The Cancer Prevention Diet . That's hardly cause for celebration, however, considering that: One out of every two American men and one out of every three women will develop some form of cancer during their lifetime. Lymphoma, melanoma, and kidney, liver, and thyroid cancers are on the rise, as are leukemia and brain cancer in children. Cancer plays a role in one out of every four deaths in this country. It seems that cancer has turned out to be far more clever than we'd imagined, with an uncanny ability to outwit the therapies we employ to inhibit its growth. It is the consummate chameleon, and the best treatments we have are still designed to cut, poison, or burn it away. It's true that our surgeries have become safer, we have more chemotherapies to choose from, and our radiation is more precise- -but these treatments have debilitating side effects, often increase patients' risk of developing other cancers, and don't provide a permanent cure. Chest pain is the most obvious sign of lung cancer, but there are plenty of other signals you should know about—even if you've never smoked. Learn about lung cancer symptoms, stages, treatment, life expectancy, survival rates, and prognosis. See pictures of lung cancer. Lung cancer is the leading cause of. Eating right can lower your chance of developing cancer. In fact, nutrition guidelines for cancer prevention are similar to those for preventing other diseases such. Even our most highly acclaimed breakthrough targeted treatments, which interfere with specific molecules in cancer cells, come with a huge price tag to individuals and the whole health care system, and they sometimes increase life expectancy by a matter of only weeks. How can this be? The National Cancer Institute has spent $9. In that time, we have learned a lot about the biology of cancer and the genetic mutations that raise the risks. What we have not done is channel our scientific know- how, funding, and energy into a full exploration of the one path certain to save lives: prevention. This year, the NCI asked for $2 billion to understand the mechanisms and causes of cancer, $1. We also have not encouraged our best medical minds to work together for the common good. Right now, scientists run similar experiments in isolation, often duplicating each other's efforts and reluctantly sharing their results. Instead, we need to create incentives that will enable researchers to share information more easily and build upon each other's successes. I know that we can do better—and we must. Our very lives—and our children's lives—depend upon it. More from Prevention: 2. Ways to Prevent Cancer. More is possible if we start up the bold initiative I propose: the National Cancer Prevention Institute. From how we define our mission and over- see the research agenda to how we collect data, conduct clinical trials, and motivate scientists, the NCPI will allow us to approach the cancer challenge in new ways. The NCPI will be a powerhouse of ideas and talent. It will give our scientific pioneers the infrastructure to work together, focused on specific goals with clear deadlines. It can help us understand the differences between people who develop cancer and those who don't. It can lead to meaningful tools of early detection, vaccines that prevent cancer, strategies to strengthen the immune system, and a better understanding of how nutritional deficiencies, environmental exposures, and genetic risk factors promote disease. More from Prevention: Could Your Heartburn Lead to Cancer? My hope is that we can also engage the pharmaceutical companies as allies in this work. I'd like to see the industry reinvent itself as a champion of preventive therapies and cures for early disease. Our new attack on cancer has to bring public health to center stage as well. Public health is about sweeping and often- inexpensive actions designed to prevent bad things from happening rather than curing them after they do—getting people vaccinated, improving access to healthy foods, and using social media to encourage individuals to change behavior. It's also about eliminating environmental contaminants, which can disrupt the body's genetic, immune, and endocrine systems and promote cell mutations. So far, these have not been implemented. You can, however, make changes in your own life and to your personal environment that can make a real difference in your health and your family's. Obesity, poor diet, and lack of exercise account for almost one- third of cancer fatalities in the United States, so healthy behavior will lessen our risk. Here, an action strategy you can start today. FOLLOW THE CANCER- PREVENTION DIET. Buy organic. Exposure to certain pesticides is linked to at least nine different cancers. Buy foods with the USDA- certified organic seal. Try these 8 Ways to Eat Organic on a Budget.) Make fruits and vegetables daily companions. Consume a range of fresh, colorful produce. Berries, cruciferous vegetables (such as broccoli, brussels sprouts, and cabbage), tomatoes, and dark- green leafy vegetables are especially potent cancer fighters. Add fiber to your diet. Every 1. 0 g of daily fiber intake reduces the risk of colon cancer by 1. Good sources include whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Aim for 2. 5 g daily. Eat more fish. Fish that are low in saturated fat and high in omega- 3 fatty acids, such as salmon, Atlantic mackerel, Arctic char, and sardines, reduce inflammation, which is linked to cancer. Between 30-50% of all cancer cases are preventable. Prevention offers the most cost-effective long-term strategy for the control of cancer. More from Prevention: What's Your Breast Cancer IQ? Instead, what's called for is truly shared responsibility—with essential roles for government, industry, the. Lung cancer has emerged as the leading killer of men and women stricken with invasive cancer, affecting husbands and wives, friends and neighbors, and causing. Preventing lung cancer. If you smoke, the best way to prevent lung cancer and other serious conditions is to stop smoking as soon as possible. Many foods have long been studied to find out if they increase cancer risk or can help prevent cancer. This includes several types of food and parts of foods. Cancer prevention strategies exist for reducing the number of both new cases of cancer and deaths caused by cancer. Read about cancer prevention lifestyle, diet. Radon gas is a natural radioactive gas that is a natural decay product of uranium that emits a type of ionizing radiation. Radon gas is a known cause of lung cancer.Drink green tea. Green tea contains catechins, antioxidants in a class of compounds called polyphenols, which may protect cells from DNA damage, strengthen the immune system, and activate enzymes that curb tumors. Get enough vitamin D. Higher blood levels of this vitamin are associated with lower rates of colon, breast, ovarian, renal, pancreatic, and prostate cancers. Have your blood level tested, and discuss supplementation options with your doctor. For more on vitamin D research, check out the work of the Grassroots. Health organization.) Flavor your food with turmeric. Another polyphenol, this Indian spice has anti- inflammatory properties. Avoid red meat. Beef, pork, and lamb are linked to cancers of the colon, prostate, pancreas, and kidney. Limit alcohol consumption. Alcohol is a risk factor for oral cancers; cancers of the esophagus, liver, colon, and breast; and possibly pancreatic cancer. Women should have no more than one drink daily; men, no more than two. More from Prevention: Sneaky Signs You Have a Drinking Problem. Don't eat trans fats. Trans fatty acids, used in baked goods and deep- fried foods, raise the risk of prostate and invasive breast cancers. Don't buy anything containing partially hydrogenated oil, code for trans fats. Look for cans labeled BPA- free and plastic containers with the recycling numbers 1, 2, or 4. Minimize dry cleaning. Perchloroethylene, a dry- cleaning solvent, causes cancer in animals. Find a dry cleaner that doesn't use it, or air your clothes out after bringing them home. Keep your cell phone away from your face. Mobile phones use a form of electromagnetism that has been classified as . The HPV vaccine, which protects against many viral strains that cause cervical cancer, is advised for all females ages 1. Be screened appropriately. The colonoscopy is the gold standard for detecting colon cancer; the Pap test, for cervical cancer; and mammograms, for breast cancer. Limit exposure to medical radiation. Ask your doctor why a test is recommended and whether there is an alternative that does not use radiation. Adapted from A World Without Cancer: The Making of a New Cure and the Real Promise of Prevention, by Margaret I. Cuomo, MD (Rodale, 2. Lung Cancer: Overview & Facts.
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July 2017
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