Inbox

Every Nation's Race for a Cure

Thank you for the articles on breast cancer [Oct. 15]. My wife succumbed to the disease after a 10-year fight. During that time, I learned much about its diagnosis, treatment and funding. Advancements in diagnosis and the array of treatments that are available to women with certain characteristics of the disease are heartening. However, there is a paucity of funding. Members of Congress can work to better define funding priorities while realizing that their efforts affect more than just government agencies, corporations and re-election opportunities. We are not dealing with numbers here; we are dealing with people's lives.

Stefan N. Miller, Baltimore

Your articles would have us blame the victims for their disease--self-induced by unhealthy lifestyles and obesity. The alarming increase in cancers is the result of a toxic environment. If a cure for cancer is found, it will be the result of a grass-roots campaign to stop the release of pollutants into the environment. Cancer science is working on the wrong end of the problem.

Thomas L. Gritzka, M.D., Portland, Ore.

The rapidly rising rates of breast cancer in developing nations are closely correlated with the movement away from traditional diets and lifestyles and toward those found in the more affluent Western countries. If the goal is to prevent the spread of breast cancer around the world, perhaps more attention should be paid to these global changes rather than to the development of more expensive--and often unattainable--medical devices and drugs.

Leonard A. Cohen, Ph.D., Editor, Nutrition and Cancer: An International Journal Northampton, Mass.

Praising Domestic Dads

More recognition needs to go to stay-at-home fathers [Oct. 15]. My husband stayed at home for a total of five years to care for our daughters, who are now 5 and 2. In that time he cooked, cleaned, did laundry, planned playdates, remodeled our kitchen, put in hardwood floors and built a backyard playground. He also bartended on weekends to supplement our income. Only real men secure in their masculinity can give that much of themselves.

Jihad Ackerson, Charlotte, N.C.

Gain with No Pain?

As a yoga teacher, I was taken aback by the article, "When Yoga Hurts" [Oct. 15]. I fear its lack of balance might scare people away from a practice that offers far more benefits than drawbacks. Yes, yoga--like spinning and running--can be harmful if practiced incorrectly, but its history of more than 5,000 years and its millions of practitioners worldwide attest to its benefits. Besides building strength and flexibility, yoga has been shown to have a positive effect on depression, anxiety, insomnia and core physiology.

Dave Emerson, Cambridge, Mass.

Last January I entered a beginner's yoga class with expert teachers to cure annual spasms of back pain. During a series of downward dogs, my back seized up as it never had before. I had to crawl out of the studio and have other people put my shoes back on for me while I stood there crying. I am still recovering. One physical therapist told me that many of the bending poses are murder on the disks. No more yoga for me. I'll stick with Pilates.

Connie McDougall, Seattle

Yoga done correctly and noncompetitively is for everyone. I am 76 and began four years ago. Following the Iyengar method, I leave each session feeling at least 20 years younger--especially after standing on my head for five minutes.

De Vee Lange, San Diego