Throat Cancer

2008-12-05T08:56:00.001-08:00

Smoking, drinking linked to throat, stomach cancer

Drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes appear to increase the risk of certain common throat and stomach cancers, Dutch researchers reported on Monday.

The findings, presented at an American Association for Cancer Research meeting in Washington, underline other health recommendations for people to follow a healthy lifestyle and drink and smoke only in moderation.

"It appeared that current smokers have the highest risks, and former smokers have an intermediate risk compared with never smokers," Jessie Steevens, an epidemiologist at Maastricht University in the Netherlands, said in a statement.

The incidence of stomach cancer has fallen dramatically in the United States and western Europe over the past 60 years but the disease remains a serious problem in much of the rest of the world, where it is a leading cause of cancer death, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Esophageal, or throat, cancer is a form of cancer that starts in the inner layer of the esophagus, the 10-inch-long tube that connects the throat to the stomach.

The researchers followed more than 120,000 Dutch residents for more than two decades to investigate risk factors for Esophageal adenocarcinoma and gastric cardia adenocarcinoma -- a type of stomach cancer -- as well as Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, which resembles head and neck cancer.

Other studies have linked Esophageal cancer in general to drinking and smoking, but Steevens and colleagues wanted to refine the risk of the different types of the tumors.

They found that for Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma -- which accounts for about half of throat cancers -- people who consumed four glasses of alcohol each day had five times the risk of developing the cancer of non-drinkers.

Smoking was associated with an increased risk of all three cancers with the risks of the more common throat cancer higher than the other two cancers, Steevens said.

"These are the results when no other aspects of smoking were considered, such as the amount of cigarettes smoked per day and the number of years a person smoked," Steevens said.

"When we took into account the smoking duration and frequency, it appeared that the difference in risk between former smokers and current smokers could partly be explained by these other aspects of smoking."

Anti Cancer Diet

2008-09-06T10:53:00.000-07:00

Is There an Anti-Cancer Diet?

I'm often asked this question. Is there a diet that can help you avoid cancer? Well, I've got to tell you, there are no magical diets and no guarantees when it comes to diet and cancer.
What IS true is that studies show that an abundance of colorful fruits veggies CAN fight cancer cells in a test tube. Translated to human studies, those people consuming lots of fruits and veggies tend to have less of certain types of cancers.
So - is it the food?
Here's where you have to read below the headlines. In studies when people eat a colorful diet chock full of fruits and vegetables, there are a lot of other health-promoting habits that go along with this, like moderating fat intake, regular exercise, not smoking, managing stress and maintaining a healthy weight. These behaviors are all linked to the immune response; your body's ability to fight infection - including cancer.
It's hard to tease out which of the lifestyle habits is most important. Science shows us that certain vegetables - called the "cruciferous" veggies - DO have specific phytochemicals (plant chemicals) that kill off cancer cells in test tubes. These veggies are cauliflower, cabbage, brussel sprouts, and broccoli. Even if you like only one out of the four, that's a plus!
Unfortunately you can't just chow down health-promoting foods to prevent cancer: It's all about the immune system, which is related to cancer and its prevention. While food can influence the immune response over time, all the other lifestyle habits are important. So, you can't smoke, lay around on the couch, and be overweight and believe that eating 9 fruits and veggies will minimize your cancer risk.
The bottom line: Your lifestyle is something you CAN control when it comes to cancer prevention. Make all of the lifestyle changes to help support a healthy lifestyle and to fight off all kinds of diseases, including cancer.
Eat at least 5 fruits and veggies a day (up to 9 is even better, if you can do it!)
Stop smoking, or at least cut down as much as you can.
Be physically active, get your heart rate up, and get moving.
Learn to manage stress
Take charge of your lifestyle. It's the best insurance you can have when it comes to things that are under your control when it comes to cancer prevention. There are no guarantees, even with the best health habits.
Good health IS its own reward. Do what you can: some change is always better than none

totalhealth

Throat Cancer

Anti Cancer Diet