Cancer Alert

[Clive Nevell]

"CANCER ALERT
Two drinks a day more dangerous, says HRT expert

Women who had two alcoholic drinks a day faced twice the risk of getting breast cancer as those on long-term hormone replacement therapy, a menopause expert said today." (Todays Sydney Morning Herald-10/07/02)

Clive

[Richard Myers]

Cancer is epidemic. Here we have an account of a 14 year old with breast cancer.

abcnews.go.com/sections/GMA/50states/GMA020710Breast_cancer_at14.html

[Suzanne]

Drinking Affects Offspring Into Teens

University of Pittsburgh researchers have found that children exposed to alcohol in the womb continue to show effects of that exposure even at age 14.

"Children of mothers who drank at least one drink a day during their first trimester weigh up to 16 pounds less, on average, than children with no exposure," notes principal researcher Nancy L. Day, of the Univ. of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

It was shown that by age 14 these young people fell behind in weight, head circumference, height and skinfold thickness compared with those whose mothers did not drink alcohol.

The extent to which the youngsters fell behind in growth was directly related to the amount of alcohol their mothers drank.

The researchers warn that even pregnant mothers who averaged much less than one drink daily still put their children at risk. --adapted, Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, Oct. 2002.

~Suzanne~  

[Suzanne]

Here are excerpts from an article in the Oct. 26, 2002 issue of U.S. News & World Report.

Stopping Cancer in its Tracks

Cancer researchers are now looking at preventing this cruel disease from getting a foothold in the body. They believe that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cures like chemotherapy, which bludgeon the tumors, and the entire body and often do not work.

This was the concern at the first yearly meetihng of the American Association For Cancer Research, held in Boston in early October. The role of lifestyle--what we eat and drink, how much we weight, etc.--was especially noted.

Researchers are concerned about the dangers of obesity as it relates to cancer. Figures show that 65 percent of American adults are overweight and more than 30 percent are obese. A National Cancer Institute study showed that when mice genetically predisposed to develop breast tumors were put on a calorie-restricted diet, the animals stayed tumor free 2 to 3 times as long as did identical mice allowed to gorge themselves.

Another factor relating to cancer is alcohol. A Georgetown Univ. study where researchers fed varying amounts of alcohol to rats during pregnancy, revealed that after the female offspring grew up, those exposed to a moderate or high amount of alcohol had many more tumors than did those with alcohol-free mothers. Why? They point out that alcohol increases estrogen in the mother. High estrogen levels during fetal development appear to trigger certain cancers. If the fetus is exposed to that estrogen when developing breast cells, those cells are more vulnerable to later cancer.

A low-fat diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids (as found in flaxseeds and flaxseed oil) has been found to prevent breast cancer when fed to pubertal rats.

David Alberts, a researcher at the University of Arizona Cancer Center, notes that certain vitamin A derivatives have been shown to slow tumor growth in humans. He recommends taking vitamin A in a multivitamin, as a preventive measure.

Researchers are finding that preventing cancer is a radical change from hammering away at cancer only after it has reared its ugly head. But doctors and patients alike are ready for a change. Indeed, Michael Sporn, a cancer researcher at Dartmouth Medical School, points out that "Common sense tells us that we shouldn't wait until something is hopelessly broken before we try to fix it."  --adapted.

Comment: It is indeed refreshing to see that the medical establishment is pursuing the concept of "prevention." We as Adventists have long known that this is the major way of approaching cancer and any other degenerative disease.

~Suzanne

 

[This message has been edited by Suzanne Sutton (edited 10-31-2002).]

[Richard Myers]

The medical establishment could do a lot if they would spread the word that "germs" do indeed cause cancer and that these germs do indeed live in animal products. It is a hard thing for them to do since most are unwilling to give up what their appetite desires. Very sad for their patients.

Richard

[Suzanne]

Cancer a Worldwide Concern

The number of new cancer cases worldwide is expected to continue to increase according to a report from the World Health Organization. They note that this is partly due to poor nations adopting unhealthy Western habits. Indeed, the report emphasized the fact that rich nations have more cancer than poor ones, mostly because of tumors tied to bad habits such as smoking and drinking, eating too much or the wrong kinds of foods, and lack of exercise.

The World Cancer Report is the first comprehensive examination of cancer around the globe, covering the current understanding of its causes, prevention and treatment. Worldwide, about 10 million people are diagnosed with cancer yearly with 6 million dying from it. These statistics are continually moving upward.

Dr. Paul Kleihues, WHO's cancer chief, notes that one-third of the cases theoretically are preventable...."If we want to go back to a lifestyle associated with a low incidence of cancer, small changes to our lifestyles would not be sufficient," he declares. Changes in the diet would include eating more fruits and vegetables, and no overfeeding, starting in childhood. Changes the average person may not be willing to do.

Nevertheless, officials are especially concerned about the trend toward unhealthy lifestyles in the developing countries, where early detection and treatment of cancer is not as good as in rich nations. "It is quite disturbing. Many of them are taking up smoking and striving to get the Western lifestyle. That's very hard to stop. They will unfortunately miss this unique chance of maintaining a low cancer burden," Kleihues said. --adapted from the Riverside, Calif. Press-Enterprise,April 4, 2003, and the Los Angeles Times, April 5, 2003.

Comment: There are currently more than 22 million cancer patients in the world. We Adventist are unique as a people in that we have had advanced directives on this important health issue:

CDF:388, written in 1896 - "Cancers, tumors, and all inflammatory diseases are largely caused by meat eating. From the light God has given me, the prevalence of cancer and tumors is largely due to gross living on dead flesh."

Ministry of Healing, 313, written in 1905 - "Flesh was never the best food; but its use is now doubly objectionable, since disease in animals is so rapidly increasing. Those who use flesh foods little know what they are eating. Often if they could see the animals when living and know the quality of the meat they eat, they would turn from it with loathing. People are continually eating flesh that is filled with tuberculous and cancerous germs. Tuberculous, cancer, and other fatal diseases are thus communicated. "

CDF:411, written in 1898 - "Disease is contracted by the use of meat. The diseased flesh of these dead carcasses is sold in the market places, and disease among men is the sure result....There is no safety in the eating of the flesh of dead animals...."

Brothers and sisters, let us carefully and prayerfully ponder these issues and by the grace and help of the Lord, let us make the right choices!

~Suzanne~

 

[This message has been edited by Suzanne Sutton (edited 04-06-2003).]