My name is Rose: I was diagnosed with late stage breast cancer, involving my right arm lymph nodes in Sept 2011. After an operation, thankfully I had no metastases.
Having a physical science background as well as my applied psychology qualifications, I set off to read the research literature - aided by my husband, Richard, who is still an active biological chemist researcher attached to Glasgow University, so is able to get papers I can't. I have also found useful sources for keeping up to date, and have consultations with a GP in private practice. who has nutritional qualifications, and been Director of the Bristol Cancer Care Centre, where she has been
instrumental in collecting a comprehensive data base of cancer research.
I have amassed a lot of useful information. The mechanisms of tumour growth are well known, and there has been an explosion of research which can be described as anti-cancer nutrition. This complements the conventional treatments, and much increases survival times. It also much reduces the chances of getting tumours of all kinds, so is a cancer-preventative healthy diet.
I have changed my diet a great deal and altered my lifestyle, (and I've been fortunate in having a great deal of support from my husband, daughter, and many friends, and neighbours etc).
I have already been supplying Zander with information, and loaning him books. However, there is a lot to take in. I'm currently aiming to summarise what's useful more coherently. I am passing this information on to other via this blog in hopefully manageable chunks.
The prevention and treatment of cancers involves lifestyle changes that follow the key action guidelines that maintain healthy minds and bodies – no magic bullets exist. The lifestyle changes that support conventional cancer treatments and add to survival times are as follows:
a) Strengthening our will to live, and our ability to act with hope so we can live fully to the end of our lives.
b) Understanding and healing psychological wounds that interfere with our bodily healing systems.
c) Improving our physical fitness to an optimum level for our bodies and daily life.
d) Adjusting our diet so as to cut back on cancer promoters, and include anti-cancer foods.
e) Guarding ourselves against the environmental hazards that promote cancer.
A necessary condition for the production of cancer stem cells is the occurrence of several mutations, which progressively alter a cell's character and make it unable to perform its original function in the collection of cells that form the organ/ body system it contributes to. It ends up as a cancer stem cell which can then become a tumour working to maximise its own survival and reproduction.
Cancer stem cells, become micro-tumours when the bodily environment they inhabit supplies what they need to grow – a supply of food and the conditions for metabolising it. As the tumour grows it is able to take over the bodily systems that support healthy cells, and adjust them to cater for its own needs. In transforming such processes it creates a negative environments for healthy systems, e.g. it acidifies the blood, reducing oxygen transport, and degrading the immune system's ability to fight the cancer. Cancer cells are often called 'rogue' cells because they don't do normal cell work.
Key ways tumours are able to grow, which provide possibilities of fighting the tumour:
1. Being supplied with plenty of glucose in the blood – glucose is the main food of cancer cells.
2. By growing a network of blood vessels to bring more glucose to the tumour (Angiogenesis).
3. By losing part of the system of programmed cell death that normal cells use when damaged beyond repair (Apotosis). This means cancer cell lines are immortal unless killed by agents external to their normal environment. (Apotosis is a complex staged process which produces small packages of cell debris that are easily mopped up by the immune system.)
4. By releasing cancer cells into the blood stream to settle elsewhere, forming metastases.
Cancer used to be considered as a disease of old age because of the need for several mutations. However, cancers needing treatments are increasing, and at higher rates in younger age groups, particularly with children and young people. The increases are highest in Western countries, and follow recent industrialisation of animal husbandry, agriculture and food processing.
Risk factors for cancer in percentages: Poor dietary habits 30%; Smoking 30%; Hereditary factors 15%; Infection 5%; Workplace related exposure 5%; Alcohol 3%; Obesity and lack of exercise 5%; UV-ray exposure 2%; Drugs 2 %; Pollution 2%; Other 1 %. [RB & DG:1] Italic initials in square brackets refer to books giving information sources, which will be detailed in a later posting.
Apart from hereditary factors, these risk factors can be controlled by changes in individual lifestyle, or adding environmental controls. In addition, stress is a major risk factor for cancer (and many other chronic bodily malfunctions and diseases). Decreasing stress comes under point b) above in the lifestyle changes needed to minimise cancers. Smoking has been tackled by the UK governments, with a very positive effect on people's health. Diet is the next high risk factor, and after this posting my information will focus on the difference a healthy anti-cancer diet can make to survival times. The next section will briefly consider the helpful lifestyle changes apart from diet.
Based on the growing amount of research linked to cancer prevention and treatment, cancer organisations concerned with survival times following conventional treatment promote a trinity of lifestyle changes that individuals can make: healthier diets, exercise and de-stressing. These correspond to points a) to d) above if we put together a) and b) as they are in the same arena. I will summarise the main points.
The will to live and acting with hope have research support for their effect on survival times.
The will to live goes along with tackling difficult situations as challenges, finding sources of information, finding practical help and support, and looking forward to recovery and resuming their healthy lives. This contrasts with people who are caught up in responding to the threats of cancer, and experience helplessness. These are not exclusive categories, survival times go along with the ratio of responses to the challenges cancer presents compared with responding to its threatening aspects. Research supports hopefulness and positive feelings increasing survival times, and helplessness and despair reducing survival times.
I remember after my diagnosis with late stage breast cancer I had two bottom line responses: “I have no regrets.” and “I'm aiming for another ten years after my treatment.” I had the advantage of being a counselling psychologist, and having practised co-counselling for many years.
(Relevant research studies and exploration of how to strengthen the will to live, and reduce helplessness and despair, are given in the 'The anti-cancer mind' chapter in [RSS].These studies include showing how stress responses debilitate the immune system.)
Healing psychological wounds that interfere with physical healing is also about de-stressing and improving mental health. Stress responses consist of repetitive negative feelings, negative thinking about ourselves and others, and negative actions we find hard to control. I will write further on this topic later.
Improving physical fitness improves cancer survival times. The impact of fitness on health has been thoroughly researched within the medical arena. This impacts on advice given by doctors, and NHS doctors have the option to prescribe exercise at local gyms. People with greater physical fitness before cancer treatment do better, as do those getting fitter after treatment. Specifically, both chemotherapy and radiotherapy cause fatigue, which can be long lasting. Paradoxically, research results show that exercising reduces fatigue. The effect is a dose-response one, increasing exercise, however low the initial capability, helps in proportion to the amount done.
Zander was advised to exercise by his medics. I suggested he could walk around the block from his house as the simplest exercise to incorporate. Aiming for one circuit a day, even if he has to build up to achieving that, given his breathing difficulties, would be a useful goal. He may need help to prioritise daily exercise, and he may welcome having normal friendly company as he walks.
Rose's next post to this blog will summarise key points for adjusting diets to minimise cancer promoting foods and add anti-cancer foods.
'
Having a physical science background as well as my applied psychology qualifications, I set off to read the research literature - aided by my husband, Richard, who is still an active biological chemist researcher attached to Glasgow University, so is able to get papers I can't. I have also found useful sources for keeping up to date, and have consultations with a GP in private practice. who has nutritional qualifications, and been Director of the Bristol Cancer Care Centre, where she has been
instrumental in collecting a comprehensive data base of cancer research.
I have amassed a lot of useful information. The mechanisms of tumour growth are well known, and there has been an explosion of research which can be described as anti-cancer nutrition. This complements the conventional treatments, and much increases survival times. It also much reduces the chances of getting tumours of all kinds, so is a cancer-preventative healthy diet.
I have changed my diet a great deal and altered my lifestyle, (and I've been fortunate in having a great deal of support from my husband, daughter, and many friends, and neighbours etc).
I have already been supplying Zander with information, and loaning him books. However, there is a lot to take in. I'm currently aiming to summarise what's useful more coherently. I am passing this information on to other via this blog in hopefully manageable chunks.
So with that in mind, here's the first section:
Living with cancer – 1: Introduction
The prevention and treatment of cancers involves lifestyle changes that follow the key action guidelines that maintain healthy minds and bodies – no magic bullets exist. The lifestyle changes that support conventional cancer treatments and add to survival times are as follows:
a) Strengthening our will to live, and our ability to act with hope so we can live fully to the end of our lives.
b) Understanding and healing psychological wounds that interfere with our bodily healing systems.
c) Improving our physical fitness to an optimum level for our bodies and daily life.
d) Adjusting our diet so as to cut back on cancer promoters, and include anti-cancer foods.
e) Guarding ourselves against the environmental hazards that promote cancer.
A necessary condition for the production of cancer stem cells is the occurrence of several mutations, which progressively alter a cell's character and make it unable to perform its original function in the collection of cells that form the organ/ body system it contributes to. It ends up as a cancer stem cell which can then become a tumour working to maximise its own survival and reproduction.
Cancer stem cells, become micro-tumours when the bodily environment they inhabit supplies what they need to grow – a supply of food and the conditions for metabolising it. As the tumour grows it is able to take over the bodily systems that support healthy cells, and adjust them to cater for its own needs. In transforming such processes it creates a negative environments for healthy systems, e.g. it acidifies the blood, reducing oxygen transport, and degrading the immune system's ability to fight the cancer. Cancer cells are often called 'rogue' cells because they don't do normal cell work.
Key ways tumours are able to grow, which provide possibilities of fighting the tumour:
1. Being supplied with plenty of glucose in the blood – glucose is the main food of cancer cells.
2. By growing a network of blood vessels to bring more glucose to the tumour (Angiogenesis).
3. By losing part of the system of programmed cell death that normal cells use when damaged beyond repair (Apotosis). This means cancer cell lines are immortal unless killed by agents external to their normal environment. (Apotosis is a complex staged process which produces small packages of cell debris that are easily mopped up by the immune system.)
4. By releasing cancer cells into the blood stream to settle elsewhere, forming metastases.
Cancer used to be considered as a disease of old age because of the need for several mutations. However, cancers needing treatments are increasing, and at higher rates in younger age groups, particularly with children and young people. The increases are highest in Western countries, and follow recent industrialisation of animal husbandry, agriculture and food processing.
Risk factors for cancer in percentages: Poor dietary habits 30%; Smoking 30%; Hereditary factors 15%; Infection 5%; Workplace related exposure 5%; Alcohol 3%; Obesity and lack of exercise 5%; UV-ray exposure 2%; Drugs 2 %; Pollution 2%; Other 1 %. [RB & DG:1] Italic initials in square brackets refer to books giving information sources, which will be detailed in a later posting.
Apart from hereditary factors, these risk factors can be controlled by changes in individual lifestyle, or adding environmental controls. In addition, stress is a major risk factor for cancer (and many other chronic bodily malfunctions and diseases). Decreasing stress comes under point b) above in the lifestyle changes needed to minimise cancers. Smoking has been tackled by the UK governments, with a very positive effect on people's health. Diet is the next high risk factor, and after this posting my information will focus on the difference a healthy anti-cancer diet can make to survival times. The next section will briefly consider the helpful lifestyle changes apart from diet.
Based on the growing amount of research linked to cancer prevention and treatment, cancer organisations concerned with survival times following conventional treatment promote a trinity of lifestyle changes that individuals can make: healthier diets, exercise and de-stressing. These correspond to points a) to d) above if we put together a) and b) as they are in the same arena. I will summarise the main points.
The will to live and acting with hope have research support for their effect on survival times.
The will to live goes along with tackling difficult situations as challenges, finding sources of information, finding practical help and support, and looking forward to recovery and resuming their healthy lives. This contrasts with people who are caught up in responding to the threats of cancer, and experience helplessness. These are not exclusive categories, survival times go along with the ratio of responses to the challenges cancer presents compared with responding to its threatening aspects. Research supports hopefulness and positive feelings increasing survival times, and helplessness and despair reducing survival times.
I remember after my diagnosis with late stage breast cancer I had two bottom line responses: “I have no regrets.” and “I'm aiming for another ten years after my treatment.” I had the advantage of being a counselling psychologist, and having practised co-counselling for many years.
(Relevant research studies and exploration of how to strengthen the will to live, and reduce helplessness and despair, are given in the 'The anti-cancer mind' chapter in [RSS].These studies include showing how stress responses debilitate the immune system.)
Healing psychological wounds that interfere with physical healing is also about de-stressing and improving mental health. Stress responses consist of repetitive negative feelings, negative thinking about ourselves and others, and negative actions we find hard to control. I will write further on this topic later.
Improving physical fitness improves cancer survival times. The impact of fitness on health has been thoroughly researched within the medical arena. This impacts on advice given by doctors, and NHS doctors have the option to prescribe exercise at local gyms. People with greater physical fitness before cancer treatment do better, as do those getting fitter after treatment. Specifically, both chemotherapy and radiotherapy cause fatigue, which can be long lasting. Paradoxically, research results show that exercising reduces fatigue. The effect is a dose-response one, increasing exercise, however low the initial capability, helps in proportion to the amount done.
Zander was advised to exercise by his medics. I suggested he could walk around the block from his house as the simplest exercise to incorporate. Aiming for one circuit a day, even if he has to build up to achieving that, given his breathing difficulties, would be a useful goal. He may need help to prioritise daily exercise, and he may welcome having normal friendly company as he walks.
Rose's next post to this blog will summarise key points for adjusting diets to minimise cancer promoting foods and add anti-cancer foods.
'
1 comment:
A belated comment from Rose on chicken broth. I think it sounds delicious, and I might even have some occasionally. However, I've moved to being 99% vegetarian with fish occasionally.
Nutritionally, my concern would be to make sure the chicken was organic.Non-organic chickens are largely fed on corn, with the result that the meat contains vastly more omega 6 fatty acid than is healthy, totally swamping the omega 3, with nasty consequences, including promoting cancers. The same applies to non-organic eggs. An american nutritionist who ran the dept of nutrition health at the National Institute of health showed that eggs from chickens raised on corn contain 20 times more omega-6s than omega-3s. Eggs taken from the Greek farm she grew up on retain a balance of 1/1.
Post a Comment