Collateral Damage In The War On Cancer

Since the war on cancer was declared by then president Nixon in 1971 much effort has been devoted to the war. So how are we doing? In 2007 there were 12 million new cases of cancer reported world wide and 7.5 million deaths.These numbers are projected to rise to 27 million new cases and 17.5 million deaths by 2050.

These figures do not suggest that what we are doing is working a s well as it might be. The other figure which, does not get quoted much is the collateral damage which is done in the war. Hang on a minute, what is collateral damage? Surely screening for and treating cancer is all good even if it doe not always work.

There is a view which is promoted in the media and by doctors(particularly those involved in cancer screening) that screening is all good and that early detection is important. There is no argument that early detection is better than late detection. There is also no doubt that some people have had their lives “saved” by early detection.

Do we know how many people are in this particular boat? Do we know how many people had unnecessary procedures including biopsies and surgery not to mention needless stress because screening tests picked up cancers that were not actually there? Do we know how many people have early cancers which f not found would not actually develop and lead to a reduction in life expectancy?

Figures are starting to emerge. The British Medical Journal published figures on mammography. The difference in deaths in women aged 40 to 55 that can be attributable to mammography screening is 0.06%. Looked at another way for every woman who would otherwise not have found the cancer and died, 1610 women need to have tests. In addition to this ten women will undergo surgery, which will provide no benefit to them, only potential complications.

With prostate screening the situation is even worse. For every cancer successfully detected and treated early, 48 men will have unnecessary surgery, which can lead to urinary incontinence and impotence in one third of cases. Another review suggested that screening led to no decrease in death rates. The inventor of the PSA test, which is used for screening(but was not developed for that use) described prostate testing as like flipping a coin.

The positioning of cancer screening as saintly leads to criticism of anyone who questions the current orthodoxy. Keep in mind that there are considerable vested interests invested in screening programs and those advocating screening may have a conflict of interest, which would not be acceptable in any other field.

Every person who has surgery or other unnecessary procedures is collateral damage in the war on cancer. Some will say this is a reasonable price to pay. Others may not see it this way. The key point is that you can only make a decision on how you want to proceed if you know all the facts.

Cancer - What If You Have A Say In It ?

It is amazing how discoveries, which are simple, do not make big news. If a pill which reduced breast cancer by one third was released it would be big news. There would be massive demand and the company, which made it, would see profits and the share price rocket.

There is of course no pill, which does this. The same effect can be achieved, by eating less, exercising more, and having only moderate alcohol intake. Regular exercise alone leads to a halving of lifetime risk of breast cancer. Does it really matter if the way to reduce your chance of getting breast cancer by one third is by taking a tablet or doing other simple things? Apparently it does.

Whilst this finding, which came from The University of Milan, made some newswires it was hardly the front-page story that the release of a pill would be. Why is this? In my opinion there are two reasons.

Firstly we have become conditioned to look for technological solutions rather than simple ones. In the long and thus far unsuccessful “war” on cancer hundreds of billions of dollars have been spent looking for new breakthroughs. If the solution is something we sort of knew all along and is not a “breakthrough” then people tend to switch off. We also tend to think, “it can not be that simple”. When answers are obvious or right in front of us we tend to be dismissive, as we have become conditioned to look for the complex.

There is a second reason and this highlighted in some of the reaction to this. A spokesperson for a British cancer charity said their agency was very careful about issuing similar lifestyle advice. Ian Manley from Breast Cancer Care told Fox News “We would never want women to feel responsible for their breast cancer”.

How exactly does this help women? If there are things that they are doing which makes it more likely they get cancer then surely taking responsibility and doing something different would be the way to go. We are not talking force fields which mean you can not possibly get cancer but a one third reduction in risk is certainly worthwhile. Many in the health arena are paranoid about what is called “blaming the victim”. This essentially portrays anyone who has disease as an innocent bystander who is totally helpless and has been struck at random by forces completely beyond their control.

What about if we rephrase this as, “the actions of an individual lead to certain consequences”. Hence if by eating certain foods, being overweight and not exercising you have significantly increased your chances of getting cancer then those are choices you have made and cancer may be one of the consequences.

To use an analogy, if you stand in the middle of a freeway your chances of getting hit by a car are much greater than if you stand on the sidewalk. On the road the cars may avoid you and it is possible to be hit by a car, which leaves the road and hits you on the sidewalk. However you know where the odds of getting hit are greater. If you deliberately do certain things which increase your chances of getting cancer (or any disease) then it not really a random action beyond your control if that disease eventuates.

The great thing about being responsible for your health is that it puts you in charge. You can make the changes and in turn change your odds of “getting hit”. It is a no brainer to walk on the sidewalk rather than down the middle of the road. Doing regular exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, eating mainly “real” rather than processed food and moderating alcohol intake are collectively the same no brainer when it comes to breast cancer.

Cancer- a sentence or a word?

The word cancer still strikes fear into people’s hearts. In 1971 then president Nixon declared a war on cancer with the aim of winning it by the bicentennial in 1976. Suffice to say this hasn’t happened. In fact the death rate for cancer in the USA adjusted for age and population has declined only 5% in over 50 years. This is despite the spending of billions of dollars.(link 2)

Yet there are people who have beaten cancer and lived long years to tell the tale. The question arises what is different about those people, as they have often received the same medical treatment as those who didn’t survive? In my opinion it will be in their attitudes and how they manage their condition.

Those who see cancer as a word rather than a sentence, those who examine and change their lifestyles do best. I have heard many people describe getting cancer as a wake up call. These people have looked at what aspects of their life are not working and may be “cancerous.” For some it is their diet, some are in toxic relationships, others are overworked. There is no one answer. There are answers though and that is the positive message of every person who has “beaten” cancer.

The key message though is that it is more to do with the individual than the treatment. This does not mean that cancer can be meditated away or replace the need for medical treatment. It does mean that those who take an active role in their recovery will do better than those who regard themselves as “victims.”

Interesting too this week, questions being raised about chemotherapy guidelines being too influenced by the pharmaceutical industry. Writing in the Internal Medicine Journal leading Australian oncologists have criticized drug company sponsored guidelines which encourage” aggressive and often futile treatment with expensive chemotherapy agents”.(link 3http://www.6minutes.com.au/articles/z1/view.asp?id=478308 ) In the US a new trial on the drug Avastin failed to show a significant effect in preventing the recurrence of colon cancer. Sales of this drug in the USA were $2.7 billion last year.(link 1)

It is not all doom and gloom. Take an active role in any treatment. Do not see yourself as a victim. Be prepared to look honestly at aspects of your life, which may not be serving you. Be prepared to make changes. Be accepting of your emotions and work through them without suppressing them.

Each person is on a journey in this life. There are lessons to learn and experiences to be had. Work with your body not against it. This does not guarantee recovery from cancer or any illness. It does mean you will get the most out of the days you have on earth however many they may be.


http://bit.ly/FT1gm

http://bit.ly/2I07z2

http://www.6minutes.com.au/articles/z1/view.asp?id=478308

With health- simple things mean a lot.

http://www.wcrf-uk.org/research/cp_policy_report.htm

http://www.dietandcancerreport.org

A new report from the London based World Cancer Research Fund has once again highlighted the importance of simple lifestyle measures that you can apply everyday. This report published last week estimates that 1/3 of cancers are related to poor diet and nutrition and lack of physical activity.

In other words by being on a healthy diet, getting enough essential vitamins and minerals and being physically active, your chances of getting cancer can be reduced by 1/3. This is apart from lower rates of heart disease and stroke that also comes from maintaining a healthy diet and exercising regularly.

It is important to be aware though that avoiding disease is in fact the result of a focus on being healthy. The principles of good health include eating foods that the body requires in the right amounts, drinking enough water (30ml’s/kg per day), being active on a regular basis (at least 30mins 4 times a week), and getting the right amount of sleep (avg. 8 hrs for most people).

Ok, so most of you reading this are saying to yourself “I already know all this.” There is an old Zen saying “To know and not to do is not yet to know.” The question then becomes how many of you really “know” this.

By applying these basic principles of DIY Health the body can attain optimal health. By being healthy it becomes less likely that you will develop any form of disease. It also means that you will have the energy and vitality to enjoy and get the most out of your life each day.

What are you going to do (know) today to improve your health.