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Monday, July 13, 2009

How to Control and Prevent Cancer

1. PRIMARY PREVENTION: Through advancing knowledge about the causes of some cancers, it is now possible to control these factors in the general population as well as in particular occupational groups. They include the following:

CONTROL OF TOBACCO AND ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION: Primary prevention helps to reduce the number of tobacco-related and alcohol related cancer deaths. It has been estimated that control of tobacco smoking alone would reduce the total burden of cancer by over a million cancers each year.

PERSONAL HYGIENE: Improvement in personal hygiene may help to reduce the incidence of certain types of cancer, e.g., cancer cervix.

RADIATION: special efforts should be made to reduce the amount of radiation received by each individual to a minimum without reducing the benefits.

OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURES: Industries should take measures to protect workers from carcinogens.

IMMUNIZATION: In case of primary liver cancer, immunization against hepatitis B virus presents an exciting prospect.

FOODS, DRUGS AND COSMETICS: These should be tested for carcinogens.

AIR POLLUTION: Control of air pollution is another preventive measure.

TREATMENT OF PRECANCEROUS LESIONS: Early detection and treatment of precancerous lesions such as cervical tears, intestinal polyposis, warts, chronic gastritis and adenoma is one of the cornerstones of cancer prevention.

LEGISLATION: Legislation also has a role in primary prevention, but most likely won't happen.

2. SECONDARY PREVENTION: Secondary prevention comprises the following measures:

CANCER REGISTRATION: It provides a base for assessing the magnitude of the problem and for planning the necessary services. Cancer registries are of two types: hospital based and population based.

EARLY DETECTION OF CASES: Cancer screening is the main weapon for early detection of cancer at a pre-invasive or pre-malignant stage. Efficiency of screening programs may be increased by focusing on high-risk groups.

TREATMENT: Certain forms of cancer are amenable to surgical removal, while some others respond favorably to radiation or chemotherapy or both. Multi-modality approach to cancer control has become a standard practice in cancer centers all over the world. Today in the developed countries, cancer treatment is geared to high technology. For those who are beyond the curable stage, the goal must be to provide pain relief.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ben_Branklin

How to Prevent Cancer with Proper Diet and Supplements

GENERAL DIET ADVICES

A diet with the aim of preventing cancer is generally the same as a diet to prevent heart disease and other diseases. Here are the general diet advices

- Avoid or reduce the amount of food that are industrially processed, artificially made or heavily fried.

- Eat fish at least every second day. Also eat seafood and fouls.

- Do not eat very much red meat.

- Eat 5 fruits or vegetables each day. Each piece should be of the size of an apple or carrot. They should be raw or carefully boiled so that the nutrients are not washed out.

- Eat full corn bread, full corn cereals, peas, beans and potatoes.

- Eat just a moderate amount of fat.

- Ideally most fat you eat, should be of the type mono-unsaturated. You also need some poly-unsaturated fat of the types omega-3, and omega 6, but not too much of omega-6. The consumption of saturated fat should be moderate.

- In order to achieve right fat balance, much of the fat supply should come from a blending of sources like olive, olive oil, canola oil, nuts, nut oil, sunflower, sunflower oil, fish and fish oil.

- Use only a moderate amount of soy oil and corn oil in the diet. Only using such oil types will give you too muchmuch poly-unsaturated fat of the omega-6-type.

- Use just a very moderate amount of fat sources like butter, coconut oil and palm oil. A high consumption of these fat sources gives you too much saturated fat.

- Avoid altogether fat that has been chemically altered, giving so-called trans-fat. This type of fat is often found in margarine, cookies, snacks, fast food and other pre-made food.

- Consume just a very moderate amount of sugar, refined flour or refined cereals.

- Consume just a moderate consumption of tranquilizers and stimulants like alcohol and caffeine.

- Use just a moderate amount of salt in the food. However, in warm weather and by hard physical work, you will need more salt.

SPECIFIC FOODS AND DRINKS TO USE

A diet with generally much fruit and vegetables has proven to help prevent cancer. Optimally a person should eat five fruits or vegetables each day, and those should be raw or carefully cooked, so that the nutrients are not washed out by the cooking.

Generally plants, fruits and spices with a strong colour or a strong taste have cancer preventing effects because of the contents of bioflavonids and other anti-oxidants.

Broccoli, cabbage, mustard, kale, and cauliflower are vegetables with proven strong cancer preventing effects, probably due to the content of indole-3-carbinole.
Onion and garlic are also thought to help prevent cancer.

Whole grain and bread made of whole grain will help prevent colon cancer because of the fibre content and possibly also because of the vitamins and minerals contained.

Red peppers give a protecting effect against prostate cancer.

Eating fish, and especially fat fish, some times each week also have a protecting effect against prostate cancer.

Evidence points to the conclusion that green tea can help prevent cancer. However studies so far undertaken do not sort out all other variables that may give the same result.

Some studies have indicated that drinking coffee reduces the incidence of cancer, but others studies have thrown doubt upon these results.

SUPPLEMENTS OF VITAMINS AND OTHER SUBSTANCES

Here are listed the most important cancer preventing effects suggested by results from recent projects. However, research is going on, and these results are not yet complete or absolutely certain.

These substances give general cancer prevention effects: Sulforaphanes found in broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables.

Colo-rectal cancer: These substances help protect against colo-rectal cancer: Vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine), Folic acid / folate in combination with other B-vitamins, Selenium, Indol-3-carbinol from cruciferous vegetables, Genistein from soy, and possibly also vitamin D. Alfa-tocoferol (a kind of Vitamin E) may help, but project results are not conclusive jet.

Gastric cancer: Substances that may help prevent gastric cancer, and even help cure changes that can evolve into gastric cancer are: Vitamin C, Beta-carotene, (a precursor of vitamin A), Alfa-tocoferol (a kind of Vitamin E), Indol-3-carbinol from cruciferous vegetables, Genistein from soy.

Breast Cancer: The incidence of breast cancer can be lowered by: Folic acid / folate, Vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine), Selenium, and possibly vitamin D.

Prostate Cancer: These substances may help protect against Prostate cancer: Selenium and Alfa-tocoferol (a kind of Vitamin E). A long study is under way, but the results from the study are not conclusive yet.

Bladder cancer: The chance of getting bladder cancer is possibly lowered by alfa-tocoferol (a kind of Vitamin E).

Lung cancer: Substances that gives protection against Lung Cancer are: Isoflavones from soy. Indol-3-carbinol from broccoli and other crusiferous vegetables, Genistein from soy and possibly Vitamin D.

Results from research projects suggest that supplements added to the diet to prevent cancer should contain many working substances derived from natural sources, and that it is not wise to use heavy doses of just one substance.

NUTRIENTS THAT MAY HAVE THE OPPOSITE EFFECT

Beta-carotene and vitamine A supplements may increase the chance for heavy smokers of getting lung cancer and other cancers caused by smoking, according to results from epidemologic studies.

However, these vitamins in the food does not increase this risk. It is not clear what effect beta-carotene have on lung cancer in combination with other supplements or by non-smokers. The results from these studies are also controversial.


Cancer Prevention - 8 Practical Ways to Prevent Cancer

I knew about cancer since I was a child but it was just another disease to me like chicken pox. It meant nothing to me because nobody in my world then had cancer. But today, cancer has touched my life many times. In fact, it has become so common that more people whom I know personally are diagnosed with cancer.

A family friend even died because of breast cancer and she was only 36 years old. She was also a doctor. "What causes cancer?" was one question that intrigued me. This set me off to read voraciously about the disease. I learned a lot about the real facts on this interesting disease. I also learned that cancer can be beaten.

What are these ways to prevent cancer? They are...

1. Quit smoking

Smoking is the number one cause of lung cancers and lung cancer is the number one cause of death due to cancer. Tobacco is a known carcinogen to humans. Smoking includes cigarettes, cigars and even tobacco that you chew. And it is not only lung cancer that smoking leads to. Tobacco has other negative effects on your health and appearance.

2. Give up alcohol

Do your know that alcohol, regardless of the type of drink, is both a carcinogen by itself and a co-carcinogen to tobacco? Yes, drinking and smoking at the same time are terrible for you. Alcohol doesn't cause just a single type of cancer. It leads to many types of cancer.

3. Avoid second hand smoke

Second hand smoking is far more dangerous than if you smoke yourself. The side stream smoke you inhale is way more toxic than the smoke the smoker inhales with his every puff. Do you know that a synonym for passive is long-suffering? If you are married to a smoker, you are a long-suffering smoker!

4. Eat healthy foods

No less than the National Cancer Institute recommends that fruits and veggies should be a big part of your diet. I was surprised to find out while reading about causes of cancer that there are cancer-causing foods and, horrors! -- I have been eating them all my life.

5. Stop being a couch potato and move

Brisk walking for 30 minutes 3 times a week can help you avoid cancer. Any form of physical activity is one of the effective cancer prevention strategies that will help you maintain a healthy weight. Why should you maintain a healthy weight? A healthy weight is important because being overweight or obese can increase your risk for cancer.

6. Learn to manage stress

Stress is part of our daily life. It's something you can't avoid. Stress may lead to cancer because it suppresses the immune activities of your immune system. It is extremely important that you know how to deal with stress. Learn to not to sweat the small stuff and let go of events, people or anything that you can't change.

7. Protect yourself from cancer-causing viruses and bacteria

HPV is one of the cancer-causing viruses. It is a virus that causes cervical cancer but a vaccine to protect you from this virus is already available. Other cancer prevention strategies against cancer-causing viruses can be as simple as not sharing personal items such as razors and nail clippers.

8. Protect yourself from UV radiation

Do you love getting a tan? Do you think a tan is sexy or healthy? Sorry to disappoint you but a tan is neither sexy nor healthy. When your skin tans, it's your skin's natural defense against the radiation you are subjecting yourself to. Using a broad-spectrum sunblock is one of the effective ways to prevent cancer of the skin. UV radiation not causes only skin cancer, mind you. It also damages your eyes and may cause cataracts.

Remember the old saying "An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure?" As I read and learned more, I realized that there is a need for everyone to know what these cancer prevention strategies are because a single cure will never be found for cancer as it is a disease of more than a hundred types.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Belen_Tanghal

How to Prevent Cancer With Weight Training

You Can Prevent Cancer!

Yes, you can learn how to prevent cancer. There are so many people in the world that believe that cancer is a death sentence and it is unavoidable. Many people just do not know what causes cancer nor do they know what it really is and therefore people do not know how to prevent it or at least greatly reduce your risk of getting cancer. After many years of research and billions and billions of dollars spent to learn the cause, cure and prevention of cancer we have learned so much that needs to be translated and disseminated to the general public. Not being a doctor I am not qualified to give medical advice. But through my ongoing extensive research of untold numbers of findings by many medical and scientific researchers I want to inform you that you can prevent cancer in your life.

Resistance Training Helps Prevent Cancer!

In a recent survey of 8,500 men for over 2 decades it has been shown that by resistance training alone the men who exercised regularly lowered their risk of getting cancer by 30 to 40 per cent. The men of the study were given regular medical exams and behavioral surveys over the life of this ongoing study and it the results show that those men who lifted weights regularly where 30% to 40% less likely to have cancer, regardless of any other health or fitness factors. Yes, even those men who were overweight and had unhealthy diets reduced their risk of cancer by lifting weights regularly. Brothers this is not an excuse to eat anything you want or to ignore other important healthy lifestyle rules. This fact only verifies the importance of resistance training to your overall health.

Now we can not necessarily translate these same benefits to women because the study was only conducted on men. But if I were a woman I would not ignore these findings and become serious about adding resistance training to my regular personal exercise and weight loss routine.

How to Reduce Risks of Cancer.

So we know there are certain things we must do to lower our personal risks of pcancer. By incorporate these simple changes into your daily lives you can virtually prevent cancer. To Prevent Cancer you must:

* Eat a healthy diet - High in Fiber and Low in Fat- Focus on eating Fresh Fruit and Vegetables, Whole Grains, Nuts, Beans, and Herbs. Avoid the wrong fat, excess sugar and artificial sweeteners, and too much salt.
* Exercise Regularly- Including Aerobic and Resistance Training.
* Lose Weight and Keep it Off - Being overweight leads to so many medical conditions that this is imperative.
* Avoid high risk activities such as smoking cigarettes and all forms of tobacco and drinking alcoholic beverages.

Following these suggestions and leading a generally healthy active lifestyle will greatly reduce your risks of cancer. None of these activities will cause you to live like a hermit and you can find activities and people who make living healthy not just a way of life but also fun. For we should enjoy life and we can have life and life more abundantly by living healthy.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Louis_Jeffries

How to Prevent Cancer With the Help of Phytonutrients

Cancer is a tenacious and an extremely hard disease to manage. The pain, suffering and the costs involved can test the nerves of anyone beyond imagination. Can't we prevent many of these tragedies from happening in the first place? Why not make a major effort to prevent cancer?

We can prevent cancer and we all should. Given that our life expectancy has gone up and we can expect to live 90+ years we have a 30% chance of developing some kind of cancer in our lifetime. It is not wise to wait for this secretive and slowly nurtured disease to arrive before responding to its challenge. Far too many people are the casualties of such an approach. The conventional medical treatments, as everyone knows strive to treat cancer only after it arrives. It is we who must make the effort at cancer prevention.

The prevention of cancer is not a mystery anymore. Most of us know the risk factors and what causes cancer. The powerful defenders of our body against cancer are found in copious abundance in the plant kingdom that surrounds us. These defenders are called phytonutrients. These phytonutrients are so powerful when taken in sufficient number. They have the capacity to dramatically lower our probability of ever contracting cancer.

Hundreds of fruits, herbs, and vegetables possess this protective power. Almost all fruits and vegetables have at least a few protective natural chemicals on the outer surface of their skins or hidden within their pulp or meat. The amount of these phytonutrients rich foods we intake is very important. As much as 50% of the cancer can be prevented by reducing the intake of animal fats and taking more and more of colored foods. Take as much colored foods as you can every day like red tomato, green broccoli, red carrots, berries, orange etc. These colored fruits and vegetables are rich in phytonutrients and act as your first line of defense against cancer.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andy_Kahn

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