Some factors in diet seem to cause cancer; others seem to protect against it. You need to be aware of what you put in your stomach if you seek to decrease your chance of encountering malignancy.

For example, the Japanese have twelve times the incidence of stomach cancer as Caucasians, a differential that is strongly held to be due to as yet unidentified dietary factors.

Fat in the diet has been repeatedly linked with breast cancer. Whether it is the fat itself or the calories inherent in high fat diets is not clear, but when women or men are overweight, their sex hormone levels are altered in such ways as to bathe the sensitive tissues in higher than average hormone levels.

As support of the link between the two, the fact exists that breast cancer is much less common in Third World countries than in the U.S. A study of 48,000 men showed that those who had high dietary fat intake had two and a half times higher incidence of prostate cancer than those with low fat consumption.

Colon cancer also shows a correlation between incidence rates and dietary fat consumption. Colon cancer is rare in Africa, but is common in African Americans; cancer rates for Japanese are similar when they adapt to our diet.

Further a high alcohol consumption appears to encourage esophageal and stomach cancers. On the other hand, a wide variety of foodstuffs appears to act as a protector against cancer. This range includes fiber, vitamins, and some sulfides contained in garlic and onions.

The mode of action of these ingestibles is either supposedly direct or induced by somehow stimulating cancer fighting enzymes. Vegetables, greens, and fruits, which are beneficial for other reasons, seem to supply substances that act as cancer shields.

Conversely, the fatty foods of meat and milk products are suspected villains. Despite the studies, however, all the research that indicates an effect of diet on the rate of cancer is indirect. It is based on experiments in test tubes and in animals, and on epidemiological associations.

No one has proposed that a certain food stuff is a direct cure for or protection against malignancy. If such were the case, we would all be taking it or avoiding it. When this major food is discovered, I hope that it is something I like.

In the meantime, what makes sense to me is to eat a well balanced diet with major emphasis on the plant foods. Cancer is cruel. You need to employ constantly emerging information as to diet threats and benefits to limit its assault on you and your family.

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1. Cancer Healthy Diet
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3. Specific Foods That May Aid In Treating Cancer

Today, after several centuries of shunting aside the power of hope in favor of medical technology, more and more modern physicians are realizing how important the human spirit is to health and to the battle to prevent and cure cancer disease.

Several studies have shown not only that the mind/body connection exists, but that it may be a very powerful force in fighting disease. The results of a study confirmed what many physicians and patients had believed for some time that the emotional support provided by cancer support groups affected in a positive way the outcome of treatment.

Dr. David Spiegel, a psychiatrist at Stanford University, divided a group of eighty six women, all of whom had metastatic breast cancer. One group was given standard medical care surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation.

The members of the other group received the same therapy but also were asked to meet once a week in a group therapy session in which emotions often dismissed by physicians concentrating on the strictly physical aspects of cancer were expressed, discussed, and confronted.

The immediate effects surprised few people: the women who had the support of fellow cancer patients and a qualified leader reported fewer symptoms of depression, anxiety, and pain than those in the other group. After all, they had more opportunities to express their emotions and find solutions to problems.

What did surprise Spiegel and other physicians were the long range effects of support groups. Several years later, Spiegel made a startling discovery: Those who took part in the group psychotherapy lived twice as long after they entered the study as the group that received only standard medical care.

Another study, conducted  at the Malignant Melanoma Clinic in San Francisco by psychologist Lydia Temoshob, shows similar results. Cancer patients who displayed an overreaching need to be in control and who were unable to express their emotions (whom Temoshob termed Type C patients) did not respond as well to treatment as did their more expressive and more relaxed counterparts.

One of the most famous and well documented studies of the mind/body connection and cancer patients was performed in the late 1970s by Dr. 0. Carl Simonton and his wife, Stephanie Matthew SimOfltOfl. The Simontons developed a meditation and visualization program to help men and women with cancer tap into the power of their own emotions.

In an interview for the book, The Practical Encyclopedia of Natural Healing, Dr. Simonton states his beliefs this way, “You the cancer patient may actually, through a power within you, be able to decide whether you will live or die, and if you choose to live, you can be instrumental in choosing the quality of life you want.”

In 1979, the Simontons published a study that shows that people with cancer who allowed their minds and emotions to play a role in the treatment of cancer lived two times longer than those who received medical treatment alone.

Cancer remains one of the nation’s most intransigent health concerns, but one for which new advances are being made every day. By focusing on the profound role of hormones, like estrogen and testosterone and, yes, melatonin have opened the door on a new world of cancer research.

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The ideal cancer diet for prevention is the basic healthy diet. There are many reasons for this. First, it is low in fat and some cancers are more likely if you eat too much fat, especially saturated fat, and too many calories.

Obesity is linked with an increased risk of cancer of the breast, gallbladder, and uterus, and even being 5 per cent overweight increases this risk a little. A diet high in saturated fat leads to an increased risk of cancer of the large bowel.

A high fat diet means more bile must be made; bile is altered by bacteria in the gut and may release carcinogens as a result. When you eat a lot of saturated fat, more oestrogens are manufactured in the bowel and these are associated with a higher risk of breast cancer.

Second, the basic cancer healthy diet is high in fibre and insufficient dietary fibre seems to promote cancer of the colon. This may be because fibre actively protects you from cancer, or it may be simply because a diet too low in fibre tends to be too high in fat, too.

Women with a history of constipation have an increased risk of breast cancer. Third, the basic healthy diet provides plenty of foods containing

-  Vitamin A (which lowers the risk of cancer of the throat, oesophagus, lung, stomach, large bowel, bladder, and prostate);

-  Vitamin C (associated with a lower risk of cancer of the oesophagus);

-  Vitamin E (which may reduce the risk of cancer by protecting fats from going rancid  associated with higher levels of carcinogens);

-  Vitamin B6 (which may reduce the risk of cancer of the cervix and bladder);

-  Selenium (which protects against cancer of the breast and bowel);

-  Zinc (which reduces the risk of cancer of the prostate and boosts immunity);

-  Raw fruits and vegetables (which contain anti oxidant vitamins A, C, and E, and other anti cancer nutrients) and pulses (which contain anti cancer agents).

Some specialists believe that you can reduce the risk of cancer by eating live, fermented foods and drinks such as fermented grains, nuts, seeds, and juices, and yogurt. These encourage the presence of healthy bacteria in the bowel.

Other popular foods for preventing cancer are sprouted seeds (including grains). Excessive alcohol consumption has been correlated with an increased risk of cancer of the mouth, tongue, throat, oesophagus, and liver (especially in smokers).

Avoid damaged, stale, diseased, or wilted foods as they are more likely to contain carcinogens. Choose cold pressed vegetable oils as heat-processed oils may be more likely to contain carcinogens. (Cold pressed oils are usually darker and more opaque, and some contain sediment).

Keep fried foods to a minimum because heating fats (including oils) increases carcinogens and decreases essential fatty acids. Avoid burning or smoking food, and don’t eat or drink things too hot. If you have cancer, it makes good sense to eat nutritious foods and to avoid “empty” calories to help your immune system fight the cancer.

If you are taking drugs, a good diet (the basic healthy diet) helps you recover faster from their side-effects. Some people have benefited from a semi fast diet for a day or two, followed by a day on raw fruit and vegetables, then a return to the basic healthy diet, but with animal protein replaced by vegetable protein (grains, pulses, etc.).

A semi fast diet one day a week thereafter may be helpful. Some experts recommend a diet containing a large proportion of raw fruit and vegetables (especially carrots, apples, beetroot, cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower).

You should cut out dairy foods (except for fresh, untreated milk  but check that it has been tested for TB and brucellosis), meat, and fish out of this diet completely, and reduce fats to 10-20 per cent of your total calorie intake.

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3. What Is A Balanced Diet

The incidence of some cancers has a clear hereditary influence, among them lung  and breast cancer.

Cancer Nutritional Factors

Dietary and nutritional influences are thought to cause 60 percent of all cancers in women and 40 percent in men. Both cancer causing substances in the diet and lack of cancer inhibiting chemicals in foods play important roles.

High fat intake, including ingestion of large amounts of oxidized fats, those that are in the process of becoming rancid, are a source of increased free radicals, which promote DNA damage. The fat of animal meats contains hyper concentrated amounts of pesticides, which also contribute to cancers in humans.

In one review, for every additional intake of ten grams of fat per day, the cancer incidence rate increased 20 percent. A significant relationship between high polyunsaturated fat intake and the reduced incidence of malignant melanoma is apparent.

The highest intakes of sugar are associated with a fourfold excess risk for cancer of the gallbladder compared to the lowest intakes. Recent reports link higher sugar intakes to breast cancer as well. Cancer of the colon is also associated with high sugar intake and deficiency of folic acid.

Deficiency of fiber is directly related to increased risk of colon and rectal cancers. High levels of the phytoestrogens equol and enterolactone confer a lower risk for breast cancer. High concentrations of these are found in soy containing foods.

Epidemiological studies link excess iron to enhanced tumor growth and increased incidence of primary liver cancer and other malignancies.

Natural Carcinogenic Factors

Not all cancer causing substances are manmade. Cancerogenic psoralen compounds naturally occur in celery, parsnips, figs, and parsley. Aflatoxins occurring in seeds, nuts (especially peanuts), and grains, if any mold has accumulated, cause liver cancer. Cottonseed products contain a carcinogen.

Environmental Carcinogenic Factors

Environmental toxins (also referred to as xenobiotics) are highly suspect (e.g., air pollutants, pesticides, herbicides and fungicides, petrochemicals, and heavy metals). Exposure to petrochemicals, burned diesel fuel exhaust, and cyclic hydrocarbons result in free radical damage to DNA and lead to cancer formation.

A number of chemicals used in industry increase cancer risk, including heavy metals (lead, mercury; cadmium, arsenic), solvents (e.g., benzene), chrome and nickel ores, vinyi chloride, asbestos, chlorophenols, and bischloromethylether. Other chemical sources of cancer causing substances are defoliants (Agent Orange in Vietnam), coal tar derivatives in paints, food additives, and nitrosamines from nitrates in cosmetics and in food as preservatives.

Chronic use of hair dyes also contributes to the incidence of cancer. After combining with organic hydrocarbon residuals in polluted sources of water, chlorination of drinking water creates cancer causing chlorinated hydrocarbons, raising the all-cancer risk 15 percent, including 21 percent for bladder cancer and 38 percent for rectal cancer. Nations and tribes with low toxic chemical use and whole food diets have an astonishingly low incidence of cancers.

Radiation Cancer. Cancer risk is increased by any sources of gamma radiation, which affects nuclear plant workers, those living downwind from nuclear test sites, and those undergoing diagnostic and treatment exposure to X-rays. Children exposed to X-rays for shrinking adenoids and thymus glands and for treatment of ring worm of the scalp in the era 193 0 60 have a higher incidence of later leukemia and cancer of the thyroid.

Electromagnetic fields Cancer. Higher incidences of cancer of the head and neck appear to be present with exposure to electromagnetic fields, including use of electric razors. Years of exposure to indoor fluorescent lighting appear to significantly increase the risk of melanoma. Exposure to high tension electric power lines is related to risk of leukemias (especially in childhood).

Sun exposure cancer. Skin cancer incidence is greatly increased in white and Asian persons with long-term sun exposure, particularly with a history of deep tans and bad sunburns.

Drugs Cancer. Some drugs appear to enhance the risk for initiation and/or growth of cancers In rodents, the antidepressant drugs Prozac and aniitriptyline, given at doses equivalent to doses used in humans, stimulate the growth of deliberately injected melanomas. When a cancer-inducing chemical was given to a group of rats, 20 of 21 rats also given Prozac/amitriptyline developed breast cancers at 15 weeks, compared to only four of seven animals given placebos.

Antihistamines cancer have been shown to promote growth of cancers in laboratory animals. In mice, after injection of agents causing sarcoma and melanoma cancers, clear acceleration of sarcoma growth occurred in animals injected with Claritin and Hismanal (prescription antihistamines), and acceleration of melanomas occurred in animals injected with Atarax or Vistaril (prescription medicines for anxiety and itching). These drugs appear to accelerate growth of existing cancers.

Personal Habits

Smoking and tobacco use significantly increase risks of cancer of the larynx, lung, breast, mouth, stomach, esophagus, pancreas, bladder, kidney, cervix, penis, lymphoma and leukemia (risks increased by 20 to 2,500 percent). Tn 1997 175,000 deaths were attributable to smoking and tobacco use. Passive smoking (nonsmokers living with a smoker) increases the risk of many of these same cancers. Smoking causes 85 percent of lung cancer and 35 percent of all cancers.

Lifelong drinkers of alcohol increase their risk of the following cancers several times: mouth, tongue, throat, esophagus, larynx, stomach, liver, colon, rectum (especially beer), pancreas, breast, and skin (malignant melanoma). Nineteen thousand deaths per year are attributable to alcohol use.

Weight. In men a 43-inch waist confers two and a half times the risk for colon cancer compared to men with a waist measure of 35 inches or less.

Physical Deconditioning
Lack of exercise and physical deconditioning play very significant promotional roles in a number of cancers.

Biomolecular Cancer Factors

Coenzyme Qi 0 tissue levels are considerably lower in breast biopsy specimens that turn out to be malignant compared to levels in specimens that turn out to be benign. Some cancers are clearly affected by hormones, such as prostate and breast cancer. In premenopauSal women, DHEA levels are about 10 percent lower in women who subsequently develop breast cancer.

Emotional Cancer Factors

Stress. Prospective studies show increases in cancer in persons under chronic, excessive, unmanaged stress and after acutely stressful events, such as the death of a spouse. In several studies, the way people cope with stress has been correlated with cancer related deaths and rate of cancer progression. In animals stress increases tumor development, including accelerated initiation, growth, and spread.

Depression. A large number of studies have noticed the consistent significant relationship of depression, helplessness, and hopelessness to the onset of various kinds of cancer. Depressed patients have a much lower incidence of successful bone marrow transplant survival than nondepressed patients. Patients who express their emotions in socially acceptable ways rather than repressing them also
consistently do better. Patients who believe that a lesser amount of adjustment will be necessary to cope with their disease also do better compared to those who believe the adjustment will be very high.

Cancer Social Factors
Dr. Caroline Thomas’s long term study of 1,500 medical students showed that the strongest psychological predictor of cancer over the next 25 years was the perception of lack of closeness with parents in childhood.

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CANCER is  very common disease of industrialized nations, currently causing slightly in excess of 20 percent of all deaths in the United States. Some one million new cases are diagnosed each year, with half a million deaths annually.

The incidence of cancer has increased sixty times since 1800, and the risk of cancer for men born in the 1950s is three times higher than for men born in the 1880s. Since 1958 alone, the incidence of cancer in men has increased 55 percent. The curve of cancer incidence rises steeply after the age of 60. A number of potential contributing causes have fueled the increase.

Anatomy and Physiology

Cancer is a distorted, wild, uncontrolled growth of portions of body tissues or organs in which cells multiply rapidly without restraint, producing a family of descendants that invade and destroy the structure and function of adjacent normal tissues in the organ from which the tumor originated.

Cancerous cells can travel through the bloodstream or lymph channels to lodge elsewhere in the body, starting new growths (metastases) and compromising the function of organs to which the cells spread. The initiatory phase of cancerous growth is triggered by a distortion in the DNA command apparatus of the nucleus of body cells.

Many authorities believe that human beings in a single lifetime experience cancer many times and that on most occasions the immune chemical and cellular defenses defeat the new growth so quickly that no symptoms ever make themselves known.

These authorities believe that we should pay more attention to the state of the immune system, which for a variety of reasons, occasionally fails to recognize and eliminate these early growths before they can become a threat. Damage to DNA in cell nuclei from free radical proliferation appears to play a key role in initiation and promotion phases of cancer.

Symptoms and Diagnosis

The classical warning symptoms of cancer are:

•    The appearance of a new and growing palpable lump
•    The sudden and continuing enlargement in a palpable lymph node or gland, most easily felt in the groin, underarm, and neck areas
•    The appearance of unexplained bleeding from the mouth, throat, lungs, bladder, vagina, rectum, or skin lesion
•    A noticeable change in size, color, or shape of a birthmark, mole, or skin blemish
•    A noticeable change in function of a major organ; for example, unusual persistent diarrhea, constipation, difficulty swallowing food, or cough
•    Fatigue of new onset or unexplained weight loss

Following preliminary diagnosis by the taking of a history, performing a physical examination, and obtaining certain laboratory tests and X-rays, the definitive diagnosis of a cancer depends on the obtaining of a sample of the apparent tumor by surgical or needle biopsy.

Conventional Treatment

Following the pathological description of the cancerous tissue, the standard approach is to attempt surgical excision or removal of the entire cancer or, failing that, most of the cancer. Many patients at this juncture are then advised to undertake further therapy to destroy the remainder of the tumor or prevent recurrence from tiny amounts of tumor unknowingly left behind at surgery.

Cancer Chemotherapy, with varying combinations of chemicals that are destructive to rapidly multiplying cells, is used to attempt to destroy cancerous tissues manifesting uncontrolled growth. Chemotherapy is highly successful in Hodgkin’s lymphoma, certain testicular and kidney cancers, and childhood leukemias. However, 70 percent of women with breast cancer whose lymph nodes are free of cancer at the time of surgery are cured without chemotherapy.

Chemotherapy destroys not only rapidly multiplying cancer cells but rapidly multiplying immune cells as well. Patients may actually die from irreversible suppression of the immune system from the chemotherapy. This suppression limits the effectiveness and potential for chemicals to destroy all cancer cells. Many combinations of chemotherapeutic drugs cause side effects, including nausea, loss of appetite, diarrhea, weight loss, hair loss, and fatigue. Additional hazards include the appearance of secondary cancers later in life arising from the free radical damage from the original chemotherapeutic and radiation treatment.

Cancer Radiation, in the form of X-ray and radioactive isotope exposure, is used to destroy localized areas of remaining cancer. Radiation, too, has side effects: inflammation in surrounding normal tissues, diarrhea when the bowel is exposed, and degrees of nausea, loss of appetite, and fatigue.

In some types of cancer, including leukemias, radiation is used to destroy the blood-cell-producing bone marrow, after which the patient is given a bone marrow transplant. Patients must then take immune suppressant drugs to avoid rejection of the transplanted bone marrow.

Newer techniques used in certain cancers involve the use of vaccines and tagged antibodies made from tumor tissue itself. Conventional treatment also now encompasses chemoprevention (e.g., tamoxifen or raloxifen for women with and at high risk for breast cancer).

Cancer Immunotherapy. In late-stage melanoma patients treated with a vaccine made from irradiated, cultured melanoma cells harvested from lymph node biopsies, four year disease free survival of 47 percent greatly exceeded the usual surgical survival of 20 percent. Similar work is proceeding in using vaccines developed from biopsy material in lymphomas.

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Please see your own physician before embarking on any treatment  for cancer. Cancer patients are best served by a team of physicians and other health professionals. Cancer is a frightening disease.

We continue to suffer from the scourge, despite the billions of dollars spent on research and treatment. Our strongest weapon against cancer has been, and continues  to be, prevention. Protect yourself by reducing or eliminating your risk factors with these “Nine Steps for Preventing Cancer”

1. Stop smoking
2. Be careful with chemical
3. Slim down to your ideal weight
4. Reduce the fat in your diet
5. Give your “doctor within” all the nutrients and phytocheniicals necessary to keep it strong.
6. Limit your exposure to the sun.
7. Have regular checkups.
8. Learn to recognize the signs of cancer.
9. Remain optimistic and positive.

Cancer is the number two killer disease in this country. But if we do nothing more than stop smoking, eliminate most of the fat (especially animal fat) from our diets, reduce our exposure to chemicals and protect ourselves from the damaging rays of the sun, we can cut the rate of cancer in half.  Let’s take a closer look at the Nine Steps for preventing Cancer.

1. Stop smoking
It’s been about 30 years since the Surgeon General of the United States began warning that cigarette smoking causes lung cancer. About one-third of the cancers striking us down are related to tobacco, especially to cigarettes and chewing tobacco. There’s no good reason to smoke and no “safe” way to do it. It’s best to give it up.

2. Be careful with chemicals
Look at all the chemicals you use or are exposed to everything from hobby glue to oven cleaners. Some of them are probably reasonably safe, but you don’t know which ones may harm you. Ask yourself if you really need to use or be around each substance. If not, throw it out. Some of the dangerous chemicals we knowingly or unknowingly come in contact with are benzene, acrylonitrile, arsenic, benzidine derived dyes and many solvents. At work, you can ask to see the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) that are supposed to be kept for various chemicals. These sheets will tell you if the substances you use or come into contact with are potentially carcinogenic.

3. Slim down to your ideal weight
Many studies have connected obesity to cancer. For example, males and females 25 percent or more overweight have an increased risk of rectal cancer. Males who are 25 percent or more overweight are also more likely to develop colon cancer. A study of 750,000 men and women found cancer deaths increased in those 40 percent or more overweight. Simply dropping down to your ideal weight will significantly reduce your risk of cancer.  Here’s a rough rule of thumb to approximate ideal weight. For men, it’s 106 pounds plus an additional five pounds for every inch of height over five feet if they have slim wrist bones, an additional six pounds for every inch of height over five feet if they have medium wrist bones and an additional seven pounds for every inch of height over five feet if they have thick wrist bones. For women, it’s 100 pounds plus an additional four pounds for every inch of height over five feet for women with tiny wrist bones, an additional five pounds for every inch of height over five feet for women with medium wrist bones and an additional six pounds for every inch of height over five feet for women with large wrist bones.

4. Reduce the fat in your diet
According to the National Cancer Institute, about 30 percent of the cancer deaths in men and roughly 60 percent of cancer deaths in women are related to a high-fat diet. I believe the numbers are higher. Everyone now agrees a high fat Standard American Diet (SAD) is responsible for many cancers, including the “cancers of affluence.” Unwrap a stick and a half of butter. Squeeze it in your fist. Rub
that butter between your two hands, spreading it all over your hands and fingers. That’s about as much fat as there is in the food the typical person eats in a day. Feel that fat on your hands. Imagine all that fat oozing into your body cells, gumming up the works, initiating and activating cancer cells, turning normal cells cancerous.  You don’t have to count the fat grams in your food or worry about the balance between saturated and unsaturated foods. There’s an easy way to switch to a low fat diet. Make fresh vegetables and fruits and whole grains the basis for your diet. Limit your intake of meat,
poultry and dairy products and always select the low-fat varieties. Instead of burying your salads under mounds of fatty dressings, use vinegar, lemon juice or other low-fat seasonings.  I’ll be the first to admit that fat does taste good. But you know what? Not too long alter you switch to a low-fat diet, you stop missing it. Pretty soon, the fat you used to crave doesn’t taste good anymore.

5. Give your “doctor within” all the nutrients necessary to keepit strong
We’re learning that many foods, such as cabbage and broccoli, have specific anticancer properties. Others, such as carrots, contain beta carotene or other natural antioxidants that protect normal cells
against the potentially cancer-causing damage of oxidation. Still other foods are high in the fiber that helps to guard against cancers of the colon and rectum. Many exciting studies have shown that nutrients such as vitamin A and beta carotene reduce the risk of all types of cancer, especially cancers of the lungs, larynx, esophagus, stomach, colon, rectum, prostate and urinary bladder. You’ll find good amounts of beta carotene in carrots, spinach, sweet potatoes and other vegetables. Other nutrients such as vitamin C, vitamin E and the mineral selenium have also proved helpful in a laboratory setting. Crucifers, excellent cancer-fighting foods, are a family of vegetables that includes broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kohirabi and kale. Even the conservative National Academy of Sciences agrees that crucifers, along with carrots and spinach, are important cancer fighters, especially in preventing cancer of the colon. Fibrous foods seem to protect against cancer of the colon, while
also lending protection from heart disease. Eating plenty of vegetables and whole grains will help stack the odds in your favor. I’ve also found high-fiber diets to be useful in combating diabetes (both insulin dependent and noninsulin-depenclent). Many other nutrients and phytochemicals help to strengthen the body’s resistance to cancer, including vitamins Bi, B2, C and E, folic acid, selenium, zinc, bioflavonoicis, isofiavones, lignans, limonene, lycopene, protease inhibitors, phytic acid and sulfides.  Specific foods that have anticancer properties include apples, apricots, asparagus, barley, beans, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cantaloupe, carrots, cauliflower, currants, dandelion greens, eggplant, garlic, grapefruit, guava, lentils, mangoes, mushrooms, oats, onions, oranges, papaya, parsley, pasta, peppers, potatoes, spinach, strawberries, tangerines, tea, tomatoes, turnips, watercress, whole-grain rice and wholegrain wheat. All of these play a role in the battle against cancer. For many patients, I recommend taking the 4 ACES (A as beta carotene, vitamins C and E and the mineral selenium), Coenzyme Q1O and the proanthocyanidins. In addition, I strongly recommend the use of green tea and soy products for their cancer-fighting properties.

6. Limit your exposure to the sun
Although the warmth of the sun is pleasant and suntans are considered attractive, too much exposure to the sun can cause skin cancer. It’s best to use a good sunscreen when going outdoors and to limit your time in the sun. Hundreds of thousands of us will develop skin cancer this year, and the incidence of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, is steadily increasing.

7. Have regular  checkups
Regular examinations, Pap smears, mammography for women, the PSA (prostate specific antigen) and other tests can help nip some cancers in the bud. But make sure that your physician spends the time it takes to examine you from head to toe, to discuss your risk factors and to answer all your questions. Your doctor should ask you about your diet, your work, your hobbies, your family medical history and much more as part of his or her search for cancer risk factors. If he doesn’t spend time with you, consider a new doctor.

8. Learn to recognize the signs of cancer
Not every cancer advertises its presence, and the symptoms are sometimes easy to confuse with other problems. However, there are symptoms we all can watch for, including:

• A lump in the breast, nipple discharge or changes in the shape of the nipple may be signs of breast cancer.

• Vaginal bleeding between periods, abnormally heavy bleeding during periods and vaginal discharges may be signs of cancers of the cervix, uterus or vagina.

• Changes in bowel habits, continually feeling bloated, bloody stools (or black bowel movements), constipation and diarrhea may be signs of colorectal cancer.

• A cold, flu or feeling of general malaise that seems to last too long may be a sign of leukemia (a blood cancer).

• Persistent coughing, chronic hoarseness, coughing up of blood, difficulty breathing or pain upon breathing may be a sign of lung cancer.

• Painless red or white patches in the mouth or persistent, painful lumpy or swollen areas in the mouth may be signs of oral cancer.

• Dribbling of urine, having to urinate often, difficulty in starting the urinary stream and other changes in urinary habits may be signs of prostate cancer.

• Moles or birthmarks that change size or shape, small sores or bumps that appear for no reason and sores or other wounds that do not heal properly may be signs of skin cancer. Simple self examination is a powerful diagnostic tool. Here are some things you can do to watch for signs of cancer:

• Everyone can look at their urine and stools when they use the bathroom. Is there blood? Does your feces look like it was squeezed out of a tube? Have your bowel habits changed for no discernible reason? These may be signs of cancer.

• Many skin cancers are first noticed by the person’s spouse.

• It is especially important for women to learn to self-examine their breasts.

• Ask your doctor to show you how to check under your armpits for gland enlargement and how to check your liver (in the right upper part of the abdomen, just below the right rib cage) for lumps.

• Women should learn how to use a mirror to look at their labia (the outside areas of the vagina).

• Men should feel around their scrotums and check their testicles for tenderness or lumps.

Men and women can disrobe and stand in front of a full length mirror, checking any moles to see if they’ve grown, looking for skin discolorations or other problems. Be sure to check your back as well as
your front. Stand with your back to the full-length mirror. Using a large, hand-held mirror, examine the back of your body from head to toe.  I teach my patients the A-B-C-D method for identifying potentially malignant moles:

A = Asymmetry. The two sides of the rounded mole are not symmetrical (they don’t match).
B = Border. The outer border is not smooth or clearly defined. Instead, it looks scalloped or notched.
C = Color. Malignant moles may have multiple pigments (colors).
D = Diameter. Malignant moles are usually larger than a pencil top eraser.

Any abnormal findings, or even a suspicion of one, should be acted upon immediately. It’s best to be overly cautious.

9. Remain optimistic and positive
My own observations during 40 years of treating patients have convinced me that optimistic and positive people tend to have stronger immune systems than those who surrender to gloom. I firmly believe that enthusiasm, belief, love, forgiveness and perseverance are power flu medicines.

If you do get cancer….. Through the years, I’ve seen many cancer patients. I’ve noticed that the ones who look upon the disease as a challenge, who maintain a positive outlook on life, who continue to smile, love and laugh do much better than those who are filled with gloom and doom.

Our mind has a powerful influence upon our health. Thanks to modem scientific tools, we know that thoughts of joy, hope and love help to realign body chemistry and strengthen the immune system. On the other hand, many studies have shown that feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, anger and alienation predispose us to many diseases. This is not a new idea. Hippocrates, the ancient physician, noted that unhappy women were more likely to come down with breast cancer.

Face your disease (be it cancer or anything else) with determination to survive and thrive. Don’t lose sight of your joy and love; in fact, make every effort to double them, Fill your mind with positive thoughts. Think of yourself as being healthy. Walk as if you were healthy, talk as if your were healthy, act as if your were healthy. With your mind’s eye, picture yourself healthy. Keep that great thought in your mind all day long. Every thought in your head becomes a “thing” in your body. Positive thoughts become endorphins and other biosubstances that boost the immune system and help tilt the odds in favor of health.

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2. Rectum Cancer Treatment
3. The Treatment of Cancer

Mounting evidence shows a clear relationship between various nutrients and cancer, suggesting that good nutrition is a powerful preventive strategy.

That strategy can play an important role as an adjunct therapy for those who already have the disease.

1. Vitamin A. Solid research has shown that vitamin A reduces the risk of many cancers, including cancers of the bladder, esophagus, stomach, lung, prostate, cervix, head, neck, bladder and skin, as well as the cancer of the blood cells known as leukemia. Vitamin A is an important immune system booster, helping to keep the thymus and lymphoid tissue in good shape. Good amounts of vitamin A are needed to make sure the total number of T- and B-cells (immune-system cells that help fight off invaders) remains high. Vitamin A even helps those who already have cancer respond to treatment. In a study of 37 women about to undergo chemotherapy for breast cancer, researchers found that 87 percent of those with high levels of vitamin A responded to treatment, compared to only 36 percent of those with low levels.’ Good sources of Vitamin A include liver, cheese and milk.
2. Beta carotene. Beta carotene, a member of the carotenoid family, is the “plant form” of vitamin A. Some of the beta carotene that we eat is converted by the body into vitamin A.  Consuming large amounts of foods containing beta carotene has consistently been found to offer protection against cancers of the cervix, colon, esophagus, stomach, larynx, lungs and skin. As the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition points out, “One of the most consistent epidemiological findings in nutrition research has been an association between beta-carotene intake and status and reduced lung cancer risk.
3. Thiamin (Vitamin Bi). Low levels of thiamin intake may be associated with a greater risk of prostate cancer. A deficiency of Bi can lead to shrinking of the thymus, the “school” for immune-system cells, as well as a deficiency of T-cells and B-cells. Vitamin Bi can be found in garbanzo beans, split peas and whole grains.
4. Riboflavin (Vitamin B2). The intake of riboflavin may be inversely correlated with the risk of cancers of the prostate and esophagus. That is, the more riboflavin one gets, the smaller the risk. Lack of B2 can lead to problems in producing antibodies and reduced numbers of T-cells and B-cells. Vitamin B2 sources include broccoli, collards and dried beans.
5. Folic acid. This member of the B-family of vitamins may help to prevent cancer of the cervix. A test of the folic acid/cervical cancer hypothesis involved 47 young women who were taking birth control pills. They all had mild or moderate cervical dysplasia, a possibly precancerous condition. Some of them were given folic acid, others a placebo, on a daily basis. Three months later, the women receiving the folic acid showed significant improvement.
6. Vitamin C. Linus Pauling, Ph.D., sparked a tremendous controversy with his suggestion that vitamin C may help to prevent or cure cancer. Although the medical establishment remains firmly set against the double-Nobel-prize winner’s theories, mounting evidence suggests that the late Dr. Pauling was right.  We now know that vitamin C makes the immune system’s white blood cells more mobile. It stimulates the T-cells, which engage cancer in “hand to hand” combat; the B-cells, which produce “guided missiles” that lock in on cancer cells; and the macrophages, which “engulf’ and destroy foreign bodies. Good food sources include cantaloupe, papaya and spinach.  Some 90 epidemiological studies have looked at the use of vitamin C or foods containing it as a means of preventing cancer. Most of those studies concluded that there is evidence that vitamin C protects against cancers of the pancreas, stomach, oral cavity and esophagus. There is strong evidence that the vitamin protects against cancers of the breast, rectum and cervix. And there is newer evidence suggesting that vitamin C plays a major role in preventing lung cancer.
7. Vitamin E. Although excessive vitamin E can hamper the immune system, good amounts are needed in order to keep the numbers of T-cells and B-cells up to proper levels. As an antioxidant, vitamin E helps protect the body against the cancer-causing effects of oxidation. Food sources include wheat germ, nuts and green, leafy vegetables. Good levels of vitamin E in the blood have been linked to protection against cancers of the cervix, stomach, bowels, breast, head, neck, lungs and skin. When blood was drawn from 766 patients before they were diagnosed with cancer and from 1,419 controls, researchers found that low levels of vitamin E increased the cancer risk by one and a half times. In studies on-humans and animals, vitamin E has been found to enhance the effectiveness of several chemotherapy agents.
8. Selenium. Like vitamins A, C and E, the mineral selenium is an antioxidant. As such, it helps to protect the body from the potentially cancer causing effects of oxidation. A lack of selenium slows the body’s ability to produce antibodies when a foreign or dangerous substance appears in the body. Studies have shown that selenium deficiency is associated with increased risk of cancer of the breast, stomach, pancreas, skin and other parts of the body. It’s interesting to note that the amount of selenium in foods depends upon the quantity of selenium in the ground where the food was grown. People living in areas with selenium-poor soil, who are presumably eating selenium-poor foods, are more likely to die of can- cer than those living in areas where the soil is rich in selenium. Foods that are high in selenium include onions, garlic and green beans.

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The tremendous efforts of scientists have led to the development of several anticancer drugs, and researchers have also experimented with vaccines to cure cancer. Cancer is actually many different diseases that affect many different organs in the body.

Normally, cells in the human body grow and reproduce in an orderly way. But cancer cells lack the controls that moderate the growth process, so they continue to multiply wildly. They compete with healthy cells for space and nutrients, and they may spread to distant parts of the body through the bloodstream or lymph channels.

There are differences between the usual vaccines against disease-causing organisms and cancer vaccines. First, a vaccine against an infectious disease such as polio produces an immune response that prevents a disease from occurring or makes it milder. A vaccine against cancer immunizes a person to stop the growth of the cancerous cells. Second, the familiar vaccines are made from antigens on microbes that the body~s immune system recognizes as foreign.

Normally, a person’s immune system does not attack its own cells, so how can an anticancer vaccine work?

Although cancer cells are the body~s own cells, and not foreign, researchers have discovered that cancer cells produce antigens that are different from those on healthy cells. To mount an attack on the cancer cells, the immune system must recognize the cancer cells as foreign. Scientists have identified a large number of different antigens in prostate, breast, colon, lung, and ovarian cancers, as well as in lymphoma (cancer of the lymph glands) and melanoma (a serious form of skin cancer).

Scientists use several methods to generate anticancer antibodies. One method involves using cancer cells that have been removed from the person’s body. Researchers treat the cells with adjuvants, which are special additives that boost an immune reaction, and then the mixture is ready for injection.

The problem with this method is that a vaccine has to be made specially for each individual because each cancer is different. Other approaches involve the injection of various substances that increase the production of antigen by the tumor, or cancerous growth, which in turn increases the person’s immune response.

One group of researchers has been testing a vaccine against prostate cancer, using cancer cell antigens that were manufactured in the laboratory. They attached the antigens to a carrier molecule and injected the vaccine into mice. The mice produced antibodies to the cancer cell antigens. When the researchers tested the vaccine on men who had surgery for prostate cancer, the men also produced antibodies. The scientists hope that the vaccine may prevent the cancer from occurring again.

Other researchers are testing different kinds of vaccines against melanoma. One vaccine is made from melanoma cells from different patients. These cells are grown in the laboratory, and a vaccine is made from a combination of antigens from the surface of the cancer cells. When people with melanoma were given the vaccine, they remained disease-free for more than twice as long as melanoma patients who did not receive the vaccine.” Skin cancer of the type known as melanoma is characterized by irregularities and changes in moles.

Cancer vaccines present many challenges. The cancer may suppress the immune system, so it might not produce antibodies in response to a vaccine. Tumors may be able to escape detection by the immune system, or they may ill immune system lymphocytes Although anticancer vaccines may not be effective for advanced cancer, scientists believe they can help in the earlystages of disease.

There is one positive thing. Because the vaccine against hepatitis B helps reduce deaths from liver cancer, it has been called the first anticancer vaccine.

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Natural medicine uses methods that stimulate the body’s natural ability to heal, and corrects imbalances and lifestyle factors that led to the disease.

Alternative medicine can be used alone, as part of a treatment plan that includes conventional therapy, or to prevent recurrence.

Diet Pointers: Eliminate chemical and pesticide exposure (concentrated in the fat of meat and dairy). Aim at low animal fat, high fibre diet. Eat organic when possible. Increase fruits and vegetables. Soy foods have protective effect. Cheat ten percent.

Minimal Daily Supplements

500 to 1,000mg of Ester-C.
4001U. of Vitamin E.
30,000IU’s of betacarotene.
400mg selenium.
A high quality multi-vitamin and mineral, in capsule form daily.
Spirulina or other supergreen drink, high in trace minerals, antioxidants and easy to digest protein.

Other: Adrenal glandulars, pantothenic acid, thymus glandulars, herbs to
strengthen the liver, and herbs to promote lymphatic drainage.

Specific Remedies

There is no one right remedy. The treatment programme must be individualized, under the supervision of a practitioner.
714-X: An immune booster, developed by a Canadian scientist, can be ordered by your doctor or practitioner.
Essiac: Native herbal remedy developed by a Canadian nurse Rene Caisse, quality
varies greatly, so buyer beware.

Iscadora: Fermented preparation of European mistletoe, approved for medical
usee in Germany and Switzerland. Enhances immune function.

Ozone: A highly active form of oxygen that is usually injected directly into the
veins by a medical practitioner. It has been used extensively in Europe for over 50 years.

Maitake Mushroom (Dancing Mushroom): Has been studied extensively in Japan. It has been very effective in stopping the growth of animal tumours. Maitake mushroom is a powerful immune stimulant.

Imagery: Imagery is a powerful tool. It is best to create your own images to see your cells fighting the cancer, to see yourself healed and to marshal inner resources
Self-Nurturing: Sometimes breast cancer patients are too nice. Learn to say no other’s demands and do relaxing and soothing things for yourself.

Emotional Support: A fighting attitude is the best for survival. The worst is a helpless or hopeless attitude. But don’t despair, if you fall into this later category, you can change your attitude with some work. Just expressing your feelings in a supportive atmosphere can increase survival.

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Abdominal fat is a veritable estrogen factory, so losing abdominal fat decreases estrogen production. Girls with low body fat have later menarche. Women with low body fat slow the resumption of ovulation after breastfeeding and decrease the storage area for chemical estrogen’s.

After menopause, a lower body fat decreases bad estrogen production and increases estrogen caccier production. For younger women, a lower body fat makes tumors far easier to find. Tumors are notoriously hard to find in young women than with more than 15 to 20 percent excess body fat.

How to decrease body fat
These days billions of people around the world perfectly control their weight simply by eating foods that keep them lean. Low-glucose, high-fiber foods are the heart of any such program. Fiber is the foundation upon which any successful long-term weight-loss program is built.

Soy, also adds to any weight loss strategy because of its high fiber content, low glucose load, and tyrosine substance. Tyrosine plays a terrific role in maintaining your mental energy without the need for excess calories.

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