Keith I. Block, MD
Acommon belief about cancer is that it is an irreversible
process. Normal cells become malignant and grow uncontrollably. The
only way to stop the process is to remove or kill the cancer
through surgery, chemotherapy and/or radiation. Cancer doesn’t just
disappear.
That belief is proving to be untrue. In a recent study
in
Archives of Internal Medicine, researchers from
Norway and the US analyzed the six-year incidence of invasive
breast cancer in two very similar groups of Norwegian
women.
About 119,000 of the women had mammograms every two years. Another
110,000 women in the study had not had mammograms and then had one
mammogram.
To the surprise of the researchers, the six-year incidence of
breast cancer in the two groups was quite different. The more
frequently screened group had a 22%
higher incidence
of breast cancer.
So, what caused less cancer to be found in the second group? The
intriguing theory is that cancer did indeed start in this group at
an equal rate... and then spontaneously disappeared without ever
being noticed (because the women were not being
screened).
Other research has shown that spontaneous regression of cancer
occurs in cases of advanced melanoma, advanced kidney cancer
and
neuroblastoma (a childhood cancer of nerve
tissue). Regression also occurs in
colonic
adenomas(precancerous growths of the colon) and in
precancerous lesions of the cervix.
Bottom Line/Personal interviewed Keith I. Block, MD,
one of America’s top integrative cancer therapy experts. He
explains that the number of documented cases of spontaneous cancer
remission is quite low. He estimates that only one in 500 cancer
tumors regress without surgery, chemotherapy or
radiation.
However, he suggests that the unalterable, one-way trajectory of
cancer is an outdated paradigm.
Cancer is not only
mutagenic -- propelled by
damage to DNA -- it also is
mitogenic and the growth
(
mitogenesis) of cancer cells may be stopped by inhibiting
molecular signaling and correcting disruption in the body’s
internal biochemical environment. This can be influenced by
lifestyle factors that are alterable through personal choices.
WHY CANCERS VANISH
There are three main factors that can cause a cancer to regress...
Innate biology. Some people are
born with a naturally stronger constitution that is capable of
stopping a cancer before it takes firm hold.
Transformation of the body’s biochemical and
molecular environment.Many lifestyle factors
influence the body’s inner biochemical and molecular
environment, including what you eat, how much you exercise and
how much stress you’re under.
The latest research shows that positive lifestyle factors can
influence genes by turning on the tumor-suppressor genes and
turning off the tumor-promoting genes.
Better communication. This
includes two types of communication -- biochemical
communication between cells and emotional communication with
yourself and others.
What happens: In a normal
biochemical environment, one cell sends a message to
another,
Don’t grow, I’m using this space. One reason
tumor cells can divide and grow is that they don’t receive this
message.
The breakdown in communication is fundamental in the biology of
cancer in other ways. Studies show that meditation -- one way to
communicate with your inner spirit -- reduces cancer-causing
inflammation.
Close personal relationships also are relevant. A 2009 preclinical
study from researchers at The University of Chicago suggested that
social isolation and its impact on stress resulted in a greater
than threefold increase in the onset of breast cancer.
STEPS YOU CAN TAKE
Various lifestyle factors can strengthen you against cancer...
Exercise and fitness. Numerous
studies link increased physical activity to lower incidence of
cancers of the colon, lung, prostate, testicles, breast,
ovaries and uterus.
Exercise counters many cancer-causing biological factors, including
cancer-fueling molecules called
growth factors...
oxidative stress (a kind of internal rust)... a weakened immune
system... and poor response to inflammation. Aim for a minimum of
30 minutes of aerobic exercise daily, which can be divided into
multiple sessions.
Whole-foods diet. The right diet
deprives a tumor of the compounds it most likes to feed on and
supplies you with nutrients that help your body keep malignant
cells in check.
Example: The Japanese have long had
a diet rich in land and sea vegetables and fish -- and low in meat,
refined sugars and high-fat foods. Japan also has lower cancer
rates than the US and better survival rates. For instance, men in
Japan and the US are equally likely to have very early prostate
cancer -- the kind that never causes clinical problems -- but
American men have much higher rates of the clinical type that can
lead to advanced prostate cancer.
Bottom line: If you eat too much
dietary fat and refined carbohydrates, you run the risk of
increasing body fat and weight while weakening your immune system
and increasing oxidative stress, inflammation and blood levels of
substances that promote tumors.
Power foods. There are "power
foods" rich in phytochemicals that are uniquely anticancer.
These include turmeric... grapes (with the
phytochemicalresveratrol)... green tea... milk
thistle... ginger... and pomegranate.
But to get enough turmeric, resveratrol and all the rest, you would
have to eat curry and guzzle grape juice until you
exploded.
Best: Supplements and concentrates,
such as "green drinks," often sold in health-food stores. Talk to
your doctor about the best supplements for you.
Stress reduction. Chronic anxiety
and stress contribute to cancer’s ability to thrive in your
body.
What happens: Stress triggers
biochemistry that is procancer -- high levels of certain growth
factors... an excess of oxidation-causing free radicals... high
blood sugar... and raging inflammation.
Techniques such as relaxed abdominal breathing, progressive muscle
relaxation and calming imagery can help you create emotional ease.
IF YOU HAVE CANCER
The fact that a cancer can vanish without conventional treatments
is important knowledge for a person diagnosed with cancer and for
his/her doctor. However, a patient should never simply wait for a
cancer to disappear. Getting started quickly on a plan of care can
be essential for one’s survival -- losing time can be detrimental,
even life-threatening.