By Dr. Ayo Bankole 

Current Cancer Trends
The last word anyone wants to hear from their doctor is "you have cancer."  It's a scary diagnosis that conjures thoughts of undergoing chemotherapy, disfiguring surgery, and mortality.  This fear exists with good reason.  This past December major national health organization including the Center for Disease Control, the National Cancer Institute, and Department of Health and Human Services collaborated to publish the United States Cancer Statistics: 2003 Incidence and Mortality.  The report shows that cancer is the second leading cause of death in the U.S., surpassed only by heart disease.  Even more, doubling of the number of Americans diagnosed with cancer is expected in the next 50 years.  The American Cancer Society estimates that 1.4 million people this year will be diagnosed with cancer and that 560,000 will die from it.  If we view ourselves as helpless sitting ducks this information might only serve to remind us of our vulnerability and perhaps frighten us.  I view it as an opportunity to positively influence and protect our health in every way we can. 

Call to Action
Non-profit health advocacy organizations that raise money for cancer research are invaluable for the costly research necessary to develop safer and more effective therapies.  However, far fewer dollars are spent on identifying and curtailing environmental and behavioral risk factors that cause cancer.  Cancer prevention will have a far more reaching impact on cancer statistics than new and innovation cancer treatments.  To Reuters news in September 2006, National Cancer Institute Director Dr. John Niederhuber said regarding the alarming cancer rates, there is an "urgent need to educate people about the ways to reduce their cancer risk and keep rates such as these as low as possible."  Cancer rates differ by gender, geography, and ethnicity.  As an example, lung cancer rates are falling in men and rising in women as men kick the smoking habit faster than women.  Regarding these cancer rate disparities, the earlier sited report stated that these differences are likely due to social, cultural, behavioral and environmental factors.  We can lower our risk factors by lowering out environmental exposures, and improving diet and lifestyle behaviors.  

Start with Diet
Dietary habits play a huge role in modifying risk of cancer.  What we eat or don't eat can increase our risk of acquiring cancer or help protect us.  For instance, the association between diets high in animal products and cancers of the colon, breast and prostate is well established.  If you are eating meat three times a day, consider cutting back.  Further, grilling and high temperature broiling of meats, and regular consumption of well done meats produces toxic chemicals called heterocyclic amines and lipid peroxides that increase our risk of some cancers.  Instead, choose baked portions of meat.  In turn, fruits and vegetables contain a stunning array of anti-cancer chemicals like antioxidants, bioflavonoids, fiber, and other phytonutrients.   Have a minimum of two to three servings with every meal including breakfast to achieve the seven to nine daily servings needed.  Vegetables of the cruciferous family like broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower are especially beneficial.  So eat your vegetables but consider holding the pesticides.

 
The majority of our exposure to environmental chemicals is through food.  In a life time, many pounds of toxins from produce are eaten and stored in our bodies.  Lesson the effect of pesticide exposure by eating organic.  It's easier and less expensive than you think.  Each produce has a different susceptibility to pests than the next.  In general produce more susceptible to pests are grown with more pesticides than those naturally more resistant.  Some research groups maintain data about which produce is more highly contaminated and which is less contaminated.  The Environmental Working Group recently updated their list which can be obtained at www.ewg.org.  Choose foods on the least contaminated list or go organic for produce highly contaminated. 

Lifestyle
Smoking is the most modifiable cause of cancer and is attributed to more lung cancer than any other cause.  Smoking is also the leading cause of preventable death, at 500,000 annually.  If you smoke, it's never too late to quit.  Within weeks of quitting your lungs, heart and blood vessels will begin reversing the damage caused by years of smoking.   In as little time as fifteen years it will be as if you never smoked.  So make plans to quit, than make plans for what you'll do with the extra years of life you'll have.

Obesity is an independent risk factor for various cancers such as breast cancer.  Eating a well balanced diet, daily exercise and maintaining appropriate body weight will go a long way.  Exercise may even decrease the risk of some cancers by 50%.

With fears of skin cancer some people may be using sun block and avoiding sun exposure to their detriment.  The prevalence and impact of vitamin D deficiency has surfaced in recent years.  Our bodies manufacture vitamin D when precursors in our skin are converted by sunlight to another precursor which is then converted in the kidney to active vitamin D.  Vitamin D deficiency is related to colon cancer and possibly breast and prostate cancer alike.  Decrease your risk by getting 15 minutes of daily sun exposure in the morning, before the hottest part of the day, without increasing your risk of skin cancer. 

Impact the Environment
According to the EPA, U.S. industries have reported dumping 7.1 billion pounds of 650 different chemicals into the air and water.  Increasing pollution from carbon dioxide emissions (CO₂), and the burning of fossil fuels resulting in green house gases not only threatens the environment and destabilizes the planet but also is risk factor for human cancers and other diseases like asthma.   Support local and state measures to decrease CO₂ emissions by writing letters to state representatives urging them to set tighter standards.  In this way we not only help protect our health but the health of the planet and future generations. 

Conclusion
Fortunately, due to earlier detection and improved cancer treatments, death rates of some cancers are currently on the decline.  However the diagnosis of others is continues to rise.  Take aggressive dietary and lifestyle measures to reduce your chances of being a statistic.  Become familiar with what you can improve such as exercising more or eating more foods from the plant kingdom.  If cancer runs in your family, know what types so you can employ preventive strategies specific to that cancer.   Lastly, if you are a cancer survivor, or are rightfully concerned about cancer you might not know what lifestyle measures, vitamins and minerals or other supplements are most helpful and appropriate for your situation.  Call now to schedule your appointment for your individualized preventive lifestyle protocol.  From smoking cessation to weight loss to detoxification, we'll have you protected and feeling better than you've ever felt. 

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