Cancer risk management
CANCER is a chronic health disorder arising from uncontrolled cell growth.
According to the Malaysian Cancer Statistics 2011, the top 10 cancers among males in 2007 were cancers of the lung, colorectal, nasopharynx (nose), prostate, liver, lymphoma, leukaemia, stomach, bladder, and brain/nervous system.
For women, they involved the breast, colorectal, cervix, uterus, ovary, lung, corpus uterus, lymphoma, thyroid and stomach.
Leukaemia is the most frequent cancer in children followed by brain cancer.
Cancers diagnosed in their advanced stages include lung, liver, prostate, oral, and stomach.
Research suggests that the majority of cancers are linked to individually-controllable lifestyle issues with a smaller percentage being linked to occupational or environmental exposures.
Up to 90% of most cancer could be prevented by proper nutrition and healthy lifestyles.
Lung cancer
Tobacco products seem to be a major contributing risk factor for smokers. However, second-hand smoke may be even more toxic.
It has been shown that some plant-based cooking oils heated to high temperatures produce mutagenic (DNA-damaging) chemicals during deep-frying or wok-cooking.
This is especially true in the case of heated linoleic acid, which is unsaturated omega-6 fats consumed in the mistaken belief that polyunsaturated fatty acids are ‘healthier’ than saturated fats from virgin coconut or palm oil.
While small quantity of omega-6 fat is essential to health, this fragile fatty acid when consumed in excess can accelerate the ageing process.
Rich sources of omega-6 fatty acids include oils from corn, sunflower, safflower, olive, soybean, and evening primrose.
Breast cancer
More than 50% of breast cancer-related deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries.
Risk factors include delayed childbearing, decreased breast feeding, higher body mass index, higher dietary fats, exposure to estrogenic chemicals in foods, sleep deprivation, and radiation.
Surprisingly, the unavoidable risks include high birth weight and higher height in teen years.
Colon cancer
Colorectal cancer originates from epithelial cells carrying a mutated gene lining the large intestine (bowel) or rectum of the digestive tract.
Warning signs include bloody stool, anaemia, unexplained fatigue, worsening constipation, weight loss, and appetite loss.
Controllable risk factors include ulcerative colitis (inflamed colon with lesions), Crohn’s disease, diabetes type II, elevated blood sugar, refined starch in diet (buns, bread, biscuits, noodles) or sugar, low dietary fibre, high omega-6 fats, and gut anaerobic bacterium such as Enterococcus faecalis.
Prostate cancer
It’s a walnut-sized gland located beneath the bladder of males and it surrounds the upper part of the urethra, which is the tube that carries urine from the bladder.
Between 60 and 75% of this cancer occurs in men over 55.
Controllable risk factors include childhood obesity, hormonal imbalance, exposure to estrogenic products and foods, pesticides and a lack of sunlight.
Symptoms include frequent urination particularly at night, inability to urinate, painful urination, problems with cessation of urination, blood in urine, pain in ejaculation, and persistent pain in the upper thighs, lower back or hips.
Nasopharynx (nose) cancer
This squamous cell carcinoma is often listed under “head and neck cancers” and is located above the hard and soft plate and behind the nose.
A major risk factor is the Epstein-Barr virus, which is found in the blood of most people with undifferentiated nasopharyngeal cancer.
The human papillomavirus, environmental irritants such as wood dust in furniture making and cigarette smoke, and too much intake of salted or preserved foods, meat and alcohol, as well as low dietary folate (dark green vegetables) are risk factors.
THERAPIES
Cancer is a serious metabolic health disorder that warrants care and treatment only by trained health professionals licensed by the Health Ministry.
In the private sector, there are complementary medical centres offering adjunct (integrative) non-invasive natural therapies for those suffering from cancer.
Views expressed are those of the author, who’s president of the Federation of ¬Complementary & Natural Medical Associations, and not necessarily those of the ¬professional bodies and government committees of which he’s a member. Dato’ Steve Yap can be contacted at lifestyle.steve@thesundaily.com.
Published: 21 Oct 2013
Category: Features, Wellness and Complementary Therapies
