From the American breast cancer surgeon notable for her surgical treatment of celebrities Angelina Jolie and Sheryl Crow
THE BREAST CANCER BOOK
by Dr. Kristi Funk
HarperCollins, April/May 2018
Dr. Funk is best known for performing the double prophylactic mastectomy, which her longtime patient Angelina Jolie wrote about in her NYT op-ed “My Medical Choice,” and her clinic’s research on early detection for triple negative breast cancer. Dr. Funk’s other celebrity patients include Sheryl Crow; she has appeared on GMA, The Doctors, Dr. Oz, CNN, and The Today Show; and her work has been featured in People, New York, Marie Claire, and Los Angeles magazine. She is GMA’s go-to breast health expert.
Although trained as a surgeon, Dr. Funk’s #1 priority for the public is to teach people how to avoid breast cancer before they ever need to come to her clinic. Most people assume genetics are destiny for predicting their risk, but 80% of women diagnosed with breast cancer have no family history. Diet and lifestyle choices are proving to be the major contributors to risk. So what should you be doing?
Food is a powerful tool, and Dr. Funk recommends a diet that controls estrogen levels, since estrogen is a fuel for 75% of breast cancer cells. Based on the latest science, Dr. Funk reveals the foods to eat and the foods to avoid. The ideal meal is low-fat and high fiber, composed of lean meat, an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables (preferably organic and including leafy greens), some flaxseed oil and a little turmeric, with a cup of green tea on the side. Some foods you’re probably afraid of, like dairy and soy, may not be as dangerous as you think. And some, like coffee, don’t have any affect at all. Beyond food, Dr. Funk shares the latest on other controllable lifestyle factors: supplements, hormones, exercise, and so forth. Of course, there are factors that you can’t control (age, BRCA status, etc.). As a responsible physician, Dr. Funk creates a unique long-term risk reduction plan for every woman based on her needs. Some, like Angelina, opt for surgery. But far more opt for a combination of screening and lifestyle changes. The book will help women figure out the right path for them. And, of course, for those living with and surviving breast cancer, Dr. Funk will explain the latest on diagnosis and treatment.
Dr. Kristi Funk is a graduate of Stanford and went to med school at UC Davis. After residency at Virginia Mason Hospital in Seattle, she joined Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, becoming director of patient education at the breast center. She started her own clinic, the Pink Lotus Breast Center, in 2009, with locations in Santa Monica and Beverly Hills. Her published works have appeared in Advanced Therapy of Breast Disease, Surgical Clerkship Manual, Archives of Surgery, the Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery and the Journal of Clinical Microbiology.
