holistic
FACTORS
Contributing to Cancer
Eighty percent of cancers are due to
factors that have been identified and
can potentially be controlled, according
to the National Cancer Institute. And
not only can we potentially prevent
most cancers, we can also improve
the survival rates of people who have
cancer. Cancers of the breast, prostate,
and colon have received more research
attention than other forms of the
disease, but, as we will see, certain
principles apply to many forms of
cancer.
Cancer starts when one cell begins to
multiply out of control. It begins to
expand into a lump that can invade
healthy tissues and spread to other parts
of the body. But there is a lot we can do
about it. Thirty percent of cancers are
caused by tobacco. Lung cancer is the
most obvious example, but by no means
the only one. Cancers of the mouth,
throat, kidney, and bladder are also
caused by tobacco.
Dietary factors also play a significant
role in cancer risk. At least one-third
of annual cancer deaths in the United
States are due to dietary factors. A
review on diet and cancer estimates that
up to 80 percent of cancers of the large
bowel, breast, and prostate are due to
dietary factors.
In 2008, excess body weight was
responsible for over 124,000 new cancer
diagnoses in Europe. These results
were presented at a major European
cancer conference in 2009 and showed
endometrial (uterine) cancer, postmenopausal breast cancer, and colorectal
cancer were the most common weightrelated cancers. These three cancer
types accounted for 65 percent of all
cancers due to excess body weight. The
effects of obesity also appear to increase
mortality from several other types of
cancer including gallbladder, pancreas,
kidney, cervix, and ovary, as well as
non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in women
with the highest BMIs compared to
those with a healthy BMI. Previous
studies including the Adventist Health
Study-2 show that following a vegan diet
results in the lowest BMI of any group
(lacto-ovo-vegetarian, pesco-vegetarian,
semivegetarian, nonvegetarian), making
the m less susceptible to obesity-related
cancers.
The link between diet and cancer is
not new. In January 1892, Scientific
American printed the observation that
“Cancer is most frequent among those
branches of the human race where
carnivorous habits prevail.” Numerous
research studies have shown that cancer
is much more common in populations
consuming diets rich in fatty foods, particularly meat, and much less common
in countries eating diets rich in grains,
vegetables, and fruits. One reason is that
foods affect the action of hormones in
the body. They also affect the strength
of the immune system and other factors.
While fruits and vegetables contain a
variety of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytochemicals to protect the
body, by contrast, recent research shows
that animal products contain potentially
carcinogenic compounds which may
contribute to increased cancer risk.
Numerous research studies
have shown that cancer
is much more common in
populations consuming
diets rich in fatty foods,
particularly meat...
In addition to tobacco use and diet,
other factors, including physical activity,
reproductive and sexual behavior,4 bacterial and viral infections, and exposure
to radiation and chemicals, may also
contribute to the risk of certain forms
of cancer.
Estimated Percentages of Cancer
Due to Selected Factors:
Diet ............................... 35% to 60%
Tobacco ........................ 30%
Air & Water Pollution .5%
Alcohol ......................... 3%
Radiation ..................... 3%
Medications ................ 2%
Reprinted with permission from Physicians
Committee for Responsible Medicine - Food for
Life Cancer Project - Visit http://pcrm.org/
Winter 2014
THE PINK PAPER
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