Facts About Cancer

Cancer is a dreaded disease. The word itself spells fear and even death. So we must know the facts about cancer. Without this knowledge, our ignorance will lead us astray. Especially with the viral emails circulating in the internet, you would have come across a few of them on “facts about cancer”. The most well-known viral email is the one purportedly claiming to be from the famous Johns Hopkins. This particular email was a hoax and has reached global circulation creating much concern that the National Cancer Institute, American Cancer Society, and individual cancer centers like the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center have posted warnings on their websites.

I shall provide the relevant links at the end of this article.

This viral email is titled “AFTER YEARS OF TELLING PEOPLE CHEMOTHERAPY IS THE ONLY WAY TO TRY AND ELIMINATE CANCER, JOHNS HOPKINSIS FINALLY STARTING TO TELL YOU THERE IS AN ALTERNATIVE WAY ...

Cancer Update from John Hopkins (Note the missing “s” in “Johns”)

Subsequently, the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center responded with a point-by-point responses to the 16 statements. I shall just summarize the statements with the responses:

Email statement #1: Cancer cells may not be completely detected by medical tests.

Email statement #2: Cancer cells occur between 6 and more than 10 times in a person's lifetime.

JH response to #1 &2: Among the trillions of cells in the human body, inevitably everyone has some abnormal cells that possess some of the characteristics of cancer cells, most resolve themselves and never result in cancer. While evasive cancer cells are a challenge and the focus of ongoing research, it does not mean that all patients, even those treated successfully for cancer, have cancers-in-waiting—undetectable but still there. People are treated and completely cured of cancer everyday.

Email statement #3: Strong immune system will destroy cancer cells and be prevented from multiplying and forming tumors.

JH response to #3: The immune system simply does not recognize cancer. In its complexity, the cancer cell has learned to disguise itself to the immune system as a normal, healthy cell.

Email statement #4: Cancer indicates that the patient has multiple nutritional deficiencies which could be due to genetic, environmental, food and lifestyle factors.

Email statement #5: To overcome these multiple nutritional deficiencies, changing diet and taking supplements will strengthen the immune system.

JH response to #4 & 5: Dietary habits and lifestyle choices, such as smoking, contribute to the development of many human cancers. A balanced diet may reduce cancer risk. In terms of supplements, while they may help mediate vitamin deficiencies, taking doses above what the body needs will have no added benefit.

Email statement #6: Chemotherapy can cause organ damage.

Email statement #7: Radiation also damage healthy cells, tissues and organs.

Email statement #8: Prolonged chemo and radiation treatments do not result in more tumor destruction.

Email statement #9: Conventional treatments weaken immune system.

Email statement #10: Chemo and radiation can cause cancer cells to mutate. Surgery can cause cancer cells to spread to other sites.

JH response to #6,7,8,9 & 10: Chemo and radiation kill cancer cells with remarkable selectivity. Surgery does not cause cancer to spread.

Email statement #11: An effective way to battle cancer is to starve the cancer cells by not feeding it with the foods it needs to multiply.

Email statement #12: Undigested meat remaining in the intestines becomes petrified and leads to more toxic buildup.

Email statement #13: Eating less meat frees more enzymes to attack cancer cells.

Email statement #14: Take essential supplements to help kill cancer cells.

JH response to #11,12,13 & 14: Poor diet is a risk factor for cancer development. Eating less meat does not free up enzymes to attack cancer cells. A balanced nutritious diet, healthy weight, physical activity, and avoiding alcoholic drinks may prevent as many as 1/3 of all cancers.

Email statement #15: Cancer is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit. A proactive and positive spirit will help the cancer warrior be a survivor.

JH response to #15: Cancer is a disease caused by genetic alterations. How stress, faith, and other factors influence this is largely unknown.

Email statement #16: Oxygen therapy is another means employed to destroy cancer cells.

JH response to #16: There is no evidence that breathing deeply or receiving oxygen therapy prevents cancer.

Johns Hopkins assured that the traditional cancer therapies such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, are effective. It stated that millions of cancer patients survived in the United States alone, because of these therapies. However, it also cautioned that these treatments didn’t work for every patient. I would say that this is fair comment.

Of course Johns Hopkins would not endorse the alternative cancer treatments which have also cured many cancer patients. You are invited to read my other articles on alternative cancer treatments; the links are given at the end of this article.

Be that as it may, there are several concurring facts that all of us should take note seriously to maintain our good health. Several Johns Hopkins experts participated in the World Cancer Research Fund - American Institute for Cancer Research report Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity, and the Prevention of Cancer: A Global Perspective, published in November 2007, which is considered by cancer prevention experts to be an authoritative source of information on diet, physical activity and cancer. Their recommendations for cancer prevention and for good health in general are: (which I quote)

• Be as lean as possible without becoming underweight.
• Be physically active for at least 30 minutes every day.
• Avoid sugary drinks. Limit consumption of energy-dense foods (particularly processed foods high in added sugar, or low in fiber, or high in fat).
• Eat more of a variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes such as beans.
• Limit consumption of red meats (such as beef, pork and lamb) and avoid processed meats.
• If consumed at all, limit alcoholic drinks to 2 for men and 1 for women a day.
• Limit consumption of salty foods and foods processed with salt (sodium).
• Don't use supplements to protect against cancer.

•  The hoax viral email : http://www.snopes.com/medical/disease/cancerupdate.asp
•  Johns Hopkins response : http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/kimmel_cancer_center/news_events/featured/cancer_update_email_it_is_a_hoax.html

• Gerson Therapy (Testimonies of two cancer survivors)
• Natural cures for cancer
• How to cure cancer
• Self-healing
• Cancer cure : soursop
• Miracle juice drink

The information provided in this article is sourced from the internet, from friends and contacts, and from personal experience. As I cautioned in my article, not every remedy will work on everyone. So is conventional medical treatment. It very much depends on the constituents of the person and the conditions peculiar to that person. Whatever the reasons, this article does not claim the information provided is totally accurate and reliable and will cure everyone. The purpose of this article is merely to inform visitors that there are alternative cures for all ailments.

You are therefore advised to consult your registered medical physicians as a matter of due diligence.

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