Cancer

 Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide and the total number of cases globally is increasing. Cancer is the uncontrolled growth of cells in the body. The exact reason for this cell behavior is unknown. It is unclear why the cells are not receptive to the normal signal to stop reproducing. The body is made up of trillions of living cells. Normal body cells grow, divide, and die in an orderly fashion. During the early years of a person’s life, normal cells divide faster to allow the person to grow. After the person becomes an adult, most cells divide only to replace worn-out or dying cells or to repair injuries.

Cancer cell growth is different from normal cell growth. Instead of dying, cancer cells continue to grow and form new, abnormal cells. Cancer cells can also invade (grow into) other tissues, something that normal cells cannot do. In most cases cancer cells grow out of control and invade other tissues forming hard lumps or tumors. Some cancers, like leukemia, rarely form tumors. Instead, these cancer cells involve the blood and blood forming organs and circulate through other tissues where they grow. 

Cancer cells can also break away from a malignant tumor and enter the bloodstream or lymphatic system, which can carry them throughout the body, causing new tumors to form in other organs. The spread of cancer is called metastasis. Cancers are always named for the place where they started. For example, breast cancer that has spread to the liver is still called breast cancer, not liver cancer. Likewise, prostate cancer that has spread to the bone is metastatic prostate cancer, not bone cancer.
Different types of cancer can behave very differently. For example, lung cancer and breast cancer are very different diseases. They grow at different rates and respond to different treatments. That is why people with cancer need treatment that is aimed at their particular kind of cancer. Cancer treatment works best when cancer is found early.

Finding cancer early usually means it can be treated while it is still small and is less likely to have spread to other parts of the body. This often means a better chance for a cure, especially if the cancer can be removed with surgery.

Warning Signs For Cancer 
Sometimes people ignore symptoms. They may not know that symptoms could mean something is wrong. Or they may be frightened by what the symptoms might mean and don’t want to get medical help. But no symptom should be ignored or overlooked, especially if it has lasted a long time or is getting worse.

Please see a doctor to find out what is going on. If cancer is not the cause, a doctor can help figure out what is the actual problem and treat it, if needed.
It is important to know some of the general signs and symptoms of cancer. But remember, having any of these does not mean that you have cancer—many other things cause these signs and symptoms too. If you have any of these symptoms, and they last for a long time or get worse, see a healthcare professional.
Sometimes it is possible to find cancer before you have symptoms through cancer early detection tests. The seven classic warning signs of cancer can
be remembered by using the acronym “CAUTION”

 • Change in bowel or bladder habits – Longterm constipation, diarrhea, or a change in the size of the stool may be a sign of colon cancer. Pain when passing urine, blood in the urine, or a change in bladder function (such as needing to pass urine more or less often than usual) could be related to bladder or prostate cancer.

• A sore that fails to heal

• Unusual bleeding or discharge – (blood in sputum, blood in stool, abnormal vaginal discharge, bloody discharge from nipple)

• Thickening or lump in the breast or elsewhere

• Indigestion or difficulty swallowing

• Obvious change in a wart or mole

• Nagging cough or hoarseness 

Other symptoms are unexplained weight loss (may indicate cancer in pancreas, stomach, esophagus, or lung); fever; chronic fatigue; pain; skin changes (darker looking skin referred to as hyperpigmentation; yellowish skin and eyes known as jaundice; reddened skin, called erythema; itching; and excessive hair growth);
and white patches inside the mouth or white spots on the tongue.
The signs and symptoms listed above are the ones more commonly seen with cancer, but there are many others that are less common and are not listed here. If you notice any major changes in the way your body works or the way you feel—especially if it lasts for a long time or gets worse—let a doctor know. If it has nothing to do with cancer, the doctor can find out more about what’s going on and, if needed, treat it. If it is cancer, you’ll give yourself the chance to have it treated early, when treatment works best.

Causes of cancer
Cancer arises from one single cell. The transformation from a normal cell into a tumor cell is a multistage process, typically a progression from a pre-cancerous lesion to malignant tumors. These changes are the result of the interaction between a person’s genetic factors and three categories of external agents, including:
• Physical carcinogens, such as ultraviolet and ionizing radiation
• Chemical carcinogens, such as asbestos, components of tobacco smoke, afflation (a food contaminant) and arsenic (a drinking water contaminant)
• Biological carcinogens, such as infections from certain viruses, bacteria or parasites.
Ageing is another fundamental factor for the development of cancer. The incidence of cancer rises dramatically with age, most likely due to the natural buildup of exposure to certain risk factors over time. This overall “risk accumulation” is combined with the tendency for cellular repair mechanisms to be less effective as a person grows older. Tobacco use, alcohol use, unhealthy diet, and chronic infections from hepatitis B (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and some types of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) are leading risk factors for cancer in low- and middle income countries. Cervical cancer, which is caused by HPV, is a leading cause of cancer death among women in low-income countries.

Cancer statistics
Cancer is a devastating disease in which millions of families are affected each year. The following statistics illustrate just how close each of us will come to this disease in our  lifetime. According to World Health Organization (WHO) statistics, more than 12 million new cases of cancer are diagnosed annually. Cancer kills more than 7.6 million people (around 13% of all deaths) each year, making it the leading cause of death throughout the world.

Every 45 seconds one American life is lost to cancer. Cancer is responsible for 1 out of every 4 deaths in the U.S.A. Cancer strikes 1 in 3 Americans and has just eclipsed heart disease to become that country’s number one killer. It is estimated that half of all men and one-third of all women in the US will develop cancer during their lifetimes. Statistics show that in the year 1880, when records were first kept, only 1 of 35 people developed cancer in their lifetime. That figure is currently at 1 in every 2—a shocking statistic.
• Globally, 56% of the cancer cases and 64% of the deaths occurred in the economically developing world. The number of global cancer deaths is projected to increase 45% from 2007 to 2030 (from 7.9 million to 11.5 million deaths), influenced in part by an increasing and aging global population.
• Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of
cancer death among females, accounting for 23% of the total cancer cases and 14% of the  cancer deaths.
• Cancer now kills more children between the ages of 3 and 14 than any other illness.
• Among all cancers, lung cancer has become the leading killer of both men and women, surpassing breast cancer in 1986.
• 1 in 11 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime, increasing with age.
• Lung cancer is the leading cancer site in males, comprising 17% (1.4 million deaths) of the total new cancer cases and 23% of the total cancer deaths. Other common cancers are stomach (740,000 deaths); liver (700,000 deaths); colorectal (610,000 deaths) and breast (460,000 deaths). Cancers that are more common in developed countries are prostate, breast and colon cancers.
• Liver, stomach and cervical cancer are more common in developing countries.
• Although overall cancer incidence rates in the developing world are half those  seen in the developed world in both sexes, the overall cancer mortality rates are generally similar. More than 64% of all cancer deaths occurred in low- and middle-income countries.
• Cancer survival tends to be poorer in developing countries, most likely because of a combination of a late stage at diagnosis and limited access to timely and standard treatment.
• Cancer rates in Africa are expected to grow by 400% over the next 50 years. This relates to HIV-related cancers (such as non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, cervical carcinoma and Kaposi’s sarcoma) and to those specific to Africa such as squamous cell neoplasia of the conjunctiva.
• The burden of cancer is increasing in economically developing countries as a result of population aging and growth as well as, increasingly, an adoption of cancer associated lifestyle choices including smoking, physical inactivity, and “westernized” diets.

 
Content derived from World Health Organization (WHO) materials available at: www.who.int. Additional Cancer Information If you have cancer, self-educate as much as possible regarding your particular type of cancer. It can be overwhelming to research the various cancer treatments available today.
But it is vital that you explore your choices, get the facts about the latest breakthroughs, discover new therapies, and get treatment details to help you make an informed decision. In addition to medical treatments, you may wish to fight the cancer on two additional levels:

• Alternative treatments are available from a naturopath, other alternative or integrative physician, or conventional medical doctors. Once you have made your decision, make sure nothing gets in the way of your treatment.
• Good nutrition is especially important if you have cancer because the illness itself, as well as its treatments, can affect your appetite. Cancer and its treatments can also affect your body’s ability to tolerate certain foods and to absorb and use nutrients. Eating well and taking dietary supplements and herbs can help you both fight and prevent cancer. While you are being treated for cancer, supplements can help you feel better, keep up your strength and energy, maintain healthy weight and your body’s store of nutrients, tolerate treatment-related side effects, lower your risk of infection and help you heal and recover quickly.

Healthy Things You Can Do To
Decrease Cancer Risk:
Are you interested in doing all you can to improve your health and fight off cancer? Maybe you have a history of cancer in your family or a loved one who’s battling the disease.
Maybe you’re dealing with cancer yourself or trying to prevent a recurrence. Whatever the situation, your dietary and lifestyle choices matter. Some foods actually increase your risk of cancer, while others support your body and strengthen your immune system. By making smart food choices, you can protect your health, feel better and boost your ability fight off disease.

GENERAL LIFESTYLE CHANGES
• Stop smoking. Even if you have been smoking for many years, your risk of getting lung cancer will start to decrease as soon as you stop.
• Reduce your alcohol intake. The recommended safe limit of alcohol per day is 2 units for women and 3 for men (1 unit equals a half pint of beer or a small glass of wine). Drinking less is even better.
• Eat a healthy diet with plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, starchy carbohydrates (bread, potatoes, pasta and whole grain cereals) and protein-rich foods (chicken, fish and eggs)
• Reduce red meat consumption.
• Reduce stress as much as possible.
• Exercise vigorously and regularly.
• Avoid environmental pollution and control occupational hazards.
• Lose weight and maintain a healthy body weight. Too much body fat is one of the leading risk factors for cancer, especially colorectal cancer. Obesity is also a  risk factor for breast cancer. Increased fat tissue raises circulating estrogen levels, which increase the risk of breast cancer. Obese men have a higher rate of prostate cancer too.
• Protect yourself from the damaging effects of the sun with the help of solar screens of SPF 15 (solar protection factor) or more. Avoid “bronzages” (sun bath) between the hours of 11:00 am and 3:00 pm.
• Drink 2-3 liters of water per day.
• Vaccinate against human papilloma virus (HPV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV)

SPECIFIC DIETARY CHANGES
The best diet for preventing or fighting cancer is a predominantly plant-based diet that includes a variety of vegetables, fruits, nuts, grains and beans. Plants have less fat, more fiber and more cancer-fighting nutrients. These three elements work together to support your immune system and help your body fight off cancer.
• Increase your fiber intake to at least 25 grams a day. Fiber moves potential carcinogens through the intestines faster, decreasing the contact time between carcinogens and the intestinal wall. Fiber also absorbs bile acids, keeping them from acting on bacteria to produce fecapentanes, the cancerous substances that are formed by decaying foods within the colon. Fiber also promotes the growth of healthy bacteria in the intestines, which crowd out the undesirable bacteria that produce fecapentanes. Besides lowering the risk of colorectal cancer, a high fiber diet can lower the risk of breast cancer by binding estrogen in the bowels,  thereby lessening the estrogen effect in the cells of breast tissue. Best anticancer
fiber sources are: wheat bran, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, navy beans, whole wheat, whole grains, legumes, whole grain bread, and prunes. Get used to looking at the package label to find the fiber content of foods. Simple modifications in your diet can increase the amount of fiber you eat.Use whole grain breads instead of white bread (white bread is junk bread). Eat apples; the skin contains a fiber called pectin.

• Eat lots of raw fruits and vegetables. Eating more fruits and vegetables decreases your appetite for fatty foods, which themselves increase the risk of cancer. Plants also contain phytochemicals that may help your body fight cancer. The five major classes of compounds that occur in fruits and vegetables as natural blocking agents against carcinogens are: phenols, indols, flavones, umines and isothiocyanates. These neutralizing agents prevent carcinogens from reaching critical target sites within the cell. The vegetables most important to reducing the risk of cancer are the cruciferous vegetables: broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, mustard greens, kale and cauliflower. These vegetables contain three cancer-protective biochemicals: sulforaphane, which not only boosts immunity but blocks enzymes that draw carcinogens into healthy cells; compounds that prevent the formation of carcinogenic nitrosamines in the intestines; and indoles, which lessen the risk of breast cancer.

• Keep your diet low in total fat and very low in saturated fats. There are at least two ways in which dietary fat contributes to cancer. First, tumor cells need low density lipoproteins (LDLs) to grow. Therefore, a diet that helps to lower LDL        levels could keep potentially cancerous cells from growing. Eating fat also stimulates the production of bile, which is needed to digest fat. If a lot of bile is allowed to stagnate in the large intestine for a long period of time, it’s converted
into apcholic acid, a proven carcinogen.
• Eat less total fat. Limit your daily fat intake to no more than 20 percent of your total food calories.
• Eat the right fat. Oils that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids have anti-cancer
properties. Increase seafood, such as salmon, sardines, herring, black cod and tuna, which is high in omega-3 fatty acids. Oils that contain more omega-3 than omega-6 fatty acids, such as flaxseed, pumpkin seed, canola, soybean (not hydrogenated), walnut, safflower, sunflower, sesame, avocado and
virgin olive oils are the right fats. Heating vegetable oils at high temperatures can
change fatty acids and make them carcinogenic. Peanut oil and extra virgin olive oil stand up best to cooking, but try not to boil them. It helps to keep stirring – stir fry so the oil doesn’t get burnt.
• Don’t eat bad fats. Avoid oils high in saturated fats, such as palm, palm kernel,
coconut and cottonseed oils. Avoid saturated fats found mainly in animal products such as red meat, whole milk dairy products and eggs. Trans fats, also called partially hydrogenated oils, are created by adding hydrogen to liquid vegetable oils to make them more solid and less likely to spoil—which is very good for food manufacturers, and very bad for you. Trim the fat off of meat
when you do eat it, and avoid eating the skin of the chicken. Limit fast food, fried
foods and packaged foods, which tend to be high in trans fats. This includes foods like potato chips, cookies, crackers, French fries and doughnuts.
• Switch from red meat to seafood. Some processed meats contain nitrosamines,
which can be carcinogenic to the colon. Also, compared with vegetarians, meat eating persons have different colonic flora. The effects of the meat may cause intestinal bacteria to transform bile acids into potential carcinogens. Not only can red meat itself be carcinogenic, but how you prepare it can also elevate the cancer risk. Choose fresh meats instead of cured, dried, preserved or smoked meats.
• Eat foods containing calcium. Calcium controls the multiplication of epithelial cells lining the colon. When these cells proliferate at a fast rate, the risk of cancer increases.
• Boost your antioxidants. Antioxidants are powerful vitamins that protect against cancer and help the cells in your body function optimally. Fruits and vegetables are the best sources of antioxidants such as beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E and selenium. Antioxidants protect against cancer in several ways.
They protect the membrane of intestinal cells, prevent free-radical reactions that can cause bowel contents to become carcinogenic and prevent faulty metabolism in the cell, which can predispose a cell to becoming carcinogenic. Consider daily supplements of the following: vitamin C, calcium, flaxseed, selenium, acidophilus, Vitamin E, A and D 13 14
– Beta carotene fights against cancer by both boosting the immune system and releasing a specific chemical called tumor necrosis factor. Beta carotene can block the growth of potentially cancerous cells. Best sources  of beta carotene are sweet potatoes, carrots cantaloupe, pumpkins, butternut and other
types of winter squash, spinach, broccoli,  mango, pink grape and papaya. Tomatoes contain lycopene, which enhances the absorption and utilization of beta carotene, so eating tomatoes with beta carotene-richfoods provides an added boost. Carrots and tomatoes are a good combination.
– Vitamin C blocks the formation of nitrosamines in the gut. These are potent carcinogens made from nitrates and nitrites found in food, especially processed meats. Vitamin C also boosts the immune system by increasing the production of lymphocytes
– Vitamin E and selenium are potent antioxidant. Foods rich in vitamin E are avocados, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, spinach, watercress, Brussels sprouts, blackberries, mangoes, corn oil, olive oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, mackerel, salmon, nuts, whole meal and wholegrain products. Selenium rich foods are red snapper, lobster, shrimp, whole grains, vegetables, brown rice, cottage cheese, lamb chops, chicken (white meat), sunflower seeds and garlic.
• Increase Vitamin D.Vitamin D, which you get from exposure to sunshine (around
10 to 15 minutes a day) and from vitamin D-fortified milk and other foods, has
anticancer properties. It suppresses angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels that nourish the growth of tumors. The     rates of breast, prostate and colon cancer are lower in climates that have the most sunshine. Low levels of vitamin D have been found in some people with colon cancer. Women whose diets are high in vitamin D have a lower risk of breast cancer.
• Increase intake of other anticancer vegetables like garlic, green tea, avocados, eggplant, green beans, onions (red), peppers, radishes, soy, squash, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, yams, Chili peppers and jalapenos, grape fruits, red grapes, licorice, mushrooms (shiitake, maitake, reishi, Agaricus blazei Murill, and Coriolus versicolor), seaweed and other sea vegetables.
• Flavor with immune-boosting spices and foods. Garlic, ginger, and curry powder
(turmeric), basil, rosemary, and coriander not only add flavor, but they add a   cancer fighting punch of valuable nutrients.
• Increase intake of other anticancer fruits: apricots, blueberries, grapefruit, grapes, lemons, mangoes, oranges, papayas, peaches, persimmons, organic strawberries and tangerines.
• Eat more soy products. Soy is a more healthful source of protein than meat. The primary anticancer value of soy seems to come from phytonutrients (for example, isoflavones), which inhibit the growth of new blood vessels necessary for tumor survival. Soy also protects against colon cancer by blocking the carcinogenic effects of bile acids (a process called angiogenesis). 

NOTE: Soy intake may be contraindicated for certain hormonally influenced cancers (ie – estrogen-positive breast cancer). Speak with your healthcare provider about incorporating soy into your diet.
• Limit consumption of salt-cured, smoked and nitrite-preserved foods.
• Do not cook oils on high heat. Low-heatcooking or baking (less than 240 degrees) prevents oils or fats from turning carcinogenic. Instead of deep-frying, pan-frying and sauté- ing, opt for healthier methods such as baking, boiling, steaming, or broiling.

• Go easy on the barbecue. Grilling (burning or charring) under high heat (such as searing or flame-cooking meat to well-done) can release carcinogens into the meat called heterocyclicamines, which can damage cellular DNA. If you do choose to barbecue, don’t overcook the meat and be sure to cook at the proper temperature (not too hot!). Poaching, stewing, microwaving or slow low-heat cooking releases fewer carcinogens.
• Store oils in a cool dark place in airtight containers, as they quickly become rancid when exposed to heat, light and air.
• Avoid foods that look or smell moldy, as they likely contain aflatoxin, a strong carcinogen. Aflatoxin is most commonly found on moldy peanuts. Nuts will stay fresh longer if kept in the refrigerator or freezer.
• Be careful what you put in the microwave. Use waxed paper rather than plastic wrap to cover your food in the microwave. And always use microwave-safe container.