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Cancer - Basics
Let’s make one thing clear: everyone has a little bit of cancer. Every
day, hundreds or even thousands of cells are triggered into growing and
multiplying faster than normal. The body has developed an ingenious
set of strategies to make sure that these fast-growing cells do not get
out of control. This has been going on for millions of years and is a
normal part of human life.
The first line of defense is located in the abnormal cell itself – when
its abnormal growth activates one of many chemical reactions designed
to kill it. This may seem like an amazing act of the cell sacrificing
itself, but it evolved selfishly over millions of years because the
cell cannot survive without the body. When the cell fails to eliminate
itself, the body takes over. There are cells in the immune system
whose job it is to find abnormal cells – including cancer cells – and
destroy them.
In healthy people, there is a balance between the cells that become
abnormal and the body’s ability to destroy them. What we call cancer
is what happens when that balance is lost. This can be caused by too
many cells becoming abnormal, or the body not doing its job properly,
or both.
Limiting DNA damage
What starts this whole process? What makes cells grow and multiply too
fast? It usually involves damage to DNA. Occasionally this is
inherited or influenced by hormones, but most DNA damage is caused by
electrically reactive molecules called free radicals. They come from
the sun’s harmful radiation – the sun’s UV rays or X-rays – and from
toxins like those found in cigarette smoke and alcohol. They are also
caused by saturated and trans fats, pesticides and other chemicals in
food. These are all best avoided.
The body’s best defense against these harmful free radicals are
antioxidants. We make some antioxidants on our own – things like
catalase, glutathione and alpha lipoic acid. These are essential, but
the antioxidants in fruits, vegetables and other foods are important
sources of antioxidants. They help us get rid of free radicals before
they can cause damage. That is why people who eat these foods get
fewer cancers.
Most of the research on diet and cancer has been linked to
antioxidants, but this is not the only way that foods work their
healing magic. Some foods actually kill cancer cells on contact.
Others have an anti-inflammatory effect that shifts the balance of
hundreds of chemical reactions; this symphony is incredibly complex,
but the overall effect is that the immune system does its job more
effectively. Even more fascinating, some foods prevent tumors from
growing their own blood vessels, which they try to do to divert the
body’s energy for their own growth.
Food as medicine
That’s it for the background information. It is helpful if you
understand the science behind your anti-cancer diet, but the question I
get from patients everyday is simple: what should I eat?
Scientists are incredibly careful about recommending foods. The
standards of evidence-based medicine were developed for drugs, so they
will not recommend that you eat a food unless there is evidence that
that particular food fights your particular type of cancer.
It is important to continue the research and get as many answers as
possible, but our approach is different. If research has shown that a
given food fights two or three types of cancer, it probably makes sense
to eat more of it, no matter where your cancer is. It is also
important to remember that most of the research on food has been
focused on cancer prevention. Using these foods when you already have
cancer is a bit of a leap of faith, but it is one that makes a lot of
sense.
Science is always looking for the magic bullet; trying to find out
which molecule in a given food makes it healthy. Whether the focus is
on selenium or folic acid, vitamin C or vitamin E, calcium or lycopene,
we believe the approach is misguided. In some cases, supplemental
vitamins make sense but foods are the best medicine.
Below you will find a list of the top cancer-fighting foods and how much you need to eat to get the benefits they offer.2 Write them down and go shopping.
Toxins to avoid
We’ll keep this brief because it is simple. The only good evidence about what to avoid concerns a few foods in particular. But chemicals are a definite no-no. An exhaustive list of these is impossible to compile, but a few guidelines are simple.
- Processed meat causes many cancers and should not be eaten.
- Red meat, when it is not grass-fed and organic, can lead to colon and other gastrointestinal cancers.
- Alcohol is alright in moderation, but every single drink increases the risk of breast cancer.
- Saturated fat and trans fats are a no-no.
- Pesticides in food increase cancer risk, so eat organic whenever possible.
- Simple sugars and carbohydrates promote inflammation. Eat a low-carb diet.
- Avoid cosmetics that are not completely organic and free of chemicals
- Drink spring water or filtered, mineral-enriched alkaline water
- Review your home - carpets, blinds, pots, pans, household cleaners and fabrics
Healing from hope
Eating well is important, and not just because of the chemistry of
food. There is plenty of evidence that eating foods that fight cancer
can have positive effects on the biochemical reactions taking place in
tumor cells and the rest of your body. But there is something else you
get when you choose to eat an anti-cancer diet – something not so easy
to measure or quantify, but just as important. You get hope.
Every time you eat a piece of dark chocolate, prepare a cup of green
tea, take a sip of red wine or prepare a meal made of fresh vegetables,
you are doing something. You are caring for yourself, trying to make
yourself well again. This act of responsibility and self-care is
incredibly important. It is a shift in consciousness that turns fear
into faith, helplessness into hope.
This does more than just make you feel good. The changes in your
perspective and your attitude leads to physical changes in brain
chemistry. When you feel an emotion, a molecule has been released in
the brain. These molecules of emotion are some of the most powerful
chemicals in the entire body.
Research in a field called psychoneuroimmunology has linked these
molecules of the brain to the hormones that control the entire body.
This is how an emotion can make your heart beat faster, make sweat come
out of your palms, make you breathe more quickly and even make water
come out of your eyes. Emotions can cause cancer, and they can heal it
too.
So whether you have cancer or not, eat well, live well and be merry.
The importance of exercise
Everyone knows that exercise is good for the body. Many studies have also suggested that the more you exercise, the lower your risk of developing cancer. A very exciting body of research is now developing that takes this link one step further: if you already have cancer, exercise can improve your quality of life - and maybe even your odds of survival.
Fatigue is one of the most important factors affecting quality of life in people with cancer. This can be due to decreased appetite, depression, weight loss, chemotherapy or even the cancer itself. In a review of 28 studies involving over 2000 patients, exercise significantly decreased fatigue in a very convincing manner. This review included cancers of the breast, colon, prostate, pancreas and many others (Cochrane Reviews CD006145). Other studies in cancer patients have shown that exercise improves pain, disability, quality of life and immune function.
When you are diagnosed with cancer, it may seem like there is too much happening all at once. Chemotherapy, surgery, radiation, changing priorities, managing relationships and all the alternative therapies worht considering can be overwhelming. Regular exercise is good for the brain, making it easier to deal with everything that is thrown at you.
But exercise is not just about wellness; it may actually be the most important treatment decision you can make. In a study of 573 patients with colon cancer, those who exercised the most lived the longest. Their chances of surviving their cancer were almost three times as high, and they were half as likely to die of any cause. This was also true of people who did not do much exercise until their diagnosis of cancer.
Similar studies have found that people live longer when they exercise with breast cancer. This truly remarkable finding that will likely usher in a new era of exercise therapy in the treatment of cancer. A recent New York Times article highlighted a growing trend of fitness classes for cancer. I recommend a mix of weight lifting, yoga, aerobic exercise and team sports for my patients. This improves strength, flexibility,cardiovascular function and well-being.
Natural Treatments
Some of the most powerful ways to improve your odds with cancer are things you can do very simply. A select group of Natural Health Products have been well-studied and shown to have powerful immune-boosting and cancer-fighting effects. The things we recommend most highly for our patients include:
- Medicinal mushrooms such as reishi, maitake, shiitake and Coriolus
- Green tea extract
- Turmeric
- Vitamin D testing and supplementation to treat deficiency
- Low-dose Naltrexone
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