Why Mammography is NOT an Effective Breast Cancer Screen

The most devastating loss of life from breast cancer occurs between the ages of 30 to 50. Fortunately, today there are many options available to help detect breast cancer. Unfortunately, awareness of these options and their effectiveness in detecting breast cancer are woefully deficient.

In his recent book, Beyond Mammography, Dr. Len Saputo discusses the latest findings on the effectiveness and shortcomings of various breast cancer detection methods used today including mammography, clinical breast exams, ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging (MRIs) and PET scans. He also explores the highly advanced but much maligned detection tool for breast cancer -- breast thermography.

Breast thermography, which involves using a heat-sensing scanner to detect variations in the temperature of breast tissue, has been around since the 1960's. Modern-day breast thermography boasts vastly improved technology and extensive scientific clinical research following 300,000 women tested with thermography. Combined with the successes in detecting breast cancer with greater accuracy than other methods, the technology is slowly gaining ground among more progressive practitioners.

Health officials recommend that all women over 40 get a mammogram every one to two years, yet there is no solid evidence that mammograms save lives, and the benefits of mammograms are controversial at best. Meanwhile, the health hazards of mammography have been well established. John Gofman, M.D., Ph.D. - a nuclear physicist and a medical doctor, and one of the leading experts in the world on the dangers of radiation - presents compelling evidence in his book, Radiation from Medical Procedures in the Pathogenesis of Cancer and Ischemic Heart Disease, that over 50 percent of the death-rate from cancer is in fact induced by x-rays.

Now consider the fact that the routine practice of taking four films of each breast annually results in approximately 1 rad (radiation absorbed dose) exposure, which is about 1,000 times greater than that from a chest x-ray.

Even the American Cancer Society lists high-dose radiation to the chest as a medium to high risk factor for developing cancer.

TIFM has the most advanced thermal breast imaging equipment in the US and over 10 years experience in interpretation. This technology can detect many disease processes adversely affecting the breast, including breast cancer. We believe it is an essential tool for assessing and managing breast health and wellness. Please call Beverly Osborn to set up your 30 minute, pain free examination.

Visit our website for more information about thermal imaging, and then contact us online or call our Patient Care Coordinator at 972.239.6317 x134 for a FREE phone consultation and to setup an appointment.

Study Answers the Why Eyelids Sag with Age Mystery

Many theories have sought to explain what causes the baggy lower eyelids that come with aging, but UCLA researchers have now found that fat expansion in the eye socket is the primary culprit.

As a result, researchers say, fat excision should be a component of treatment for patients seeking to address this common complaint.

Traditionally, aesthetic surgeons were taught that the cover holding back the fat in the lower eye weakens with age and the fat bulges out creating the well know bag under the eye.

The UCLA study showed there is actually an increase in fat with age, and it is more likely that the fat increase causes the baggy eyelids rather than a weakened ligament. There have been no studies to show that the orbital septum weakens.

According to a recent report by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, nearly 241,000 Americans underwent eyelid surgery in 2007, making it one of the top four surgical cosmetic procedures performed.

Currently, many plastic surgeons performing procedures to treat baggy eyelids do not remove any fat at all. They reposition the fat or conduct more invasive tightening of the muscle that surrounds the eye, or they tighten the actual ligament that holds the eyeball in place. These procedures are performed despite there being no data indicating that these structures change with age.

"Our study showed that a component of a patient's blepharoplasty procedure should almost routinely involve fat excision rather than these procedures." said study co-author Dr. Timothy Miller, professor and chief of plastic surgery at the Geffen School.

Blepharoplasty refers to surgical rejuvenation of the upper or lower eyelids, or both, depending on the extent of aging or disease. The procedure is usually performed on the lower eyelid because the most common complaint patients have is that their eyes appear tired, puffy or baggy. The surgeon makes external incisions along the natural skin lines of the eyelid to remove the excess fat and improve the contour of the lower eyelid.

Visit our website for more information about eyelid surgery, and then contact us online or call our Patient Care Coordinator at 972.239.6317 x134 for a FREE phone consultation and to setup an appointment.

First Impressions, Attractiveness and Dating Success Improved by Botox

The popular cosmetic enhancement, botulinum toxin A (Botox) positively effects first impression judgments in relation to attractiveness, dating success, and athleticism, says research presented at the 2008 American Academy of Otolaryngology.

According to researchers, first impressions of a person are influenced by facial appearance and improved by cosmetic surgery. They wanted to determine whether or not the use of botulinum toxin A would contribute to a person receiving higher scores on a variety of first impression scales. Photos were taken of the study participants before and after the treatment with the botulinum toxin A, then the photos were randomly divided into books with each subject represented only once per book. Blinded evaluators completed a survey rating their first impression on various measures of success for each photo in the book.

Subjects who received the injections improved first impression scores for scales of dating success, attractiveness, and athletic success The authors did not find any positive correlation between botulinum toxin A injection and increased scores regarding social skills, financial, or relationship success.

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.

Visit our website for more information about botox injections, and then contact us online or call our Patient Care Coordinator at 972.239.6317 x134 for a FREE phone consultation and to setup an appointment.

Fat Injections - The New Trend in Facial Aesthetic Surgery

Fat grafting has changed the approach toward facial aesthetic surgery dramatically. Traditional facelifts simply do not provide a natural result as a stand alone procedure. Facial fat injections should almost always be a part of any facial rejuvenation procedure and frequently is the only surgical technique needed.


Fat grafting is not new and has been around for decades. However, we have seen a paradigm shift in the way we approach facial aging and the technique of fat transfer has become increasingly popular over the last two years. There is no question that fat is the ideal material for soft tissue augmentation, and that the results obtained with fat grafting are the most natural-appearing. In the past, resorption (breakdown) of grafted fat resulted in only temporary, unpredictable improvement. Grafted fat must gain its own blood supply in its new location in order to persist long-term, and this was not possible when large amounts were injected at once and when specialized instrumentation and techniques were not employed.

Today, we use a technique called micro-fat grafting, in which tiny amounts of fat are delicately placed with a small blunt needle in a series of discrete layers throughout the face and hands. This allows the thin beads of fat to 'find' and new blood supply and flourish. This procedure requires specialized training and specialized surgical instruments, as well as patience and attention to detail on the part of the surgeon. When microfat grafting or fat transfer is performed properly, permanent improvements in facial aesthetics are possible.

Structural fat grafting is most commonly performed on the cheeks, upper and lower eyelids, mid-face, jowls, lips and hands. As we age, we 'deflate' due to fat loss. Deflation causes the overlying skin to sag. In the past, taking up excess skin with a facelift fixed the sag yet failed to 're-inflate' the face resulting in an unnatural result. Fat re-inflation has resulted in better rejuvenation and happier patients.

We are experts in fat transfer technology and encourage you to consult with Dr. Light if you think this procedure would beneficial.

Visit our website for more information about fat transfer, and then contact us online or call our Patient Care Coordinator at 972.239.6317 x134 for a FREE phone consultation and to setup an appointment.

Much High Fructose Corn Syrup Contaminated With Mercury, New Study Finds

Reprinted in Part from a January 26, 2009 Public Press Release

Brand-Name Food Products Also Discovered to Contain Mercury

Mercury was found in nearly 50 percent of tested samples of commercial high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), according to a new article published today in the scientific journal, Environmental Health. A separate study by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) detected mercury in nearly one-third of 55 popular brand-name food and beverage products where HFCS is the first or second highest labeled ingredient; including products by Quaker, Hershey's, Kraft and Smucker's.

HFCS use has skyrocketed in recent decades as the sweetener has replaced sugar in many processed foods. HFCS is found in sweetened beverages, breads, cereals, breakfast bars, lunch meats, yogurts, soups and condiments. On average, Americans consume about 12 teaspoons per day of HFCS. Consumption by teenagers and other high consumers can be up to 80 percent above average levels.

"Mercury is toxic in all its forms," said IATP's David Wallinga, M.D., and a co-author in both studies. "Given how much high fructose corn syrup is consumed by children, it could be a significant additional source of mercury never before considered. We are calling for immediate changes by industry and the FDA to help stop this avoidable mercury contamination of the food supply."

In the Environmental Health article, Dufault et al. found detectable levels of mercury in nine of 20 samples of commercial HFCS. Dufault was working at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration when the tests were done in 2005. She and co-authors conclude that possible mercury contamination of food chemicals like HFCS was not common knowledge within the food industry that frequently uses the sweetener. While the FDA had evidence that commercial HFCS was contaminated with mercury four years ago, the agency did not inform consumers, help change industry practice or conduct additional testing.

For its report "Not So Sweet: Missing Mercury and High Fructose Corn Syrup," IATP sent 55 brand-name foods and beverages containing HFCS as the first or second ingredient to a commercial laboratory to be tested for total mercury.

Nearly one in three products tested contained detectable mercury. Mercury was most prevalent in HFCS-containing dairy products, followed by dressings and condiments.

In making HFCS, caustic soda is used, among other things, to separate corn starch from the corn kernel. For decades, HFCS has been made using mercury-grade caustic soda produced in industrial chlorine (chlor-alkali) plants. The use of mercury cells to produce caustic soda can contaminate caustic soda, and ultimately HFCS, with mercury.

"The bad news is that nobody knows whether or not their soda or snack food contains HFCS made from ingredients like caustic soda contaminated with mercury," said Dr. Wallinga. "The good news is that mercury-free HFCS ingredients exist. Food companies just need a good push to only use those ingredients."

While most chlorine plants around the world have switched to newer, cleaner technologies, many still rely on the use of mercury cells. In 2005, 90 percent of chlorine production was mercury-free, but just 40 percent of European production was mercury-free. Four U.S. chlor-alkali plants still rely on mercury cell technology. In 2007, then-Senator Barack Obama introduced legislation to force the remaining chlor-alkali plants to phase out mercury cell technology by 2012.

The Environmental Health article by Dufault et al. can be found at: http://www.ehjournal.net/

"Not So Sweet: Missing Mercury and High Fructose Corn Syrup," by David Wallinga, M.D., Janelle Sorensen, Pooja Mottl and Brian Yablon, M.D., can be found at: http://www.iatp.org/

IATP works locally and globally at the intersection of policy and practice to ensure fair and sustainable food, farm and trade systems.

Visit our website for more information about mercury toxicity and treatments, and then contact us online or call our Patient Care Coordinator at 972.239.6317 x134 for a FREE phone consultation and to setup an appointment.