Over the past decade, the incidence of cancer has risen faster than other chronic diseases in the United States. Cancer strikes one out of every three people. Only heart disease, which affects one out of two 2 people, affects more people..
The relationship between diet and cancer exists: 40% of men and 60% women have a casual relationship between diet and cancer.
In all research, what remains unclear is whether certain foods have protective properties, or if consuming these foods decreases the effect of other foods that have a strong association with carcinogens.
Today, the research does indicate that low intakes of lentils, green vegetables, fresh fruit, and certain vitamins creates an increased risk for many cancers. The cancers I want to highlight are the ones that are the most prominent; breast cancer, ovarian cancer, colorectal cancer, testicular cancer, and Hodgkin's disease.
Before we discuss the specific protective agents found in food, I would like to start with general diet. Fats, carbohydrate, protein and fiber all have a strong influence on developing cancer.
In many of my writings, I have discussed high fiber-low fat importance, especially animal fat, relative to heart disease. It would seem logical the same diet would contribute to cancer. The key ingredient, like heart disease, is the increased consumption of dietary fiber and a decrease in red meat consumption. The increase in red meat consumption and low fiber intake has a strong associate with colorectal cancer. Unsaturated fats, unlike the saturated fats found in red meat, decrease colorectal cancer.
Western diets have a casual relationship with cancer. Most Asians, Africans and Hispanics have lower incidence of cancer until exposed to Western diets. Breast cancer, which is one of the fastest increasing forms of cancer, correlates with changes in hormonal levels. High dietary fat intake increases the hormones in women. Pre-pubescent young women who eat a high saturated fat diet will begin menstruation 1 to 2 years before young women who do not consume high amounts of animal fat and are not overweight.
Body weight, body fat, body height-to-weight ratio, and obesity are strongly associated with increases in almost all cancers. This risk increases more in post-menopausal women.
Apart from reducing red meat consumption to 4 ounces or less a day and bringing fiber up to greater than 30 mg a day, there are important nutrients that can provide protection.
Carotenoids and Retinoids are found in green leafy and yellow vegetables, fruits, and dark wines. Supplements I work with are from Waiora, a health and nutrition company that has a governing body of 10 physicians and a bio-scientist who produce some powerful supplements.
Other agents that decrease the risk for many cancers include:
Vitamins C - found in citrus;
B vitamins Riboflavin - found in dark green leafy vegetables, enriched bread, and cereals;
B6 - found in fish, poultrym fruits and vegetables;
B12 - found in eggs and milk products;
Fat soluble vitamin A -- found in dark green leafy vegetables, orange and yellow fruits, dark fruits (grapes), and fortified milk and cereal;
Vitamin K - found in dark green leafy vegetables;
Vitamin E -- found in vegetable oils; and
Trace Elements Selenium and Zinc - found in fish, dark leafy vegetables and grains.

Most cancers are named for where they start. For example, lung cancer starts in the lung, and breast cancer starts in the breast. The spread of cancer from one part of the body to another is called metastasis.
Cancer Causes
Symptoms and treatment depend on the cancer type and how advanced it is. Treatment plans may include surgery, radiation and/or chemotherapy. Causes of cancer cells are the building blocks of living things. Cancer grows out of normal cells in the body. Normal cells multiply when the body needs them, and die when the body doesn't. Cancer appears to occur when the growth of cells in the body is out of control and cells divide too rapidly. It can also occur when cells "forget" how to die. There are many different kinds of cancers. Cancer can develop in almost any organ or tissue, such as the lung, colon, breast, skin, bones, or nerve tissue. The mutation in the DNA changes these instructions so that the cells carry on growing. This causes the cells to reproduce in an uncontrollable manner, producing a lump of tissue known as a tumor.
Cancer Symptoms
Symptoms of cancer depend on the type and location of the tumor. For example, lung cancer can cause coughing, shortness of breath, or chest pain, while colon cancer often causes diarrhea, constipation, and blood in the stool. Local symptoms occur when the cancer is contained in one part of your body. These include changes in bowel or bladder habits, a sore that does not heal, unusual bleeding or discharge, thickening or lump in the breast or any other part of the body, indigestion or difficulty swallowing, obvious change in a wart or mole, or nagging cough or hoarseness.
Cancer Treatment
Treatment varies based on the type of cancer and its stage. The stage of a cancer refers to how much it has grown and whether the tumor has spread from its original location. If the cancer is confined to one location and has not spread, the goal for treatment would be surgery and cure. If the tumor has spread to local lymph nodes only, sometimes these can be removed.
Complementary medicine techniques such as acupuncture, meditation, and yoga could be a helpful addition to your regular medical treatment. If all of the cancer cannot be removed with surgery, the options for treatment include radiation, chemotherapy, or both. Some cancers require a combination of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy.

Endometrial cancer is cancer that forms in the tissue that lines the uterus. The uterus is a small, pear-shaped organ that is located in the lower pelvic area of a woman. The uterus is the organ in a woman's body where a baby grows.
It is estimated that in 2008, there will be about 40,100 new cases of endometrial cancer diagnosed, and that there will be about 7,470 deaths caused by endometrial cancer. One is too many, but these numbers show a dramatic decrease in new cases of endometrial cancer as well as deaths from it over the last several years.
Science is making progress and learning more about the causes of endometrial cancer. Scientists are exploring new ways to prevent, detect, diagnose, and treat the disease. Research has helped to improve patients' quality of life and decrease the chance of dying from endometrial cancer - and more progress is being made all the time.
There are several benign conditions of the uterus that often cause great fear in women:
Fibroids: Fibroids do not develop into cancer. They grow in the muscle of the uterus. Most often fibroids occur in women who are in their 40s. Fibroids usually just disappear after menopause.
Endometriosis: This is a condition in which endometrial tissue begins to grow on the outside of the uterus and on nearby organs. It most often occurs in women in their 30s and 40s who have never been pregnant. Endometriosis can cause a great many problems, but cancer isn't one of them.
Endometrial hyperplasia: Heavy menstrual periods, bleeding between periods, and bleeding after menopause are the most common symptoms of hyperplasia. Endometrial hyperplasia is not cancer, but it can develop into cancer.
All problems associated with the uterus are not cancer - the odds are that when you experience problems, it is NOT cancer.

I like quotes about all kinds of things. I love the way that some people can express what the rest of us are thinking in just a few well-chosen words. The subject of cancer and cancer treatments are no exception. Some of the best advice and the best observations about this dreaded disease are found in quotes.
For one thing, cancer is held up as the ultimate disease - the standard by which all really bad things in life is measured. Maya Angelou was an American poet who said, "Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host," and Edward Abbey was an American writer and environmentalist who said, "Growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cell." No matter what "it" is, the worst is always compared to cancer.
Then there are those famous people who say things that echo in our minds forever. Olivia Newton-John said, "My cancer scare changed my life. I'm grateful for every new, healthy day I have. It has helped me prioritize my life." Lance Armstrong, the famous cyclist, is quoted as having said, "If children have the ability to ignore all odds and percentages, then maybe we can all learn from them. When you think about it, what other choice is there but to hope? We have two options, medically and emotionally: give up, or fight like hell."
Melissa Bank, an author, wrote, "During chemo, you're more tired than you've ever been. It's like a cloud passing over the sun, and suddenly you're out. You don't know how you'll answer the door when your groceries are delivered. But you also find that you're stronger than you've ever been. You're clear. Your mortality is at optimal distance, not up so close that it obscures everything else, but close enough to give you depth perception. Previously, it has taken you weeks, months, or years to discover the meaning of an experience. Now it's instantaneous."

There is no scientific proof about how spirituality is related to health. Frankly, there simply is no way to quantify the relationship between spirituality and how it affects cancer patients. There are, however, some research studies that show that spiritual or religious beliefs and practices promote a positive mental attitude that may help a patient feel better.

Spiritual beliefs have a definite impact on quality-of-life issues. Deep religious beliefs have proven to reduced anxiety, depression, and discomfort as well as to reduced sense of isolation (feeling alone). Cancer patients who are deeply religious make better adjustments to the effects of cancer and its treatment and have an increased ability to enjoy life during cancer treatment. They also often express a feeling of personal growth because of living with cancer. People with strong religious beliefs also have better outcomes of all health-related problems, including cancer.

When people are conflicted about their spiritual or religious beliefs, the opposite is true. Professionals refer to this as "spiritual distress." A great deal of spiritual distress interferes with a cancer patient's ability to cope with having cancer as well as with cancer treatments. Spiritual distress does contribute to poorer treatment outcomes. Health care professionals who note this spiritual distress will often encourage the cancer patient to seek guidance from the appropriate spiritual or religious leaders to help them resolve their issues. Resolving religious issues and relieving spiritual distress helps to improve cancer patients' overall health, provide them with a better quality of life, and help them cope with having cancer as well as with cancer treatments.

The direct effect of spirituality and religious beliefs on health is recognized as a real concern by health professionals. Today, many doctors who treat cancer patients do a spiritual assessment of patients they treat, so that they can better help them to cope.

Mistletoe is that little sprig of green stuff with white berries that people hang in doorways during the holiday season to encourage kissing. Kissing under the mistletoe is an age-old tradition with an interesting history that I won't get into here.

Mistletoe is a parasite that grows in certain trees (apple, oak, maple, elm, pine, and birch, for example). Mistletoe can actually suck the life out of the trees that it lives on. But extracts from this "nuisance" plant have proven to kill cancer cells as well as to boost the human immune system. Do not go out and grab yourself a handful of mistletoe to eat, though. The cute little white berries of the mistletoe plant are very poisonous. Obtaining a mistletoe extract is a multistep process that is best left to professionals.

Mistletoe extracts can be purchased at health food stores; but actually in medical trials and studies, the mistletoe extract is administered by injection or intravenously.

The conclusions drawn from clinical trials of using mistletoe as a cancer treatment are mixed. There isn't much doubt that mistletoe extract does boost the immune system. Most researchers agree that mistletoe extract does, indeed, boost the immune system, but whether mistletoe extract is effective as a cancer treatment has not been established to any degree of medical certainty. There have been problems associated with all of the studies that have been done. Studies have only been conducted in Europe, and in every study, there were limitations - the study was too small, the results were mixed, the patient data was incomplete, the information about dosage and frequency was skewed, or there were problems with the design of the study.

Mistletoe may be our next best hope for treating cancer, but at this point, there is no proof of its effectiveness.

Tai chi is an ancient Chinese martial art. Tai chi is a mind-body, self-healing system that uses mild exercise, meditation, and breathing to improve health and overall well-being. Tai chi has been in practice for many centuries, and now even modern Western medicine agrees that tai chi is an excellent form of exercise that can improve posture, balance, muscle mass and tone, flexibility, stamina, and strength in young adults as well as in older adults.

Tai chi is not a cure for cancer. Tai chi is a complimentary therapy that is often recommended for people who are undergoing conventional cancer treatments like chemotherapy and radiation therapy. It is important for people who are going through cancer treatments to remain as active as possible. The gentle movements and deep-breathing exercises of tai chi can reduce stress. Reducing stress can lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of many heart problems.

Those who promote the use of tai chi say that it helps to balance qi or chi - the vital energy or life force of the body. Balanced qi is said to prevent illness, improve health, and extend life expectancy. Tai chi also is based on the ancient theory of yin and yang and those who promote the use of tai chi for cancer patients say that balancing yin and yang helps patients to achieve inner harmony.

Researchers agree that tai chi can reduce stress and provide the same cardiovascular benefits as moderate exercise like a slower heart rate and lower blood pressure.

Because the physical movements of tai chi are so slow and gentle, it is considered to be the safest form of exercise for older people as well as people who are undergoing rigorous treatments for cancer as well as for many other human ailments like arthritis, osteoporosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and peripheral artery disease.

Cancer Related Fatigue (CRF) is a real side effect of cancer and of cancer treatment. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network defined CRF as "a persistent, subjective sense of tiredness related to cancer or cancer treatment that interferes with usual functioning."

Cancer patients very rarely describe the feeling as "fatigue." They describe the feeling as being "bone tired." What they are saying is that they feel emotionally, mentally, and physically drained.

Most cancer patients simply accept fatigue as a part of having cancer and don't ask for help in coping with it. But there is help.

One of the major causes of CRF is anemia. Anemia in cancer patients can be caused by a variety of things like bleeding, bone marrow involvement of the disease, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, dysfunction, of organs like the heart, lung, liver, or kidney disease, or nutritional deficiencies.

When the cause of CRF is anemia, blood transfusions can help. But blood transfusions are not the answer for all cancer patients. Patients who are bleeding or having other symptoms don't benefit from blood transfusions, and blood transfusions are not without risk. Although blood transfusions are relatively safe and there are a great many precautions in place, blood transfusions can lead to transmission of viruses, allergic reactions, and lung injury.

Another very effective way that physicians can treat the anemia that is responsible for CRF is to stimulate the bone marrow to make more red blood cells.

There is a protein called erythropoietin that is released into our bloodsteams naturally when our red blood cell count drops. Erythropoietin stimulates the bone marrow to produce more red blood cells. A synthetic version of erythropoietin has been developed, and in clinical trials, there has been a marked decrease in fatigue and a marked increase in the quality of life.

Oncologists and those who care for cancer patients are usually open to any and all suggestions for ways that a cancer patient can be treated or cared for better. These doctors and caregivers see the minute-by-minute suffering and pain (both physical and mental) that cancer causes.

It's been proven that meditation therapy is an effective complimentary therapy for cancer patients. There are several types of meditation. One very common-type meditation is called transcendental meditation. Transcendental meditation involves repeating a word or phrase (mantra) over and over, either silently or aloud. Another type meditation is often referred to as mindfulness meditation. In mindfulness meditation, a person observes sensations, perceptions, and thoughts without judgment as they arise. There are other kinds of meditation that focus attention by walking or visualizing.

Meditation is often used in conjunction with other kinds of complimentary therapies for cancer patients, like massage therapy, biofeedback therapy, hypnosis therapy, acupuncture therapy, etc. Meditation is not a cure for cancer. It is only a therapy that is used in conjunction with standard cancer treatments like chemotherapy, surgery, radiation therapy, and drug therapy.

There are many instructions for meditation, but basically all meditation starts the same way. You start by choosing a quiet place without distractions. You sit or rest quietly with your eyes closed and pay attention to your breathing and physical sensations. You notice them and then let go of all intruding thoughts.

In the last two decades, meditation has been studied in clinical trials with a focus on reducing stress on the mind and body. Research has proven that meditation can help reduce anxiety, stress, blood pressure, chronic pain, and insomnia. It stands to reason that meditation can help cancer patients reduce pain, stress, anxiety, and fear. Meditation can improve the quality of life.

There are only two vaccines that have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the prevention of cancer...so far. There is a vaccine that has been approved to prevent infection with the human papillomavirus virus (HPV). HPV is known to cause most cases of cervical cancer. There is also a vaccine that prevents infection with the hepatitis B virus. The hepatitis B virus is known to cause many cases of liver cancer.

There are more than 300 types of cancer, and so far we have only two vaccines; but it is a start. For years, the treatment of cancer (after the fact, so to speak) was the focus of most research, and there has been a lot of progress in treating cancer with surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. The credit for every bit of the progress that has been made in cancer treatment goes to researchers and scientists who dedicate their lives to learning more and finding new treatments. This progress was made in laboratories as well through clinical trials of new drugs and new procedures. Now the focus has broadened to include the idea of prevention through the use of vaccines.

Researchers and scientists have learned a lot more over the years about how the body fights cancer on its own. The body has a built-in defense system that is called the immune system. The human immune system is really amazing. It's a network of specialized tissues and cells that fight disease. The idea of vaccines to prevent diseases of all kinds is to make use of the body's natural defense system - the immune system. Vaccines are called "biological" therapies - a kind of germ warfare to prevent diseases in the human body.

Vaccines for cancer will be developed in laboratories and through clinical trials just like treatments have been developed. There isn't likely to be an announcement on the evening news that a vaccine has been developed that totally prevents all kinds of cancer, but the researchers are out there looking for it. Maybe someday...

There have been claims (by unscrupulous creeps) that by learning biofeedback therapy, cancer patients can slow or stop the progression of cancer. These claims are fraudulent and, in my not-so-humble-opinion, cruel. The idea of placing the cause for the progression of cancer on the shoulders of the patient amounts to mental and emotional torture.

The truth is, however, that biofeedback therapy can be a very good complimentary therapy for cancer patients who are undergoing chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or surgery. Biofeedback cannot stop cancer. It can't cure cancer, either, but it can provide a cancer patient
with the ability to reduce his stress, muscle tension, and pain.

The principle of biofeedback therapy is technicians using monitoring devices to provide information about physical processes (blood pressure, heart rate, muscle tension, etc.), that are hard to detect without help and then giving (feeding back) this information in the form of a continuous signal like a sound or an image to the patient. The idea is that the patient can adjust his or her thinking, emotional state, or other mental processes for the purpose of controlling bodily functions and can see what works by changes in the signal being provided.

A biofeedback therapist provides guidance as the patient concentrates on changing a specific physical process, such as heart rate, temperature, perspiration, blood flow, brain activity, or muscle tension. When a patient learns how to control these normally automatically controlled functions, he or she can learn how to control pain, stress, and tension.

Biofeedback will NOT cure cancer, and it will not stop or slow the growth of tumors. But it can help to provide a better quality of life for cancer patients while they are going through the treatments that do have the potential to cure the cancer.