What Causes Cancer and What You Can Do About It

Up to one-quarter of all Americans will develop cancer in their lifetime, and many will die from it. Indeed, cancer is now the leading cause of death in the United States, recently surpassing heart disease.

We frequently think of cancer as a single disease, but it's actually many different diseases. Almost 200 different forms of cancer are known, and all are characterized by uncontrolled growth of cells. Normal controls on these cells have broken down and a "malignancy" has developed that invades and destroys healthy tissues.

What causes cancer? It's well known that it is initiated by certain carcinogens such as arsenic, asbestos, benzene and beryllium. But environmental factors such as air pollution and our lifestyle - the food we eat, whether we smoke or drink alcohol and so on - can also cause cancer.

How do these things actually cause normal cells to go bad? Cancer is a cellular disease so we have to look in detail at what goes on in the cells of our body. One of the main things is cellular division; cells divide, creating copies of themselves. This division is under the control of DNA - the basic molecule of life - a long molecule composed of two strands wound one around the other.

In human cells, DNA has 46 distinct regions called chromosomes that are arranged in pairs. They, in turn, contain approximately 25,000 genes, or segments of DNA that determine the structure of the protein that is needed for the growth, development and other vital functions of the body. Genes determine a person's characteristics.

DNA is protected most of the time, but it becomes particularly vulnerable when cells divide. When a cell receives a message to divide, many reactions are involved and all of them have to take place correctly for the cell to divide properly. Furthermore, division is initiated only when the cells received the proper signal, and the division stops when it received another (stop) signal. Cancer cells do not obey these signals.

How A Malignancy Forms

Cancer is initiated by a mutation at a specific locations along the DNA that makes up the gene. How mutations affect the DNA depends to a large degree on what are called cancer genes. There are two types of these genes, called tumor suppressor genes and proto-oncogenes. The tumor suppressors are associated with the cell's ability to divide; they stop division when it needs to stop (they also do other things). One of the best known is p53, which seems to be implicated in a large number of tumors. The proto-oncogenes stimulate growth, or cell division. Mutations change proto-oncogenes into oncogenes that allow uncontrolled growth.

From a simple point of view the process is as follows.

• A carcinogen, or other cancer-causing agent, alters the DNA sequence of the cancer gene.
• Mutations in tumor suppressor genes cause growth inhibiting protein usually coded by the genes to disappear allowing the cell to divide when it shouldn't.
• Mutations to the proto-oncogenes cause them to become very active, prompting them to grow when they shouldn't.
• Excess cellular growth leads to a mutant colony of cells that reproduces rapidly.
• Eventually a mass, or group of these cells, breaks free and leaks into the bloodstream and moves to another part of the body where they set up a new colony.

The actual process is, of course, much more detailed than this, and scientists still do not understand it completely. What we can see from this, however, is that it takes several different steps to produce a malignancy. Furthermore, although mutations take place continuously, few of them are actually serious, and the reason is that within the cell there are molecules that are continually repairing any mutations that occur. When a defective section of DNA is spotted, it is repaired, or if it is seen to be beyond repair, it is killed and deleted from the strand. So there are safeguards, and cancer has to get around these safeguards. Unfortunately, in many cases, it does. Let's look at the six "superpowers" that cancer cells need (and have) to get around problems such as these.

Six Superpowers that Cancer Cells Have and Need to Cause their Damage

1. Normal cells require a signal to divide. Cancer cells ignore this signal; they continue to divide when they shouldn't.
2. When growth is such that it should stop, a stop signal, or command, is sent out. Normal cells obey this signal; cancer cells do not. Such a command may, for example, be sent out by adjacent cells, when they are squeezed.
3. When a healthy cell has built up several genetic defects it is usually programmed for destruction before it can cause any problems. Cancer cells are able to bypass this destruction.
4. Like all cells, cancer cells also need oxygen and nutrients to survive. They come via blood vessels, and tumors don't have the appropriate ones. They are able, however, to "steal" them from nearby healthy cells.
5. Healthy cells normally stop dividing after about 70 divisions. This is controlled by what are called "telomeres." Cancer cells need many more than 70 divisions to do their destruction, and they are able to manipulate the telomeres so that they have an infinite life.
6. The last of the six superpowers is the one that makes cancer particularly deadly. Normal cells are generally confined to a certain region of the body. Cancer cells somehow disable the cellular mechanism that confines them. Because of this they can metastasize, or move to other parts of the body.

Cancer cells also have another problem to overcome. All humans have two sets of chromosomes, one from their mother and one from their father (with the exception of the X and Y sex chromosomes). So in a sense there is a back-up system in your body. This means that a mutation in one set is generally not enough to initiate cancer. In general it takes 4 to 10 mutations in a particular gene to transform it.

The p53 Cancer Gene

Earlier I mentioned the p53 cancer gene; it is a tumor suppressor gene, and it is very helpful in protecting us from cancer. Its importance is seen when doctors inspect tumors in detail. They have found that 50% of cancer tumors have defects, or mutations, in their p53 genes. To see why this is important we have to look at what p53 does. Basically, it's like an inspector; after cell division it thoroughly checks the new strips of DNA. In particular, it checks for errors and defects, and it makes sure that any that it finds are repaired. Furthermore, if it finds too many, it labels that section of DNA for destruction, and a new section if produced. Generally it does a good job, but it can get out of control occasionally and kill off good cells.

What You Can Do

This list is, of course, incomplete, but it should give you a good idea of what you can do.

1. Early detection is obviously important - particularly before the cancer metastasizes and moves throughout your body.
2. Avoid carcinogens as much as possible. Some of the major ones are: cigarette smoke, certain viruses, radiation and radioactive substances, asbestos, arsenic, air pollution, benzene.
3. Diet. There is some controversy here, but general guidelines can be given. Some of them are: eat vegetables and fruit, avoid red meat, fiber is important, fish is helpful as are good fats such as omega 3 and other antioxidants.
4. Both obesity and excess alcohol can lead to cancer.
5. Other things: Vitamin D is important, and take a baby aspirin every day.

By Barry R Parker

Can You Really Smell Cancer?

Scientists now say that they have invented a machine which can smell cancer - the new "electronic nose" (an odor sniffing machine [e-nose]) that is on par with a mammogram, which can detect breast cancer. Does this mean that other "disease sniffers" may also be on the way?

It is said by many people, that an illness can actually be smelt - that is to say, diseases such as: anaerobic infections (the skin and sweat smells of rotten apples), bladder infections (the urine smells of ammonia [window cleaner]), diabetes (the breath smells of acetone-like [nail polish remover]), liver failure (the breath smells of raw fish), etc., and the list just goes on and on - with the smell of decay coming from an individual that is ill.

Previous to the new electronic nose that can smell-out decay within a person - scientists began to take note that certain people who had cancer, or who had come into contact with the same, noticed a kind of decay smell in the air (a prostate cancer sufferer's wife once commented that her husband smelt like he was decaying).

As history teaches us - doctors have for many years smelt the breath (a very common sign of illness) of patients, together with urine and stool samples to help with certain diagnoses. Yellow fever is often said to smell like the odor found in a butcher's shop, whereas typhoid often gives-off an odor of freshly baked brown bread.

Researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm (led by Mats J. Olsson) recently completed studies which confirmed a previously known link between illness and smell (studies were small, although significant). As part of the make-up of the metabolism of a person - certain smells are produced by the body and released into the air (smells that can be picked-up).

Cancer cells are also believed to release certain smells; although, many are too subtle for the human nose to smell (due to a different pattern of chemicals being emitted by a different metabolism). Humans have around 5-million scent receptors (dogs are gifted with over 300 million). Because of this, dogs have been trained with a 90% accuracy, to smell-out disease that would otherwise be impossible to smell by humans.

The newly invented "electronic odor sniffing machine" works with programmed sensors (hundreds of carbon nanotubes, each with a strand of DNA attached [strands are capable of transposing a mix of chemicals that are in the air into an electronic signal]) that can replicate how a human's nose, and a dog's nose works.

A recent study at the University of Konstanz in Germany (led by Martin Strauch) also indicated that "fruit flies" are capable of smelling-out cancer too(the scent of cancer samples tended to prompt a particular pattern of activity on the flies' antennae [research continues to identify which receptors on the antennae were responsible in hope of being able to grow an antennae for use on an e-nose]).

Although electronic noses are at an early stage of development, it is believed in the future - if they can be used to detect diseases such as cancer at an early stage, significant progress could be made in the early curation of ill patients. It is also believed that such electronic noses could be used to monitor patient's well-being, enabling doctors to help eradicate early symptoms of disease - making the once sci-fi movie technology - "one step closer to mankind. -By Philip Albert Edmonds-Hunt

Avoiding Drugs - Curing Cancer With Herbs - Part 1

Although there is no single herb that can cure cancer, there are various effective ones that are considered to help rid the body of certain types, including the detoxification of the body, and the ability to destroy cancer cells.

However, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) of the U.S.A. states that only "drugs" can cure a disease. Although this belief may be based solely on the fact that their curing powers "do not agree with modern-day scientific understanding."

The following herbs are considered to help either cure, or prevent cancer from developing -

1. Turmeric - is a brightly colored yellow spice derived from the Curcuma longa plant (a close family member to the ginger family), and a herb that has shown an excellent ability to retard breast cancer cells by helping to suppress the production of proteins that are needed for the uncontrolled growth of cancer.

Because of its active ingredient curcumin, that contains powerful anti-cancer and anti-oxidant properties, it has the ability to fight various aggressive forms of breast cancer by targeting the stem cells.

Powered turmeric is often administered in doses of less than 3.6g per day, heated in milk, and with a pinch of black pepper. While purified curcumin is often taken in doses of 1,200 to 1,800 mg per day.

2. Garlic - is known to inhibit the formation of carcinogen (any substance that is directly involved in causing cancer) within the body. Carcinogen is commonly found in pollution that is encountered in many cities, processed foods, char-broiled meats, and household cleaners, etc.

Studies on both animals and cell cultures (a complex process where cells are grown under controlled conditions) have shown that garlic helps reduce the growth rates of cancerous tumors, together with helping kill off cancer cells.

Rich in sulfur, garlic helps to detoxify the body, and has been used successfully to treat stomach, bladder, prostate and colon cancer. Although there is still no exact information on the amount of garlic required in each case.

3. European Mistletoe - being the only type of mistletoe that is safe to be consumed by humans (American mistletoe is highly poisonous) and that is widely used throughout Europe to treat cancer. It has active properties such as, lectins (carbohydrate-binding proteins) which have the ability to poison cancer cells and stimulate the immune system.

In previous studies, mistletoe extracts administered to animals showed they were able to prevent melanoma cancer from spreading to lung tissue by some 80%, and increase the immune system's killer cells by between 5-10%.

It has been effectively used to treat bladder, genital, and digestive tract cancer, and is usually administered through injection; however, mistletoe can also be taken orally, in powder form, or in a tincture (an alcohol-based derivative product of fresh herb) form.

Note: Doses are given only as examples previously used in cancer cases, and are not recommended to be taken as such without prior medical advise being given first.

Other herbs such as: Cat's Claw, Black Cohosh and Green Tea are discussed in "Avoiding Drugs - Curing Cancer With Herbs - Part 2" of this 3-part series.

By Philip Albert Edmonds-Hunt

Health Article On Cancer

The cure for cancer is still some way off but it is something that science expects to happen possibly within the next few decades; medical research continues to advance in it's war with this disease that plagues humanity. Although there are other more awful diseases, this one holds the crown at the moment because of how often it is diagnosed. The three most common cancers in men in America are prostate cancer, lung cancer, and colon cancer while the women are affected by breast cancer, lung cancer, and colon cancer.

It causes more deaths per population than any other illness and the older you get the more prone you are to contracting the disease; Statistics show that the number of people cancer kills globally each year is about 13 in every one hundred.

A cure would bring a sigh of relief everywhere.

The reasons cancer is triggered in the body are only theories as it can be caused by many things.
Cancer is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the body.These normal cells grow out of control and even intrude in other surrounding tissues.

Benign tumors do not normally grow larger, metastasize or threaten the body and organs like malignant (cancerous) tumors do although it is possible for a malignant tumor to have started out as benign. Cancerous cells may have been transformed by radiation or poison for example and this creates genetic abnormality in those cells which then continue to grow and divide.

Just to confuse the issue more, it is possible to inherit genes that may be pre-disposed to it as well as faulty genetic DNA replication. It would seem that certain people's genetic makeup makes them less prone to contacting the illness even if they are allowing harmful carcinogens into their bodies.

Owing to the worldwide problem of cancer, it is regularly studied throughout the world and extending our knowledge on the subject. We are always learning more about diseases and how they affect our bodies and minds. We are continually trying to find out why this disease attacks some and not others. We all want to know more about the causes of cancer what we can do to help prevent this illness from striking.

It is now believed by many that the food we eat could be responsible for many cases. Even if this is not the case, what we eat does have an effect on our overall and long term health. Some of the foodstuffs that could be causing these problems are salt, saturated fats and dairy products. A high calcium intake could possibly be responsible for cases of prostrate cancer in men.

Cancer can affect any part of the body from the bones, blood, skin or organs. The problem is that it can also be insidious and a person may have it for some time before it is diagnosed. Cures for many types have advanced in recent years and are more likely to be successful if the cancer is found in its early stages. Cancer is not the certain death sentence it once was and although many of its various forms are incurable at this time, medical science continues to improve.

By Maria Mbura