TO: All breast cancer researchers, doctors, and patients.

The purpose of this yearly post is to stimulate interest and
discussion about the biomechanical effects of shoes on "age-related"
degenerative diseases, such as breast cancer.  Chiropodist Dr. Simon
J. Wikler pioneered efforts to understand the influences of shoes in
the 1950's, but his work was neglected during the subsequent drug- and
diet-based approaches to medicine.  However, the prolific footwear
historian and podiatrist Dr. William A. Rossi clearly demonstrated
throughout his publications that shoes influence the posture of the
human body.  Therefore, using the posture-based approaches to medicine
of the distinguished orthopedist Dr. Joel E. Goldthwait, I have
expanded Dr. Wikler's insightful work to include a variety of
illnesses and conditions whose causes remain unknown.

Breast cancer is just one example of diseases that are related to the
use of footwear.  Dr. Wikler observed that rounding of the shoulders
in humans puts tissue at a mechanical disadvantage.  He explains, "The
breast is slung between strong fibrous bands (fascia) that arise from
the breast and collarbones.  As long as the shoulders are thrust back
and the chest held erect, breasts can become very heavy and sag
considerably without undue strain to these fibrous bands.  In the
characteristic posture of unbalanced feet, however, the shoulders
slump forward and, instead of the breast bone being prominent, the
armpits are now more forward.  It becomes mechanically impossible for
the breast-and-collarbone fascia to support the breast.  Weak fibers
from the outer side of the chest attached to the armpits must now do
the job.  But these fibers are incapable.  So there is a constant
straining and tearing at these tissues on the upper outer part of the
breast.  It is exactly in this site that more than 90% of breast
cancer is found, and it can be reasonably concluded that the
deformation of the feet may be an important cause."

You may find my thesis regarding shoes and disease on the Internet at:
http://www.shoebusters.com
Thank you very much for considering my novel approach.

James Semmel
Albuquerque, New Mexico