This is what every woman needs to know before she says yes to a mammogram.
Most women are told to get a mammogram without ever hearing about a Canadian study of 80,000 women that found no difference in breast cancer deaths between those who were screened and those who weren't.
My guest, Dr. Stephen Petteruti, is a board-certified physician with more than 30 years of clinical experience in longevity-focused functional and integrative medicine, and the founder of Intellectual Medicine and the RDT Prostate Protocol.
This is a different kind of breast health conversation. Dr. Petteruti breaks down mammograms versus ultrasound, the problem of false positives, the radiation exposure from routine CT scans after cancer treatment, and how reimbursement, malpractice risk, and habit shape the standard of care.
He also explains the delayed relapse problem in breast cancer documented in the New England Journal of Medicine, and why he calls body fat percentage the "king of the hill" when it comes to prevention.
You'll also hear his provocative case for testosterone therapy in women after breast cancer. Plus, he pushes back on oncologists who tell patients to eat whatever they want during treatment, since women who gain fat after breast cancer treatment have a much higher relapse rate.
If you've ever felt rushed through a cancer decision or dismissed for asking a thoughtful question, this episode gives you the questions and the evidence to advocate for yourself.
You’ll learn:
[0:00] Introduction
[3:26] Dr. Petteruti’s path from Army doctor to cancer prevention
[11:08] Why cancer treatment itself raises future cancer risk
[16:50] Heavy metals and why filtered tap water wins
[24:20] A tumor’s seven-year head start before detection
[34:04] The antioxidant paradox and why balance beats purity
[36:25] The mammogram money machine and a Canadian study of 80,000 women
[46:34] Prostate treatments that studies say don’t work
[52:47] Questioning the three-month CAT scan protocol
[1:02:53] Delayed relapse and the dandelion-seed problem
[1:11:41] Monthly IV vitamin C and his theory on preventing relapse
[1:14:24] The trouble with total body MRIs and cancer screening blood tests
Resources mentioned:
The Structure of Scientific Revolutions by Thomas S. Kuhn | Book
Twenty five year follow-up for breast cancer incidence and mortality of the Canadian National Breast Screening Study by Miller, A. et al. | Article
Signatera (Natera) | Website
Intellectual Medicine University | Website
Dan Buettner - Blue Zones | Website
Find more from Dr. Petteruti:
Dr. Stephen Petteruti | LinkedIn | Instagram
Intellectual Medicine | Website | Apple Podcasts | YouTube
Fight Cancer Like a Man by Dr. Stephen Petteruti | Book
Vitamized Health by Dr. Stephen Petteruti | Book
Find more from Michelle:
Revival Health & Wellness | Instagram | Facebook | Website
Cancer Proof Living | YouTube
Michelle Patidar | LinkedIn