AN EPIDEMIC OF CANCER
CANCER WILL BECOME AN EPIDEMIC
By Dr. Mercola
Research in the UK suggests that the number of new cancer cases could rise 45 percent by 2030.
Cancer Research UK, which funded the study, says that the National Health Service must act immediately to avoid being “overwhelmed”.
The research looked at 23 different types of cancer, and found an expected cancer increase of 55 percent for men and 35 percent for women.
BREAST CANCER RATES FALL
“The rate of breast cancer is projected to fall by 7 percent. The authors attribute this to a recent reduction in the use of hormone replacement therapy, which is a risk factor for the disease.
OTHER CANCERS TO RISE
However the rates of malignant melanoma and kidney cancer are forecast to rise sharply in men and women. “The primary reason for the rise in cancer cases is attributed to population growth in the UK and an increased ageing population.”
No wonder cancer rates are projected to rise by 45 percent in the UK over the next 20 years!
Cost of Cancer Rapidly Becoming Unsustainable
Cancer now surpasses heart disease as the number one killer of Americans between the ages of 45 to 74. The odds are quite high that you or someone you know has cancer, is dying or has already died from it.
While life cannot be measured in dollars and cents, the financial burden of cancer is truly staggering. Currently, 12 million people worldwide are diagnosed with cancer each year, costing $286 billion annually in medical costs and lost productivity. By 2030, that number could increase to 22 million people each year, with a similar rise in costs.
Root of the Problem
Ignoring the fact that cancer is for the most part a disease triggered primarily by exposure to industrial toxins, the now well-trod path of the Cut-Poison-Burn model is taking us ever further AWAY from the solution. The pharmaceutical researchers would like you to believe they’re doing everything they can to come up with a solution. Yet most of the cancer research is directed towards expensive drugs that target late stages of the disease and greatly enrich the drug companies but simply do not prevent cancer.
Clearly they’re not digging close enough to the root of the problem, because if they did, they’d touch on some of the lifestyle issues I’ll review below.
If ever there was an area in which an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure it is cancer. I firmly believe that if you’re able to work your way up to the advanced health plan, that you will virtually eliminate the risk of most cancers.
From my perspective, you ignore lifestyle factors at your own peril, as environmental – and lifestyle factors are increasingly being pinpointed as the primary culprits fueling our cancer epidemic.
An exhaustive list of contributing factors would be exceedingly long, but some of the more obvious ones are listed below:
- Pesticide- and other chemical exposures
- Processed and artificial foods (plus the chemicals in the packaging)
- Wireless technologies, dirty electricity, and medical diagnostic radiation exposure
- Pharmaceutical drugs
- Obesity, stress, and poor sleeping habits
- Lack of sunshine exposure and use of sunscreens
In the last 30 years the global cancer burden has doubled, and as predicted in the featured study, we’re looking at further dramatic increases—unless people begin to take cancer prevention seriously. I believe we can turn this trend around, but to do so the medical community must stop overlooking the methods that can actually have a very real and significant impact.
Three cancer advancements in particular merit special mention, and I will summarize them below. These advancements have not yet been accepted by conventional medicine, and they must be.
Vitamin D Plays a Crucial Role in Cancer Development
There’s overwhelming evidence indicating that vitamin D deficiency plays a crucial role in cancer development. Research has identified a number of vitamin D’s protective mechanisms against cancer, including:
Regulating genetic expression
- Increasing the self-destruction of mutated cells (which, if allowed to replicate, could lead to cancer)
- Reducing the spread and reproduction of cancer cells
- Causing cells to become differentiated (cancer cells often lack differentiation)
- Reducing the growth of new blood vessels from pre-existing ones, which is a step in the transition of dormant tumors turning cancerous
VITAMIN D
Researchers within this field have estimated that about 30 percent of cancer deaths could be prevented annually simply by optimizing the vitamin D levels in the general population. On a personal level, you can decrease your risk of cancer by MORE THAN HALF simply by optimizing your vitamin D levels with sun exposure. And if you are being treated for cancer it is likely that higher blood levels—probably around 70-100 ng/ml—would be beneficial.
I strongly recommend optimizing your vitamin D levels with appropriate amounts of sun exposure because when your skin is exposed to the sun, in addition to creating vitamin D3 it also synthesizes high amounts of vitamin D sulfate and cholesterol sulfate—both of which are very important for heart- and cardiovascular health. In fact, research by Dr. Stephanie Seneff suggests that heart disease may be a symptom of cholesterol sulfate deficiency, and healthy cholesterol and sulfur levels are both highly dependent on your vitamin D levels…
Vitamin D sulfate is a water soluble form of sulfur that can travel freely in your blood stream, making it readily available, while oral vitamin D3 is unsulfated, and therefore needs LDL (the so-called “bad” cholesterol) as a vehicle of transport. Dr. Seneff’s suspicion is that the simple oral non-sulfated form of vitamin D may not provide as much of the same heart-healthy benefits as the vitamin D created in your skin from sun exposure, because it cannot be converted to vitamin D sulfate, and therefore will not improve your sulfur status.
A third option is taking a high-quality vitamin D supplement. According to the most recent findings by Carole Baggerly, founder of GrassrootsHealth, her research of nearly 10,000 people shows the ideal adult dose appears to be 8,000 IU’s a day to get most into the healthy range. Just remember to get your vitamin D levels tested regularly if you take an oral supplement.
Exercise is Slowly Becoming More Recognized for its Cancer Prevention Potential
While exercise might not be at the top of most people’s lists of cancer prevention or treatment strategies, there is actually compelling evidence suggesting that exercise can indeed slash your cancer risk and improve recovery.
For example, physically active adults experience about half the incidence of colon cancer as their sedentary counterparts, and women who exercise regularly can reduce their breast cancer risk by 20 to 30 percent compared to those who are inactive. Furthermore, Harvard Medical School researchers found that breast cancer patients who exercise moderately — 3-5 hours a week — reduce their odds of dying by about half as compared to sedentary women. In fact, any amount of weekly exercise increased a patient’s odds of surviving breast cancer.
One of the primary ways exercise lowers your cancer risk is by reducing elevated insulin levels, which creates a low sugar environment that discourages the growth and spread of cancer cells. Additionally, exercise improves the circulation of immune cells in your blood, which is your first line of defense against all disease, including cancer.
FRESH FOODS
Focus on fresh, whole organic foods, forgoing as many processed foods as possible. Aim to consume at least one-third of your food raw. Only 25 percent of people eat enough vegetables, so by all means eat as many vegetables as you are comfortable with. Cruciferous vegetables in particular have been identified as having potent anti-cancer properties.
When eating meat, make sure it’s grass-fed. Avoid CAFO beef and ALL processed meats, which have been clearly linked to increased cancer risk.
Get appropriate amounts of animal-based omega-3 fats.
Dr. Pinna says:
Avoiding cancer is extremely difficult. This is due to the genetic nature of the disease. We know that people with most forms of cancer have relatives with that form.
Avoiding certain known causes is the first thing that people can do. The HPV virus is a known cause of cancer in the mucosa of the body (cervix, mouth, throat, penis, etc.). This virus is transmitted almost entirely by sexual contact. Avoiding unprotected sex is the best answer for this danger. Of course, monogamy is the religious answer.
Skin cancer, which is another epidemic, can be avoided by reducing sun exposure. However, those people with a genetic tendency toward melanoma should have routine check-ups by a dermatologist as frequently as every six months.
Obesity and lack of exercise are two other factors in various cancers. Both of these can be avoided if the person involved has enough will power.
Ultimately, not all cancers can be avoided. One should examine their family’s medical history and then concentrate on the findings.
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