Cancer
causes &
prevention
The World
Health
Organization (WHO) lays out cancer causes
as: physical carcinogens (such as ultraviolet and ionizing radiation),
chemical
carcinogens (such as asbestos, components of tobacco smoke, food &
drinking water contaminants) and biological carcinogens (such as
infections
from certain viruses, bacteria or parasites).
Physical and chemical
carcinogens are tied to our
lifestyle
choices like - where we live, quality of air we breathe, the food we eat,
water
we drink and anything else we allow into our bodies.
The majority of our food and water has been
tainted with chemicals before reaching us. Our meats stocks are shot with steroids and antibiotics,
our vegetables
sprayed with pesticides and preservatives, and our water supplies are
treated
with chemicals. Our bodies have become
the end user and storage for all of these toxins. A 2005
study by the Center for Disease Control found 148 chemicals in the
blood and/or
urine of average Americans. A more
recent study a 2008 by the Environmental Working Group found 232
chemicals and
pollutants in the umbilical cords of newborn infants.
It is becoming increasing hard to avoid
chemicals in our modern age. That is why
detoxification must be a staple in the
practice healthy living.
Cancer
starts in a single
cell, transforms from a pre-cancer lesion to a malignant tumor, and then
begins
to spread to other cells. That process is largely dependent on
the pH
balance in the body and what carcinogens the body is exposed to. Acidity
in the body sets the proper environment for cancer while added
carcinogens act
as an accelerant to the process. Both
elements can be avoided with proper vigilance, diet, detoxification and
health
practices.
77%
of all new cancer cases are found in people 55
years of age or older. Doctors believe this is because of the
continuous
exposure to environmental toxins and carcinogens. If gone
unchecked, this
unyielding exposure to toxins will manifest as various cancers.
It is
estimated that 30% of all cancer case could be prevented by modifying
and
avoiding key
risk factors. Risk factors like- tobacco use, exposure to
sunlight, air
pollution, monitoring household use of solid fuels, HPV vaccination and
maintaining a healthy diet, are all lifestyle choices all under your
control. Between managing these risk
factors, keeping
a balanced pH, detoxification, a healthy diet with exercise, all of us
can
prevent cancer.
Early
Detection
Early detection was helped the
effectiveness of cancer
treatments exponentially. Treatments
have been vastly more successful while the cancer is still
localized. 30%
of the overall cancer cases could be more effectively treated with
early
detection. Early detection is usually a product of screening
programs or
personal vigilance for signs of cancer. Screens like mammograms
and
pap-smears are where doctors pre-empt the physical signs of cancer and
search
on a molecular level to find any cancerous or pre-cancerous cells. Screens are the first level of
detection and personal detection is the next level.
Recognizing cancer signs like lumps, sores,
bleeding or persistent coughing can help doctors to catch the cancer in
the very
early stages. Both of these practices provide the optimal chance
of
defeating the cancer before it grows stronger in the body.