Cancer Avoidance
November 26, 2002

The Most Common Cancers

    This is an interesting table.
    Some of these incidence rates are probably directly attributable to lifestyles, and are therefore largely avoidable. 

• Age-adjusted cancers of the lung and bronchus, the oral cavity and pharynx, the larynx, and the esophagus are probably almost entirely attributable to smoking, and possibly, to heavy drinking.
• Age-adjusted cancer rates are significantly lower among women than they are among men.
• Prostate cancer is the number one killer in men, and breast cancer is the number one killer in women.    Prostate cancer deaths are 1.5 as high among blacks as they are among whites. (It has been suggested that this is because black skin is less effective at converting ergosterol to irradiated ergosterol with sunlight.)
• If we exclude lung cancer, since it's avoidable, then prostate and breast cancer are at least twice as deadly as the next in line: colorectal cancer.
• Ovarian cancer death rates are surprisingly low (1/8th) compared to breast cancer. Uterine and kindred cancers are higher on the list, at about 1/5th the breast cancer rate.
• Bladder cancer is more than four times as prevalent among men (and 1/4th as common as prostate cancer) as it is among women (for whom it's 1/16th as common as breast cancer). (Bladder cancer may also be affected by smoking.)
• Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is near the top of the list for both men and women, being about 1/6th as common as prostate and breast cancer.
• For some reason, thyroid cancer is #7 among women but isn't even among the top 15 among men.
• Kidney cancer is high on the list for men, but only 1/2 as common among women (smoking again?)
• Adult leukemias are high on the list for both genders, running 1/9th as prevalent as prostate cancer for men, and 1/15th as common as breast cancer for women.
• Melanomas are #9 on the list for men, and #12 on the list for women. (Considering the fact that most  melanomas are easy to spot, and that they're often caught early, it's significant that melanoma is still among the top 15 cancer killers.
• Regrettably, pancreatic cancer is #8 among women (1/13th the rate of breast cancer) and #10 among men (1/11th the rate of prostate cancer).
• Brain tumors are terrible things, but fortunately, they occur about 1/16th as often as prostate/breast cancer.

    Of course, it doesn't matter how improbable a cancer is if you happen to get it. But we'll want to know is how to maximize our odds of avoiding these killers.
    It's worth noting that the incidence of prostate cancer among Asian men is 1/10th to 1/20th as high as it is among U. S. men. Clearly, there are secrets there that we need to know. Many of these other cancers may be triggered by environmental insults. (One suggested possibility is that prostate cancer isn't listed as the primary cause of death in Asia as frequently as it is in Western nations.)

(To Be Continued)

    The following guidelines are derived from the Executive Summary delineating suggestions presented at a National Cancer Institute Division of Cancer Prevention workshop in June, 2000.
    (I could imagine that the presenters at this conference would be officially horrified at the idea of recommending these "suggestions" to the lay public before it has been besprent with holy water by the official organs of the U. S. medical community speaking ex cathedra. At the same time, I would be surprised if the conference attendees aren't following these guidelines themselves, and recommending them to their friends and family members.)

Reducing the chances of prostate cancer:

• Elevate levels of vitamin D3. "Dr. Getzenberg noted that the protective effects of vitamin D were first suggested by epidemiological data showing that prostate cancer mortality was higher in northern regions where ultraviolet (UV) light exposure was lower.  Other studies indicated that diets high in vitamin D reduced prostate cancer risk.  Laboratory studies also produced data showing growth inhibition in most prostate cancer cell lines treated with vitamin D. High levels of melanin in the skin of African Americans inhibit absorption of vitamin D, which leads to lower levels of circulating 1,25-D, and may explain the increased prostate cancer incidence and mortality in this population.  Hydroxylation of 1,25-D by the kidney also decreases with age, leading to a reduction in 1,25-D, which may partially explain increased prostate cancer incidence with aging."

• Reduce levels of calcium intake (since calcium blocks vitamin D3). Lower intake of dairy products, since these elevate calcium levels. ("High calcium intake also was associated with a three-fold increase in relative risk for stages C and D prostate cancer."... National Cancer Institute )  calcitriol

• Elevate serum levels of lycopene. Lycopene is one of the few dietary additions that is endorsed at this time by the National Cancer Institute.

• Boost intake of selenium. Selenium is another nutrient that is endorsed at this time by the National Cancer Institute.

• Take vitamin E supplements (mixed tocopherols and tocotrienols?) Vitamin E is also endorsed by the National Cancer Institute, having reduced prostate cancer risks by 60% in one Finnish study.

• Reduce intake of alpha-linolenic acid and linoleic acid (omega-6 fatty acids) found in nuts, cheese, milk, salad dressing, mayonnaise, butter, and fatty meats and fishes. "Linoleic and linolenic acid are specifically involved in pathways for prostaglandin synthesis." "Arachidonic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid compete for lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes.  Biopsies from prostate cancer patients taking fish oil supplements reveal eicosapentaenoic acid in the prostate glands with modulation of COX expression."

• Reduce intake of dietary fat. "These researchers concluded that the mechanism of dietary fat-induced prostate cancer is mediated by oxidative stress.  Linoleic acid is a highly oxidizable lipid.  Animal research also has shown that conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) can significantly inhibit tumor growth.  CLA affects fat metabolism in animals, so that it counteracts obesity.  CLA may have an indirect caloric restriction effect on animals that has not been demonstrated in humans." "Research has suggested that fat interacts with other nutrients, including antioxidants, soy phytochemicals, lycopene, green tea, flavanoids, and calcium.  For example, high fat binds calcium and lower fat leads to increased bioavailability of calcium."

• Increase soy protein and isoflavone extract. "A 15 percent reduction in final xenograft tumor weights was observed in the group that received low-fat diets with soy protein and isoflavone extract." "At least one orthotopic transplantation study of soy and green tea intake has found 50 percent reductions in tumor growth and metastasis rates (Ronzell)."
      There is some confusion about soy, as this article indicates.

• Might take COX-1 and COX-2 anti-inflammatory inhibitors. "Dr. Myers has found that chronic use of combined COX-1 and COX-2 anti-inflammatory drugs causes about a 50 percent reduction in risk of advanced prostate cancer." (Vioxx and Celebrex are COX-2; ibuprofen and 

• Grape seed extract is showing signs of being beneficial for cancer of the prostate.

• Garlic and onions are good for about everything. Crushed garlic heated for a minute in a microwave oven lost its cancer-fighting powers, but if allowed to stand for ten minutes and then heated for a minute in a microwave oven retained its anti-cancer properties..

• Flax seeds (but not flax seed oil) are recommended (1 to 2 teaspoons a day),

• Green tea is recommended. Green tea is another of those foods that is recommended for just about everything.

    
The following links 
Diet Has No Effect on Recurrence of Colorectal Polyps

Q&A- The Polyp Prevention Trial and the Wheat Bran Fiber Study

Questions and Answers About Beta Carotene Chemoprevention Trials

Selenium Supplements Lower Incidence of Lung, Colorectal, and Prostate Cancers

Study in Finland Suggests Vitamin E Prevents Prostate Cancer

Protein Patterns in Blood May Predict Prostate Cancer Diagnosis

Obesity and Cancer

Summary on cancer risk from alcohol

Summary on cancer risk from diet

Artificial Sweeteners

Coffee Decaffeination Process and Cancer

N-acetyl-L-cysteine

Deodorants and Breast Cancer

Heterocyclic Amines in Cooked Meats

Melatonin may be protective against breast cancer.

Cancer.gov - Digest Page- The SELECT Prostate Cancer Prevention ...

Prostaglandins and inflammation. NSAID's.



The Role of Diet, Vitamins & Supplements

Garlic - How to use it

Vit. E and Selenium by Dr. Myers

Antioxidants - what are they

Lycopene and Tomatoes

Genistein - Is it all its made out to be?

Fat - What kinds are good and bad

Dietary Inhibitors of Prostate Cancer

Modified Citrus Pectin - A Study

Saw Palmetto - Both Sides

Mis-information About Diet and Supplements

Soy and Tofu

Herbs And Drugs- Never Mix, Never Worry

Graphfruit Juice - Caution Please

Herb-Drug Interactions - Mayo

Diabetes- Beware Chinese herbs



Healthnotes Newswire- Does Selenium Ward off Prostate Cancer-

UIC News Tips-HOW DOES LYCOPENE REDUCE PROSTATE CANCER RISK-

WSJ Reverse Prostate Cancer

Rx.magazine | Prevention & Primary Care- Healthy Lifestyle, ...

Cancer Treatment Consultants


Cancer Information Network

Step by Step - Your Education

Watchful Waiting - When and Why