First, it is important to note that one should not change their diet suddenly and completely based upon the results of one study or one news report about the effect that any one food, vitamin, mineral, dietary supplement, or additive has on cancer. "Studies" and "reports" are published all the time, and many of these studies and reports are based upon limited research. The conclusions are not established within any medical degree of certainty.

Now, having said that, we do know with a high degree of medical certainty that certain foods, beverages, vitamins, minerals, etc., do impact cancer risk. For example:

We know that consuming two alcoholic drinks per day by a man increases his risk of getting cancer of the mouth, pharynx (throat), larynx (voice box), esophagus, liver, and breast, and probably of the colon and rectum. A daily intake of only one alcoholic drink by a woman creates the same risk.

We also know that the body uses the antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables to fight cancer. Results of research tells us that people who eat more vegetables and fruits that are rich sources of antioxidants have a lower risk for some types of cancer.

It has been established that the consumption of processed meat as well as red meat is linked to a higher risk of certain kinds of cancer. However, there is no indication that reducing cholesterol (found in processed and red meat) has either a positive or a negative effect on cancer risk. Lowering cholesterol does, however, lower the risk of heart disease and stroke.

The red-orange carotene pigment called lycopene is found mainly in tomatoes and tomato-based foods and to some extent in pink grapefruit and watermelon. There have been several studies that have reported that consuming tomato products reduces the risk of some cancers.

The conventional wisdom (?) of cancer researchers is that there is absolutely no connection between eating (or not eating) certain foods and taking (or not taking) dietary supplements. As a matter of fact, Dr. Daniel W. Nixon, the president of the Institute for Cancer Prevention in New York, said, "Vitamins and minerals are probably more or less worthless as far as cancer prevention is concerned." Horse feathers!

There is not nearly enough information available about the cause of OR the prevention of cancer for anybody to make that kind of sweeping (and dismissive) statement.

Most cancer researchers will tell you that cancer has everything to do with vitamins, minerals, foods, and nutrition, and they'll tell you that many of the cancers we see today are caused by cancer-causing food ingredients like sodium nitrate, hydrogenated oils, MSG, artificial food colors, and all kinds of chemical preservatives.

So the question is, if there are cancer-causing ingredients in the foods that we eat, might there not also be cancer risk-reducing substances as well? The answer is a qualified "yes." The fact is that you can increase the intake of foods, vitamins, minerals, and herbs that are known to reduce the risk of cancer, but if you don't eliminate or at least greatly reduce the intake of cancer-causing food additives and preservatives, there will be no benefit gained.

Some foods that reduce the risk of cancer and even help to cure cancer include garlic, onions, broccoli, cabbage, berries, cauliflower, any of the sprouts, green food concentrates like wheat grass, barley grass, and others, cereal grasses, super foods like chlorella and spirulina, unsaturated oils, and many medicinal herbs. These foods and supplements all fight and even prevent cancer by supporting a healthy functioning of our immune systems.

First, nobody (reputable) claims that acupuncture will "cure" cancer - and it won't. Acupuncture is an ancient method of treatment that dates back to the Stone Age in China. Just because acupuncture cannot cure cancer does not mean that acupuncture does not have a place in cancer treatment. As a matter of fact, many oncologists recommend acupuncture for their patients both before and after surgery, chemotherapy and radiation treatments.

Oncologists recommended acupuncture treatments for the purpose of reducing or eliminating pain as well as for reducing or eliminating the nausea that is often caused by treatments.

Cancer is a general term that covers more than 300 different diseases and can affect every part of the human body. The first line of defense against cancer is a healthy lifestyle and good health choices, but even the healthiest lifestyle is no guarantee that some form of cancer cannot strike.

The second line of defense is early cancer diagnosis. The earlier that cancer is found, the greater the chances that it can be cured. Treatments for cancer can include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery. Combination of two or all three of these options is very common - and this is where acupuncture comes in. This is where acupuncture can help a cancer patient.

Acupuncture can help reduce pain after surgery. There really isn't much debate about this, even in the established medical community. Acupuncture can reduce the pain and the need for pain medication in cancer surgery patients. Acupuncture has been used as a replacement for anesthesia.

Acupuncture is also regularly used to relieve nausea that is often caused by chemotherapy. Nausea is one of the most frequent side effects of all chemotherapy treatments, and it is also the one that is most dreaded by cancer patients that are undergoing chemotherapy. Acupuncture is used regularly and very effectively to relieve or even eliminate the nausea associated with chemotherapy treatment.

There is a great deal of interest today about the use of Chinese herbs to treat cancer. This interest is caused for several reasons. Two reasons are (1) the high cost of traditional cancer treatments; and (2) the side effects of the synthetic drugs that are used in conventional cancer treatments.

It is important to note that any treatment for cancer should be discussed with the presiding physician. Some combinations of drugs and herbs can cause an adverse reaction.

It is also important to note that the information provided here should not be considered medical advice. It isn't intended to replace the advice offered by your physician. This is merely information.

Dong ling cao: Dong ling cao was not listed in herbal dictionaries of early dynasties. It became available only in 1972. Dong ling cao is being used to treat cancer of the esophagus, breast, and liver, as well as for swelling of throat, insect bites, snake bites, and inflammation of the tonsils.

Yi yi ren (also called semen coicis): Yi yi ren is typically used to invigorate the function of the spleen and to reduce pain and swelling caused by arthritis. It is also used to relieve diarrhea, to remove heat, and to facilitate the drainage of pus. Yi yi ren is used by Chinese herbalists to treat cancer of the lung or spleen.

Tu fu ling: In animal studies, tu fu ling has proven especially effective in treating cancers in the urinary tract (bladder) and the liver.

Ling zhi: Ling zhi is used to enhance the immune system. Specifically, ling zhi is known to increase monocytes, macrophages, T-lymphocyt cytokine, interleukin, tumor necrosis, and interferon.

Ren Shen: Ren Shen is a herb that is known to enhance the immune system, and it helps to relieve the side effects caused by chemotherapy and radiation therapy, as well.

Cancer is a serious and terrifying disease. The very word "cancer" is enough to scare the socks off of average people. The scam artists of the world know this. They make very, very large fortunes by preying on the fear of cancer that is coupled with a basic mistrust of "the system" that those who are part of the baby boomer generation have.

Now, I am not saying that the health care system is flawless. It isn't. But there is not a secret cure for cancer that is being withheld from the public, either. You can bet that if there were a magic little pill that would cure the most dreaded disease on the planet, it would be available (albeit at a dear price) to the public.

There ARE alternative medicine cancer treatments that are effective in relieving the pain without the use of drugs. Nutrition IS important to good health, but there is NOT a food or a food plan that will cure cancer. There is NOT a dietary supplement or a magic combination of dietary supplements that will cure cancer, either.

No matter how much you pay for these bogus treatments, they aren't going to work. Well, they WILL work to line the pockets of the creeps that are out there promoting them, but they won't work to cure cancer.

"Caveat emptor" is Latin...it means Buyer Beware! Buyer Beware is a good motto for cancer patients who are searching for a magic cure for the dreaded disease. There is an old saying that applies here, too. "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is." When we are afraid - when pain and death are very real possibilities - it is only natural to look beyond the established medical community in hopes of finding a cure.

Cancer patients just need to be aware that so far, there IS NOT a cure within or outside of "the system." There is treatment, though. And more and more cancers are being cured everyday. There IS hope, so don't give up.

Chemotherapy has come a long way in the last several years. Many of the awful side effects of chemotherapy can be controlled or even prevented today and chemotherapy is often the best option available for treating cancer.

Chemotherapy is a general term that covers the use of many different chemical agents with the objective of inhabiting or stopping the growth of cancer cells and even killing cancer cells at sites in the body that are a long way from the original cancer.

The greatest majority of people who are diagnosed with cancer of any kind are treated with chemotherapy. That is because chemotherapy is effective. Chemotherapy can allow cancer patients to enjoy rich, full lives.

A treatment plan and a treatment schedule (a regimen) are recommended by the doctor for the administering of drugs included in the chemotherapy treatment. Some of these drugs are intended to fight the cancer, and some are intended to help support the cancer-fighting drugs. Doctors agree that keeping to the recommended schedule provides the best opportunity for the chemotherapy treatment to be successful.

The drugs used in chemotherapy treatment can be delivered by injection, by intravenous drip, or orally in pill form. The way the drug is administered is determined by the drug being used. Many of the cancer-fighting drugs used in chemotherapy are designed to kill fast-growing cancer cells. The problem is that these drugs can't tell the difference between fast-growing cancer cells and other fast-growing cells, including hair and blood cells.

Still, chemotherapy is often the very best choice available for treating cancer, even with the side effects. The best defense is always knowledge. Talk with your doctor. Work to understand the goals as well as the risks associated with each treatment. Only you can determine the benefit/risk balance that is right for you.

Surprisingly enough, many liver cancers can be prevented. There isn't a liver cancer vaccine yet, but there IS a hepatitis B vaccine that was approved for use in the United States in the early 1980s. The hepatitis B vaccine protects both children and adults from the hepatitis B virus. Chronic infection with the hepatitis B virus is one of the leading causes of liver cancer worldwide.

It is recommended that all children be given the hepatitis B vaccine and that all adults who are at risk, like health care workers and those who engage in risky behavior, get the vaccine as well.

The other leading cause of liver cancer is chronic infection with the hepatitis C virus. So far, there is not a vaccine to protect against hepatitis C infection. The best prevention against hepatitis C as well as hepatitis B (for those who have not been vaccinated) is understanding how the viruses are spread and how to avoid contamination.

Both hepatitis B and hepatitis C are spread through shared use of a contaminated needle (drug use), through unprotected sex, and through childbirth. There was a time when a blood transfusion carried a major risk of contracting hepatitis B or hepatitis C, but better screening has reduced that risk to only one per two million transfusions today.

If you are at high risk for contracting hepatitis B or hepatitis C, you should be tested for these infections often. There are drugs that your doctor can give you to treat these infections. There are no drugs that cure these infections, however, and it is unclear whether treatment actually lessens the chances of cancer developing.

Alcohol abuse is the number one cause of cirrhosis of the liver. Cirrhosis can lead to liver cancer. This cancer prevention technique is quite simple - don't abuse alcohol and if you are abusing alcohol, stop.

There is no known way to totally prevent esophageal cancer. Researchers and scientists are working on cancer prevention day and night, but so far the only vaccine that has been developed is one for the prevention of cervical cancer caused by exposure to the HRT virus. Maybe someday there will be a little pill we can all take that will prevent all kinds of cancers from developing. Meanwhile, we concentrate on lowering the risk of developing cancer, including esophageal cancer. The good news is that there really are things that we can do to lower the risk.

There are, of course, risk factors that none of us have the slightest control over, like age, sex, and race. But there are other lifestyle choice risk factors that we do have control over. In the United States the two biggest lifestyle choice risk factors for developing esophageal cancer are cigarette smoking and alcohol abuse.

The risk of esophageal cancer increases by 18 times in people who drink more than 13 ounces of alcohol a day over a period of years. If this same alcohol-drinking person smokes one or two packs of cigarettes a day, the risk of esophageal cancer increases to 44 times. Avoiding alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking are the best ways to reduce the risk of esophageal cancer.

Exercise and diet are also important lifestyle risk factors for esophageal cancer that we can all exercise some control over. A daily diet that contains at least five servings of fruits and vegetables and some whole grain foods and that is low in saturated fats and prepackaged food is the best esophageal cancer-preventing diet. Regular aerobic exercise is also known to lower the risk of all kinds of cancers.

I wish I could tell you that there is a simple way to totally prevent endometrial cancer. Unfortunately, that is not the case. We can't really prevent endometrial cancer, but there are certain steps that we can take that will reduce the risk of endometrial cancer.

Amazingly enough, using oral contraceptives seems to reduce the risk of endometrial cancer. The longer a woman takes oral contraceptives, the lower the rate of developing endometrial cancer becomes. It also appears that this protection provided by oral contraceptives keeps right on
being effective for about 10 years after the woman ceases taking the oral contraceptives.

*A note: The choice of birth control should not be based solely upon endometrial cancer risk. There are other factors that women should also consider. Openly discussing birth control options with one's physician is recommended.

Endometrial cancer risks can be lowered by avoiding known risk factors for developing all kinds of cancers. Smoking cigarettes, for example, is a known risk factor for developing cancer. An unhealthy diet that contains a great deal of saturated fats and food preservatives is also a known risk factor for developing cancer. A sedentary lifestyle is conducive for the development of cancer as is obesity. Basically...

* Eat a healthy diet

* Exercise regularly

* Maintain an optimal body weight

* Don't smoke cigarettes

For some women, both during and post menopause, HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) is a good choice, but not for all women. It is known that HRT does lower the risk of developing endometrial cancer in postmenopausal women. However, there are other risk factors to consider when making the decision to use hormone replacement therapy. For example, doctors now know that HRT INCREASES the risk of breast cancer. The best idea is to discuss all of the possibilities and options with your doctor.

Cancer is not a single disease with a single cause or cure. Cancer is the result when cells divide uncontrollably and invade other nearby tissue in the body. Cancer spreads through the body by way of blood circulation or by the clear fluid that travels through the lymphatic system and carries cells that help fight infections and other diseases.
There are more than 100 types of cancers, but they are divided into the following main categories:
1. Carcinoma: Carcinoma is cancer that begins on the skin or in tissues that line or cover the internal organs.
2. Sarcoma: Sarcoma is cancer that begins in bone, cartilage, fat, muscle, blood vessels, or other connective tissue.
3. Leukemia: Leukemia is cancer that starts in blood-forming tissue such as the bone marrow and causes large numbers of abnormal blood cells to be produced that then enter the bloodstream.
4. Lymphoma and myeloma: Lymphoma and myeloma are cancers that begin in the cells that make up the immune system.
The body is made up of many different types of cells. Cells grow and divide in a normal and controlled way to produce more cells as they are needed. When cells get old or are damaged, they die and then they are replaced with new cells.
When this normal process goes wrong (the genetic material - DNA - of a cell becomes damaged or changed) the body begins producing mutations that affect normal cell growth. The result is that cells don't die when they should, and new cells form when the body doesn't need them. These extra and mutated cells then can form a mass of tissue that is called a tumor.
All tumors are not cancerous. Most tumors are benign. "Benign" means that the tumor is not cancerous. Tumors that are cancerous are called "malignant" tumors.

The bladder is the organ in the body where urine is stored before it is expelled through urination. There are several different kinds of bladder cancer:
* Transitional cell carcinomas (cancer that begins in cells that normally make up the inner lining of the bladder) are the most common.
* Squamous cell carcinoma is cancer that begins in thin, flat cells.
* Adenocarcinoma is cancer that begins in cells that make and release mucus and other fluids.
The cells that cause squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma grow in the inner lining of the bladder and are caused by chronic irritation and inflammation.
Cancer that is in cells in the lining of the bladder is called superficial bladder cancer. Your doctor might call it carcinoma in situ. This kind of bladder cancer comes back many times, even after treatment. When the cancer returns, it is usually as another superficial cancer in the bladder.
Cancer that begins as a superficial tumor can grow through the lining and into the wall of the bladder. When this happens, it is known as "invasive" cancer. Invasive cancer can grow through the bladder wall. It can also grow into nearby organs like the uterus or vagina in women or into the prostate gland in men. This type of invasive cancer can also attack the walls of the abdomen.
When cancer spreads from one organ to another organ in the body, the new tumor will have the same kinds of cells as the original tumor. That is, if cancer cells that originated in the bladder invade the lungs, the cancer cells in the lungs are actually bladder cells. The tumor in the lung will be treated as though it were bladder cancer rather than as lung cancer. Sometimes doctors call new tumors "distant" disease.