomical images from mammography. The underlying principle by which thermography detects pre-cancerous and cancerous growths is because tumors have increased blood flow and number of blood vessels in order to maintain their increased metabolism and cellular growth. Even in very small tumors this increased blood flow causes an increase in temperature that is seen on the thermography scan, often before a tumor can be felt or is seen on mammography. The efficacy of breast thermography is not affected by the density of breast tissue.
A trained technician uses a very sensitive medical digital infrared sensing camera that develops a color image on a computer. The images are then interpreted by a physician trained specifically in thermographic image analysis. A second scan is taken three months later to establish a baseline upon which future studies are compared for stability of thermal patterns.
Another advantage is when a women’s body makes either excess estrogen or too little progesterone a hormonal imbalance called “estrogen dominance” can occur. Thermography is the only test that can demonstrate an estrogen dominant effect on the breasts. This is a treatable risk factor in the development of breast cancer, fibrocystic disease, uterine cancer or fibroids.
For more information call Deborah at Gainesville Thermography, Inc. at 352-332-7212 or log on www.gainesvillethermography.com
An Incredible Superfood Antioxidant!
Astaxanthin is one of the most powerful natural antioxidants science has discovered. It is
approximately 10x stronger in antioxidant effect than beta carotene, lutein and lycopene and can
be 100x – 1000x stronger than many other antioxidants such as vitamin C. It distributes itself
throughout the body including into muscles, skin, brain and eyes. It also enters the organs such
as the liver, kidneys and heart providing potent protection against oxidative stress.
Dr. Erickson became interested in Astaxanthin after reading about its skin-protective effects. He
grew up in Sarasota on the beach and had a lot of sun exposure as well as a few sunburns. After
having several skin cancers removed he looked for a product that would provide protection
during UV light exposure. Unfortunately some sun screens were recalled due to potential
carcinogenic effects. It made sense to provide skin protection from the inside out. At a recent
four day trip to the beach in St. Augustine Dr. Erickson didn’t get sunburned after taking our
Astaxanthin product daily.
The Center has a vegan, organic, 100% whole microalgae Astaxanthin supplement which is
grown in a tightly monitored, hermetically sealed environment. This is not a synthetic product
where research has not confirmed efficacy. Because Astaxanthin is fat-soluble in nature it is
often combined in a carrier-oil in an animal-derived gelatin capsule. This makes it vulnerable to
oxidation. Our product is mixed in a phospholipid complex made from organic sunflower
lethicin and placed in a certified organic vegan capsule.
Call the Center at 352-331-5138 for current pricing and availability.
OUR ORIGINAL LDM NATURAL ANTIBIOTIC IS BACK!
LDM is a broad-spectrum natural antibiotic that is prepared from the Lomatium Dissectum root. It has been used to treat bacterial, viral, and fungal infections, especially those involving the respiratory tract, urinary tract, skin and eyes. The Native American Indians used this natural healing plant long before it was introduced into our Western culture. The herbalists of the 1930’s used this plant in a tea to treat Influenza during major epidemics.
Dr. Erickson has this preparation made up especially for the Preventive Medicine Center by an herbalist. Single-sourcing of the plant material ensures quality control. Our 20 year experience with LDM has been remarkable. We have seen infections resolve within several days in some cases, including skin infections, flu’s, and pneumonia.
CONTRAINDICATIONS: A small percentage of people will break out in a rash that looks like measles. Whether this is a cleansing reaction or allergy is unknown, but it usually occurs only at high doses of LDM (above 60 drops a day). LDM should be discontinued if a rash occurs. This product is in a 20% tincture of alcohol and should not be used in patient’s taking Antibuse or who are sensitive to alcohol. Dr. Erickson does not advise taking herbal products, including LDM, during pregnancy.
HOW TO TAKE: For adults, start with 5 drops three times a day for 2 days, then increase to 12 drops three times a day until well, unless otherwise directed. LDM may be mixed with water or juice, or placed directly in the mouth and swallowed. Use until symptoms clear plus several additional days.
Dr. Erickson also uses this product prophylactically to boost the immune system when traveling or going out in crowds. Take ½ dropper before flying or going out to a concert, athletic event, etc. This product works best at the onset of symptoms of a cold or infection. It is not intended for daily use and should not be used past 2 weeks.
PRODUCT HIGHLIGHT: NON-GMO DERIVED VITAMIN C
GMO is an abbreviation for genetically modified organism. In most cases a GMO has been altered by inserting a foreign gene DNA from one organism into another. Over 90% of the corn, soybean, sugar beet, cotton and canola crops sold in the US have been genetically modified. The vast majority of vitamin C supplements are a by-product of corn or high fructose corn syrup and often the ingredients label doesn’t specify the source of vitamin C.
There is controversy whether GMO foods are safe to eat. Organizations such as the World Health Organization, the AMA, the U.S. Academy of Sciences and many others have concluded genetically modified foods are safe to eat. However, there are multiple countries including Japan, Australia, and all the countries in the European Union that have restrictions or outright bans on the sale of GMO products. At this point, the concerns about GMOs are theoretical and there are no long term studies I am aware of in humans proving either safety or health issues with GMOs.
At the Center we use only non-corn derived vitamin C for IV use or oral forms. We carry oral vitamin C derived from tapioca that is non-GMO. 120 capsules of 1000mg/capsule sells for $27, or buffered vitamin C crystals in chelated form 250 grams for $27 (4.8 grams = 2500mg of vitamin C).
PRICE GUARANTEE ON SUPPLEMENTS
The Preventive Medicine Center offers supplements for sale to our patients both for patient convenience and for quality assurance by manufacturers Dr. Erickson has researched. Most of the supplements we carry are pharmaceutical grade and the companies adhere to cGMP (current good manufacturing practices) to ensure quality and purity of their products. No patient is required to purchase supplements at the Center and many patients are continued on their choice of supplements if they are doing well. We realize that some of the products we offer are also sold on the Internet and may be offered at a lower price. Some of these sites are warehouses that are not climate controlled, which could affect the quality of the product. We are happy to match any legitimately advertised price for an identical product.