What
You Need To Know
Diet
Do not give this dog any yearly shots or the rabies shot as the vaccines may accelerate the growth of the cancer. Some dogs have actually come out of remission after getting the vaccines.
This is the diet Julie used for her osteosarcoma dog. See what your own vet thinks about using some of the things on this diet for your dog.
I've heard of all kinds of diets for cancer dogs. The most difficult one is the one that I'm sending you. It's difficult in that it requires a lot to prepare it but I was impressed with the kind of time Julie was able to get for Jess by using it. Also, this diet was a compilation of information from a holistic vet and from a friend of Julie's who bought himself SEVEN YEARS after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Few survive longer than 6 months with an outside of one year because there is no treatment for pancreatic cancer in people.
I feel compelled to say, however, that under NO CIRCUMSTANCES would I give any dog of mine raw meat of any kind. Dogs can get diseases from raw meat, just as people can. I'd strongly advise that you cook any meat.
Jess weighed about 60 lbs. Julie put her on this diet and the cancer program I sent you. Her dog had osteo sarcoma in the sinus cavity with a large tumor above one eye. She managed to stop the sinus cancer and reduce the tumor above the eye for quite a long time. Overall, she got Jess 15 months of perfect quality of life which is excellent considering that the typical if you do chemo for an osteo sarcoma dog is 12 months. Of course now there is OPLA-Pt/radiation for nasal cancer and I'm wondering if an owner could extend the remission time significantly by using the cancer program and Julie's diet after doing the OPLA-Pt/radiation.
The thing in the diet that she felt reduced the tumor above Jess's eye was the hecla lava. Her holistic vet told her this is used particularly to stop the spread of cancer in the head, so it may do nothing for tumors elsewhere in the body.
The only good vet I've heard of who is holistic is in B.C. Canada - - just in case you're considering finding one. She will do consults through your vet. She is: Dr. Marlene Smith, 2311 Rosewall Crescent, Courtenay, B.C., Canada V9N 8R9. I don't have a phone number for her but I'm sure you can find one.
The reason I consider her to be worth the consult is that an owner who had an encephalitis dog told me this vet cured her dog of encephalitis. Actually she sent me the protocol used on her dog. She said her vet here in the U.S. knew Dr. Smith and did the consult with her because she felt Dr. Smith was good. Apparently so if she can cure canine encephalitis which another owner was told is impossible according to a vet at U.C. Davis.
Below is what Julie sent:
Ok, basically the food deal is as little fat as possible, NO sugar (no fruit even, nothing, sugar feeds the cancer cells) and no chemicals. Nothing with white flour in it as white flour used in crackers, cookies, etc. turns to sugar in the body. One day is organic meat (I tried to use chicken or turkey which must be soaked for 1-1/2 hours in FOOD GRADE hydrogen peroxide bought at the health food store. You can NOT reuse it once you have soaked the meat. The meat must be covered or you need to turn the meat to be sure both sides get about one hour. Then you thoroughly rinse the meat under running water before using it for the dog), the next is 1/2 fresh veggies and 1/2 meat and the third is rice or millet with yogurt. There are two schools of thought in human macrobiotic cancer care. one says no dairy, the other is more lenient and, of course, this does not take into account the differences in physiology between humans and dogs. Jess, however, did not do well on dairy, so we tended to be of the no dairy camp. It was hard to get Jess to eat plain rice or millet alone so we had one meat day, one meat and veggies day and one day with just a little meat and rice or millet. The veggies we used were carrots (though carrot juice is preferred by the vet), kale, spinach, broccosprouts, yams, and squash. To get all the supplements in we fed Jess twice a day. Sea Veggies are considered a MUST by both human and animal cancer specialists, soak them and cut them up real small so the dog won't notice. Get her to eat as much as possible. Jess got 3/4 to 1 cup a day. Buy them at the health food store where they are sold dried.
The other supplements that went into her food (divided up between two meals)
were: 200 mg. COQ10; 6 caps of burdock 400 mg. Essiac (available at health food stores) Don't get the tea, she'll never drink it, get the essiac tonic, the stuff I used is made by a company called the Herbalist. 4 capsules of Maitake extract (This is Carol - I'd recommend that instead you use the Bio Beta Glucan Maitake liquid as it's more potent) Vitamin C 6000 to 10,000 mg. a day I did the fish oil deal I think I got from you. 10 caps twice daily, with a vitamin e supplement once a week. Most vets recommend vit e daily 400mg. You have to make the choice here. Green tea extract - adult dose on bottle (these formulas vary, get a strong one as possible. Flax oil (Omegaflo or like) - A tablespoon in each meal. Green food - Get at health food stores. Has spirulina, barley grass, etc. Give adult dose. In addition to all this, she also got hecla lava, 6C dose 10-15 grains once daily. You can get this through a homeopathic vet. After I originally started with Jess, her tumor went down quickly. I continued to give it to her when there was no visible sign of her tumor as a preventive. DON'T DO THIS! You really want to find a good homeopathic vet (as well as a good oncologist) in your area to monitor your dog's progress. In addition to all of this 3 times a day she got (on an empty stomach, one hour before meals) Noni juice (she liked this and it seemed to make her feel better), Intenzyme forte, IP-6 Adult dose, (available through Vitamins.com) is an immune system booster, and colostrum. I don't know that I thought the colostrum helped, by it has a lot of anecdotal support. (This is Carol again. I wouldn't use IP-6 or colostrum. I'd stick with the Immunocal instead. We got no good results using IP-6 on a few cancer dogs who tried it.) I know this is a lot but I do know that what she ate made her feel better, and everyone commented on how well she was aging, not knowing she had cancer, so I do think it had an effect. Let me again stress that I think it's best to have an oncologist and homeopathic vet working together. With Jess, as with many nasal tumors, it was simply inoperable and this type of cancer (I was told) responds well only when surgery and chemo are used together. Supplements are cheaper through Vitamins.com I've found.
click here to Continued.....WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Below is additional Cancer links and info for reading:
My dog loved broccoli, brussel sprouts, spinach, cauliflower and basmati rice with a little cooked chicken or fish or beef added to his all natural kibbled food.
Cancer and Diet
Can you eat to beat malignancy? A
controversial diet book is just one sign
of the revolutionary new thinking about food and
health.
By Geoffrey Cowley
Dr. Mitchell Gaynor knew a lot about cancer when he finished his oncology training at Cornell Medical Center, but he didn't know much about food. So he was flabbergasted when he showed up at Rockefeller University in 1986, for a postdoctoral fellowship in molecular biology, and found everyone buzzing about Brussels sprouts.
Laboratory researchers had started discovering dozens of new chemicals in common fruits and vegetables. And in test-tube and animal studies, these obscure compounds were showing a remarkable ability to disrupt the formation of tumors. Today our knowledge of these compounds is exploding. And as scientists learn more about the chemistry of plants and other edibles, they grow ever more hopeful about sparing people from malignancy. "We've seen the future," says Gaynor, now head of medical oncology at New York's Strang Cancer Prevention Center. "And the future is food." (See 'Low Risk Dinner' and 'High Risk Dinner')
In the three decades since Richard Nixon hauled off and declared war on cancer, America has spent billions pursuing better ways to kill malignant tumors. The quest has generated valuable knowledge and many new therapies. Yet our cancer death rate is roughly the same
today as it was in 1970. Despite the best efforts of surgeons and oncologists, Americans die of breast, colon and prostate cancer at five to 30 times the rate of people in many parts of the world. In Thailand and Sri Lanka, somewhere between two and five of every 100,000 women die of breast tumors. In the United States, 30 to 40 meet that fate. (See 'Eating to Beat the Big Four')
No one denies that diet is a large part of the reason. In a comprehensive analysis published last year, scientists assembled by the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research concluded that poor eating habits account for a third of all cancer--roughly the same proportion attributable to smoking. Gaynor and a few others are now pushing that notion a step further. In a spate of brash new books--"The Breast Cancer Diet: Beat Cancer" and "Dr. Gaynor's Cancer Prevention Program"--they make the case that anyone can eat to reduce cancer risk, and they lay out specific regimens to follow.
The books are all rooted in the new science of plant chemistry, and they offer similar advice--from eating the right fats to upping your intake of soy. Dr. Bob Arnot, a non-practicing physician who covers health and medicine for NBC, takes the how-to conceit the farthest in "The Breast Cancer Prevention Diet," prescribing step-by-step programs for young women, older women, breast-cancer survivors and so on. (See 'Survivors' Diets: A Healthy Fear') His book has taken off in recent weeks, topping The New York Times best-seller list--and it has set off a burst of controversy. Fran Visco of the National Breast Cancer Coalition calls it "incredibly irresponsible." The American Council on Science and Health, a watchdog group backed by the chemical and food-processing industries, condemns it as a "disservice to women." Several scientists have accused Arnot of overselling their preliminary findings. And the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center has asked not to be mentioned in future printings. "To the public we are saying, 'Don't kid yourself'," says Dr. Moshe Shike, director of Sloan-Kettering's cancer-prevention and wellness program. "Don't think that by eating this diet you're going to prevent cancer."
**
How Foods Fight Cancer
The growth of a malignant tumor is a long, slow process that involves three key steps: the initiation of potentially cancerous changes in a cell's DNA, the promotion of uncontrolled growth in a damaged cell and the progression of a cancerous lesion into a mass that can invade other tissues. Preliminary evidence suggests that nutrients found in particular foods can interfere with each of these steps.
Step 1: Initiation
A: Cancer risk: The processing of oxygen produces toxic agents called free radicals, which can damage a cell's DNA.
Food tip: Antioxidants, such as the polyphenols in green tea and the lycopene in tomatoes, help neutralize free radicals. Vitamins C, E and beta carotene are also good antioxidants.
Tomatoes may help neutralize toxic agents that damage DNA
B: Cancer risk: Most cancer-causing chemicals enter the body as procarcinogens. In order to become full-fledged carcinogens, capable of damaging cellular DNA, they must first be broken down by phase I enzymes produced in the liver.
Food tip: Garlic contains chemicals called allyl sulfides, which help limit the production of phase I enzymes. In addition to phase I enzymes, the liver produces phase II enzymes to cart off the dangerous residue phase I's leave behind. Broccoli, cauliflower and other cruciferous vegetables are rich in a chemical called sulforaphane, which boosts production of phase II enzymes.
Garlic helps limit the production of cancer-causing chemicals; Broccoli contains chemicals that remove carcinogens from cells
Step 2: Promotion
A: Cancer risk: If the first-line defenses fail and a cell undergoes potentially cancerous changes, the body's best defense is to destroy it or, barring that, keep it from dividing rapidly. The omega-6 fatty acids that abound in corn oil and safflower oil seem to promote rapid cell division.
Food tip: The omega-3 fatty acids in flax and fatty fish may thwart tumor growth by crowding other fats out of cells.
Flaxseed may lock bad fats out of cells
B: Cancer risk: Reproductive tissues are particularly cancer-prone because they divide rapidly when triggered by the body's own sex hormones. Estrogen promotes fast growth of breast cells in women.
Food tip: Soy products contain chemicals called isoflavones, which act as weak estrogens and leave less room for strong ones.
Soy may protect reproductive tissues
Step 3: Progression
Cancer risk: If all other defenses fail and a damaged cell spawns a tumor, the question is whether it will build itself a blood supply and invade surrounding tissues. Tumor cells release growth factors that promote the development of new blood vessels, a process known as
angiogenesis.
Food tip: So-called cox-2 inhibitors, such as curcumin in turmeric, may suppress the tumor's production of growth factors.
**
Eating to Beat the Big Four
Researchers estimate that diets filled with fruits and vegetables
instead of fats-along with exercise and weight control-could
eventually reduce cancer incidence by 30 to 40 percent. That would
amount to 3 million to 4 million fewer cases per year worldwide.
Diet and lifestyle may be particularly effective in preventing
America's four leading malignancies: prostate, breast, colon and
lung cancer.
Colon/rectal cancer
Estimated number of U.S. cases this year: 95,600
Percentage of people diagnosed during their lifetimes: 6%
Potential reduction through diet and lifestyle: 66%-75%
Weapons against colon cancer include calcium and fiber
Prostate cancer
Estimated number of U.S. cases this year: 184,500
Percentage of men diagnosed during their lifetimes: 17%
Potential reduction through diet and lifestyle: 10%-20%
Prostate-cancer risk may be reduced by eating cooked
tomatoes
Breast cancer
Estimated number of U.S. cases this year: 180,300
Percentage of women diagnosed during their lifetimes: 14%
Potential reduction through diet and lifestyle: 33%-50%
Breast-cancer risk may be lowered by eating soy foods
Lung cancer
Estimated number of U.S. cases this year: 171,500
Percentage of people diagnosed during their lifetimes: 7%
Potential reduction through diet, lifestyle and not smoking:
90%-95%
For healthy lungs, replace cigarettes with carrot sticks
**
(article hotlink)
Food and Cancer (audio)
http://iris.npr.org/ramfiles/19980710.me.14.ram
National Public Radio
Audio recording of an extended report by Rebecca Perl on current research into the relationship between diet and cancer, from NPR's Morning Edition (July 10, 1998). Offers a fascinating overview of encouraging research suggesting the potential benefits of such foods as raspberries and broccoli sprouts.
Cancer--What You Eat Can Affect Your Risk
http://www.mayohealth.org/mayo/9509/htm/cancer.htm
Mayo Clinic
Efficient overview of the relationship between diet and cancer, originally published in the Mayo Clinic Health Letter (Sept. 1995).
Macrobiotics Online
Kushi Foundation
Resources for learning about the macrobiotic diet, the principles underlying the macrobiotic lifestyle, and the practice of macrobiotic living. Includes an online macrobiotic supply store, articles and
commentary from the One Peaceful World newsletter, information about Kushi Institute programs, and links to other sites concerned with the macrobiotic diet, health and disease prevention, and food
industry news. An excellent source for those interested in switching to a macrobiotic lifestyle. (Carol-I think this is the place where that friend of Julie's (who had pancreatic cancer and lived 5 or 7 years past initial diagnosis) went cuz I remember visiting the website)
Diet and Its Relationship to Cancer Prevention
http://www.oncolink.com/cancer_news/1994/diet_cancer.html
OncoLink
Article about the role of diet and nutrition in relation to cancer, published in American Cancer Society Research News. Includes information on fruits and vegetables, cancer and fat, fiber, and
lifestyle changes.
OncoTip: Macrobiotic Diet
http://www.oncolink.com/support/tips/tip24.html
OncoLink
Brief overview of the macrobiotic diet and its relationship to cancer.
Diet and Cancer
http://www.oncolink.com/causeprevent/diet/
OncoLink
Excellent source of reports, fact sheets, and news articles exploring the links between nutrition and cancer. Topics include cancer prevention, diet and metastasis, food additives, and general nutrition.
Guide to Eating Healthy
http://www.crfa.org/eathealthy.html
Cancer Research Foundation of America
Brief discussion of dietary guidelines for individuals seeking to lower their risk of developing cancer. Includes practical and specific suggestions for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Consumption of Olive Oil and Specific Food Groups in Relation to Breast Cancer Risk in Greece
http://cancernet.nci.nih.gov/jnci/issue2/87-110.html
Journal of the National Cancer Institute
Abstract of a study in which researchers found that consumption of olive oil may reduce breast cancer risk (Jan. 18, 1995).
Nutrition: Diet and Cancer
Britannica Online
First, the best indication that habitual diet is one of the multiple risk factors for some types of cancer is the large differences recorded in age-standardized incidence (or mortality) tables of different types
of cancer between human populations. Genetic concentration cannot explain most of these large differences; they must be environmental, and there is patchy evidence of association between diet and
certain types of cancer. Second, in experimental animals (mostly small rodents), induction of some types of tumours is influenced by the nature of the animals' rations. Third, almost all foreign substances that are able to enter the human body must do so via the alimentary canal; i.e., in food or drink. Substances that affect the pathogenesis of cancer work in one of two broad ways. They may
initiate malignant change by gene toxicity, altering some of the DNA in the nucleus of a particular cell type: occasionally, one of these mutations results in unchecked growth of the cell. Alternatively, once
tumour growth has started a substance may promote its growth or protect against its development.
There are three ways in which a person's usual diet may lead to cancer:
(1) A carcinogenic (cancer-producing) substance in food (or drink) can come in contact with the epithelium (inner lining) of mouth, throat, esophagus, stomach, or, usually in chemically altered form, with the intestines, liver, or urinary bladder. Most such substances in food are only weakly carcinogenic and would have
no effect taken once or twice, but they might lead to cancer if taken repeatedly over a long time.
(2) The plane of nutrition (i.e., whether a person is a little overfed or a little underfed) may influence the incidence of endocrine-dependent cancers by altering hormone secretion or metabolism. Cancers thought to be in this category are those of the breast, uterus, or prostate.
(3) Some nutrients may influence susceptibility to carcinogenesis at other sites. A major question about diet and cancer is whether intakes of some nutrients could act as protective factors at intakes above the RDA and below the start of toxic levels. According to the "free radical hypothesis," free oxygen radicals sometimes arise from chemical processes in cells and may produce damage to DNA. This increases the chance of a carcinogenic mutation. Generous intake of one or more of the nutrients with antioxidant properties--vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium--might reduce this risk. This hypothesis is theoretical; evidence supporting it is small and circumstantial at present.
In 1981 Sir Richard Doll estimated the proportions of deaths from cancer in the United States that could be attributed to environmental factors. Potentially, cancer mortality could be reduced by these
estimated proportions if specific environmental factors were identified and avoided. The diet group of factors (not food additives) was thought to be more important than any other group, responsible for around 38 percent of cancer deaths. While there is strong but indirect epidemiological evidence that most of the common cancers could be made less common by suitable modifications of food habits,
there is still no precise and reliable evidence as to exactly what dietary changes would be of major importance. There are many different types of cancer, and knowledge of the relation between diet and even the most common types is many years behind the body of knowledge about diet and coronary heart disease. Three major types illustrate that dietary factors differ for cancer in different sites.
Dietary factors associated with gastric cancer include dried salted fish, pickled foods, cured meats, high salt intake, and lack of domestic refrigerators. Foods that appear from surveys to be protective
include salads and citrus fruits. The best-fitting hypothesis is that nitrates (in salts) form nitrites, which combine with secondary amines (derived from bacterial action on meat proteins) in the stomach to produce small amounts of potently carcinogenic nitrosamines. In people who secrete subnormal amounts of gastric acid (achlorhydria), bacteria can live in the stomach and produce more nitrites. Refrigeration reduces secondary amine production in protein-rich foods; vitamin C (in salads and citrus) tends to inhibit formation of nitrosamine. The incidence of gastric cancer is declining spontaneously in all industrial countries.
Several studies both within and between countries suggest a pathogenic association between total fat intake and cancer of the colon or rectum and that both wheat fibre and brassica vegetables may protect against it. Meat consumption is usually correlated with fat but is less consistently related to cancer of the large intestine. Some types of beer have been associated with cancer of the rectum (the lower end of the large intestine). There have, however, been variations and inconsistencies in all the epidemiological studies. Most cancers of the large intestine appear to originate in polyps (pre-cancerous adenomas), which are often multiple.
The range between countries with the lowest and those with the highest mortalities from breast cancer is only sevenfold, so the environmental influence must be smaller than with some other cancers. Two sets of data have suggested a relationship of breast cancer with dietary fat: it is seen in between-country correlations and in experimental mammary tumors in mice and rats. In several case-control and two prospective studies, however, the association with dietary fat has been unimpressive or absent. In animal experiments it now seems that the effect originally attributed to fat could have been due, at least in part, to increased calorie intake.**
Survivors' Diets: A Healthy Fear
There's no guarantee that a good diet will help any individual beat
cancer, but a diagnosis can scare people into eating better-permanently. Here are the changes four outspoken celebrities have made.
Andrew Grove Chairman of Intel, prostate-cancer survivor
Diet: Grove has toppled the standard food pyramid and built his
own. At the top are small amounts of healthful garlic and olives.
On the base he has a hefty five to 11 servings of fruits and veggies
a day. His daily 'orange Julius' consists of orange juice, green-tea
extract and soy protein.
Liz Tilberis Editor in chief of Harper's Bazaar, ovarian-cancer
survivor
Diet: Since undergoing surgery and chemo, Tilberis has struggled
to keep her weight up. She now 'listens to her body' more and
favors veggies, fruit juices and soups. But if her body says 'jelly
doughnut,' she still heeds the call.
Mike Milken Financier, prostate-cancer survivor, patron of
cancer research
Diet: A soy fanatic, he eats tofu dogs, 'not-meat' loaf and soy
cheese. Another favorite: smoothies spiked with vitamins. His
cancer-fighting recipes are in 'The Taste for Living Cookbook.'
Christina Pirello Hostess of PBS's 'Christina Cooks,'
diagnosed with leukemia in 1983
Diet: The former 'Snickers vegetarian' went macrobiotic, loading
up on brown rice, cabbage, tofu and beans. No dairy or animal
products, except for fish.
**
The critics' main objection--that Arnot offers medical advice without definitive evidence--could be leveled at any of the new books. The fact is, no one knows exactly which foods, in which proportions, offer the best protection against any particular malignancy. Nor does anyone know which of the myriad chemicals in a turnip or tomato does the most to keep our cells intact. Answering such questions will take decades of clinical study. And no matter how much we learn about nutrition, age, heredity and other unknown risk factors will still make prevention an inexact science. For now, the issue is this: should we change our lives on the strength of lab studies and epidemiological associations, or should we live on cheeseburgers until the case for soy burgers is seamless? If you sift through the available evidence, it's hard not to agree with Dr. Gabriel Feldman, the American Cancer Society's director of prostate and colorectal cancer.
We don't need years of research," he says. "If people would implement what we know today, cancer rates would drop. It's that simple."
To appreciate the links between diet and cancer
risk, you need a sense of how tumors arise. They
don't appear out of nowhere. They take years or
even decades to produce discernible masses, and our bodies get many chances to eliminate them along the way. The first step in the process is called initiation. It occurs when something alters a cell's genetic makeup, enabling it to divide more freely than it should.
Viruses, chemicals and radiation can all damage DNA, but the most common culprit is plain old oxygen. Just about everything we do generates highly reactive oxygen molecules called free radicals. They bounce around in our cells, stealing electrons from other molecules and prompting them to do the same. These chain reactions can damage cellular DNA, and they're going on constantly.
Chemical carcinogens pose a similar challenge. Most of them enter the body as harmless "procarcinogens," but become more dangerous as our livers work to eliminate them. The disposal system involves two sets of enzymes--dubbed phase I and phase II--that work in a
tight sequence. The phase I enzymes break them into small pieces. The phase II enzymes are supposed to bind with the fragments and shuttle them out of the body, but that requires perfect coordination. If a fragment happens to bind with a strand of cellular DNA, it may alter the genes that govern the cell's replication rate. And once that happens, the cell not only grows abnormally but generates offspring with the same tendency.
Newsweek article Cancer and Diet:
page 3
Ominous as they sound, these are all precancerous changes, and the body is well equipped to handle them. To qualify as cancer, a lesion must weather a second stage of development, known as promotion. If the right fuels are on hand, the transformed cells may replicate aggressively, creating a discernible mass within months. Without a network of blood vessels to deliver nutrients and oxygen, it won't grow much larger than a pea. But sometimes a small tumor will spit out growth factors that prompt nearby arteries to send out new branches, or capillaries. And once the tumor has its own blood supply, the odds of a reversal are slim. "Potential cancers are regressing all the time," says epidemiologist Linda Koo of the American Health Foundation. Not so vascularized tumors. They tend to invade neighboring tissues and, worse yet, seed the bloodstream with malignant cells that lodge and flourish in other parts of the body.
What does food have to do with all this? Quite a bit, by most estimates. "Humans put two to three pounds of food into their bodies every day," says Koo. "It's our greatest contact with the environment." Population studies have consistently linked a high intake of plant foods to a low risk of cancer. And as molecular biologists have discovered during the past decade, the compounds contained in those foods can work in very specific ways to block the
development of tumors. No one is holding up green tea and garlic as adequate treatments for advanced disease. The goal of the new prevention diets is to reduce the need for such treatments. As Gaynor puts it, eating the right foods is "as specific to stopping cancer before it starts as wearing a seat belt is to lowering your risk of a fatal automobile accident."
Fruits and vegetables are loaded with
antioxidants.
Vitamins C, E and beta carotene can all help
neutralize the free radicals that degrade
cellular DNA. They even help protect each other,
C preventing oxidative damage to E, and E blocking the oxidation of beta carotene. But vitamins are just the beginning of the antioxidant story; researchers have recently identified several plant chemicals that may have far stronger effects. Grapes and red wine are rich in an antioxidant called resveratrol, which reduced the incidence of skin tumors in mice by 88 percent in one recent study. Green tea contains several potent antioxidant chemicals known as polyphenols. Researchers estimate that one of them, a compound called EGCG, has 20 times the radical-quenching effect of vitamin E, and 500 times the effect of vitamin C.
**
Newsweek article
Cancer and Diet: page 4
Then there's lycopene, the pigment that gives tomatoes their blush. You can't get much lycopene from a raw tomato; it's too tightly bound by the fruit's proteins and fibers. But cooking frees it for absorption by the body, and dietary fat helps carry it into the bloodstream. If that's not reason enough to enjoy some tomato sauce with a dash of olive oil, consider this. In a 1995 study of 48,000 men, Harvard researchers found that those who ate10 servings of tomato-rich foods every week cut their risk of prostate cancer by nearly half.
Other studies suggest that lycopene may help ward off cancers of the breast, lung and digestive tract.
If you do make tomato sauce, don't forget to add some garlic. Just as lycopene helps ward off oxidative damage, the allyl sulfides found in garlic, chives and onions may help the body process cancer-causing chemicals more safely. You'll recall that the liver's phase I enzymes
break down potential carcinogens as they enter the body, leaving them in a more reactive state until they're carted away by phase II enzymes. Allyl sulfides can modulate phase I activity, presumably reducing the volume of debris that our cells have to contend with. "Even modest amounts of garlic in the diet have a marked impact on metabolism," says nutritionist John Milner of Pennsylvania State University. You don't have to cook the clove to get the effect, but the allyl sulfides won't fully form unless you cut it up and let it sit for 10 minutes. Milner suggests buying aged garlic extract, which has shown the most potency in lab studies.
Garlic isn't the only food that could help you handle carcinogens more deftly. Just as garlic can dampen phase I activity, cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage may boost production of the phase II enzymes that cart away chemical debris. The credit goes to sulforaphane, a sharp-tasting chemical that insects (and some humans) find repellent. Johns Hopkins pharmacologist Paul Talalay discovered six years ago that sulforaphane could
activate a gene that boosts production of important phase II enzymes. To test its protective effects he injected rats with a potent carcinogen called DMBA, and gave some of them sulforaphane as well. Tumors cropped up in 68 percent of the untreated animals, yet only 26 percent of those on high doses of sulforaphane got sick. Does that prove that broccoli prevents cancer in people? Of course not, but it provides a good excuse to munch some. (See
'How Foods Fight Cancer')
Cancer and Diet: page 5
It also points to the need for seeking other safeguards. Suppose the green tea and red wine, the tomatoes, the garlic and the broccoli aren't enough to keep one of your cells from running amok. Could other foods affect the odds that a precancerous lesion will blossom into a tumor? Dietary fat may play an important role. Precancerous prostate lesions are equally common throughout the world, notes Dr. William Fair, a urologist at Memorial Sloan-Kettering. Autopsy studies find them in nearly a third of all men in their 30s. Yet
advanced tumors are six times more common in the United States (where fat accounts for nearly 40 percent of calories) than in Japan (where it accounts for less than 20 percent).
Breast-cancer incidence follows a similar pattern. And lab studies have shown that tumor cells behave less aggressively in animals on low-fat diets than in those fed higher-fat fare.
But total fat intake is only part of the story. Many experts now agree that the type of fat you consume is as important as the amount. Saturated fat, for all the havoc it wreaks on the heart and blood vessels, doesn't seem to affect cancer risk one way or the other.
Monounsaturated fat (as in olive oil) seems equally innocuous. But the two forms of polyunsaturated fat--omega-6 and omega-3--are another story. The omega-6 fats, which abound in corn and safflower oil, seem to promote tumor growth; the omega-3s, found in flaxseed and fish oil, may help inhibit it. Epidemiological studies consistently find low rates of cancer among people who eat a lot of fish, even when their diets are low in fruits and vegetables. And Dr. Lillian Thompson of the University of Toronto has shown that a flaxseed regimen can shrink existing tumors in rats. She's now studying its effect on newly diagnosed breast-cancer patients. Healthy people should go easy on high-dose omega-3 supplements, for they can disrupt normal blood clotting. But eating a few servings of salmon, mackerel or tuna each week could be a prudent move. (See 'A Big Fat Conundrum')
Soy foods are another good bet, especially if you're worried about breast or prostate cancer. One of the strongest promoters of reproductive tumors is estrogen. Women exposed to high
levels of the hormone--through early menstruation, late childbearing, late menopause or obesity--suffer far more than their share of breast cancer. Soy contains weak estrogens, or isoflavones, which compete with the full-strength hormone for access to cells. Isoflavones bind with cell receptors that would normally attract the body's own estrogen, but the growth signal they deliver is only one thousandth as strong. That means less cell division and, presumably, less risk that a small lesion will become cancerous. No one has tested that assumption in a controlled clinical trial, but population studies suggest that tofu, tempeh and soy milk could have some of the same benefits as the prescription drug tamoxifen, without the side effects. In one study, Chinese women on high-soy diets had only half the
breast-cancer incidence of women on low-soy diets.
**
Cancer and Diet:
page 6
If a transformed cell eludes all these obstacles to form a palpable mass, diet alone can't be counted on to reverse it. Still, plant-based chemicals might help deprive it of a blood supply. A number of plant foods--soy, rosemary, turmeric, carrots and grapes--contain compounds known as Cox-2 inhibitors, which can impede the growth of new blood vessels. In a test tube, at least, tumor cells doused with Cox-2 inhibitors stop spitting out the growth factors that trigger vessel growth. Needless to say, a tumor without arteries is a tumor without a future.
Diet won't eliminate cancer from the world. And until many more studies are completed, we'll have to speculate about its potential to keep people healthy. "We can say that diet in certain situations may help reduce the risk of cancer," says Shike of Memorial Sloan-Kettering. "But we can't say it will prevent cancer. There are many things to take into consideration." Arnot is the first to admit that. But he makes no apologies for alerting people to the possibilities. "If you wait to test every dietary component in 1,000 women over five
years each," he says, "you'll be very old--probably dead--by the time we have definitive results. The pattern is there. Adopting a cuisine that incorporates the data we have in hand, and is associated with generations of health--that's a bet worth making." If science were
linking plant-rich diets to obesity, heart disease, cancer and stroke, we might have something to lose. The real gamble is to stick with fast food, and assume you'll be all right.
With Anne Underwood, Karen Springen and Alisha Davis
Newsweek, November 30, 1998
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Article hotlink/insert
A Big Fat Conundrum
We know high-fat diets promote heart disease, but what about
cancer? Does the type of fat you eat make a difference? The
evidence is strong for omega-6 (bad) and omega-3 (good). With
others types the cancer link is still unclear. Here's a rundown:
The basics
Polyunsaturated fats:
Linoleic (omega-6): The body requires small amounts of this
essential fatty acid, found in corn, soy and other vegetables. But a
little goes a long way: tumor cells thrive on it. Olive oil is low in
omega-6
Alpha-linolenic (omega-3): The best of all possible fats. Found in
flax and cold-water fish, it may reduce the risk of both cancer and
heart disease.
Monounsaturated fats: They don't promote cancer, and may even
help. They're also much better for your heart than saturated fats.
Found in olives, peanuts and avocados.
Saturated fats: Found mainly in animal products, such as meat,
cheese, lard and butter, they're notorious for promoting heart
disease, but their role in cancer isn't clear. Coconut oil is high in
saturated fats
Trans fats: Artificially processed polyunsaturates, they are the
worst for heart disease, and one study linked them to increased
breast-cancer risk. Found in packaged snacks. Shortening and
oils like safflower are not the best choices
**
ALT MED
From Newsweek article
Medherb.com from Medical Herbalism
http://www.medherb.com/
Annotated index of general and alternative medicine sites, with an emphasis on herbal medicine. Covers plant pharmacy, folk remedies, botany, ethnobotany, herbal therapeutics, medical databases,
journals, and organizations. Also provides links to a number of sites related to alternative medical traditions, including acupuncture, homeopathy, naturopathy, and Ayurvedic, Chinese, Islamic, and
Tibetan medicine.
The Rosenthal Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
http://cpmcnet.columbia.edu/dept/rosenthal/
Jackie Wootton/Columbia University
Center supporting research into the efficacy and safety of alternative and complementary therapies and practices, developing curricula and training programs and providing information to health care
providers, researchers, and the public about such treatments. Features material about current research projects sponsored by the center, a calendar of events and course offerings, and links to other
alternative medicine sites.
American Botanical Council
http://www.herbalgram.org/
Nonprofit organization whose main goal is to educate the public in the uses of beneficial herbs and other plants. Features a catalog of the council's products and services, which include information
about HerbalGram, a peer-reviewed quarterly magazine covering a wide range of issues related to botany and phytomedicinals; a monograph service of the German Federal Health Agency focusing on
the efficacy and safety of phytomedicines; continuing education materials in pharmacy; booklets and brochures for sale; a book list with reviews; and other projects of the council, such as its
ethnobotanical tours, media assistance service, and the evaluation of traditional medicines and medical practices.
Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI)
http://www.cspinet.org/
Consumer and activist news on topics related to nutrition and health. Includes CSPI's monthly Nutrition Action Healthletter, news releases, reports, nutrition quizzes, and a job line. Offers diet advice, information on additives and alcohol, and legislative news regarding food and nutrition issues. A link to the Canadian version of the site is provided.
Vitamin E and Prostate Cancer (audio)
http://iris.npr.org/ramfiles/980318.me.10.ram
Audio recording of a report by David Baron on research findings suggesting that vitamin E supplements may aid prevention of prostate cancer, from NPR's Morning Edition (Mar. 18, 1998).
**
Antioxidants and Reducing Cancer Risk
http://www.oncolink.com/specialty/complementary/faq/faq_antiox_risk.html
OncoLink
Brief explanation of the speculative role between antioxidants and cancer.
**
Cancer and Cancer Research
American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR)
http://www.aicr.org/
Cancer research and educational information from AICR, "the leading national charity in the field of diet, nutrition, and cancer prevention." Provides coverage of cancer research, including grant programs, research projects, and research updates; a discussion and advice on the link between cancer risk and diet; cooking columns with recipes that are low in fat and rich in essential vitamins and minerals; and links to other sites that deal with cancer and diet. This is an excellent resource for developing a healthy diet.
CancerNet
http://wwwicic.nci.nih.gov/
National Cancer Institute
Research news service from the National Cancer Institute, a component of the National Institutes of Health. Includes an extensive cancer database--customized for use by patients, the public, health
professionals, and researchers-with peer-reviewed statements on treatment, supportive care, screening, and prevention; a registry of clinical trials; and a directory of physicians and organizations
that provide cancer care. Also features cancer fact sheets, detailed descriptions of clinical trials, materials from the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, research abstracts, and links to other
government offices and independent cancer websites. Patient and health-professional pages are also available in Spanish.
The People Who Make Cancer Clinical Trials Happen
http://cancernet.nci.nih.gov/jnci/issue2/87-81.html
Journal of the National Cancer Institute
Article describing the process of clinical trials for cancer research and the key people involved (Jan. 18, 1995).
The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
http://www.mdacc.tmc.edu/
Cancer research and treatment center offering a number of services to patients, health professionals, and the public. Provides access to medical journals and other biomedical resources as well as to the
center's bulletins and newsletters for physicians and other professionals; coverage of training programs, hospital departments, and research groups; news reports for medical librarians; referral
information; educational materials on the causes and prevention of cancer; a listing of online patient support groups; and links to other Internet sites for cancer patients and their families.
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
http://www.mskcc.org/
Extensive information concerning cancer diagnosis, treatment, and prevention, from the highly respected research center in New York.
What You Need to Know about Cancer
http://www.sciam.com/0996issue/0996currentissue.html
Scientific American
Impressive overview of cancer, offering a thoughtful discussion of detection, prevention, and treatment and therapy (Sept. 1996). Includes an examination of the causes of cancer, advances in
detection, alternative treatments, and possible future therapies. Winner of the National Magazine Award.
Treatment vs. Prevention
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/health/may97/cancer_5-29.html
Public Broadcasting Service
Transcript of a panel discussion examining a report in the New England Journal of Medicine suggesting that the less-than-satisfactory current cancer treatments may necessitate a new approach to treatment and prevention, from The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer (May 29, 1997).
Personal and Family Health History
http://www.ama-assn.org/insight/yourhlth/per_hlth/per_hlth.htm
American Medical Association
Interactive form for recording health history. Includes forms for personal, child, or entire family histories. The forms are recommended for health consumers to supplement physicians' medical records.
