The Link Between Lifestyle and Breast Cancer

The first step towards beating cancer is recognizing the link between lifestyle and the risk of getting breast cancer, or having breast cancer reoccur.  The following is a list of easy to digest pieces of advice that have been well researched and proven to link lifestyle choices with the increased risk of breast cancer.
                                                                        Edited by Guangzhou Fuda Cancer Hospital

1.)     Maintain a healthy body weight. Throughout your entire life, it is important to maintain healthy body weight. Medically speaking, doctors suggest that a person’s body mass index (BMI) should always be kept below 25. Weight gain during the middle years of your, has been shown to significantly increase breast cancer risk. Gaining more than 70 pounds as an adult doubles a woman’s risk for breast cancer. Additionally, and elevated BMI has been conclusively shown to increase the risk of post-menopausal breast cancer.

2.)    Minimize or completely avoid alcohol. Alcohol use is the most well established dietary risk factor for breast cancer. Research studies have consistently shown consuming more than one alcoholic beverage a day can increase one’s risk for breast cancer by as much as 20-25 percent.

3.)    Consume as many fruits and vegetables as possible. Eat seven or more servings daily or cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower); dark leafy greens (collards, kale, spinach); carrots, and tomatoes and do wonders for boosting the immune system. The superheroes against cancer include citruses, berries and cherries. Remember, eat your cruciferous vegetables raw if possible (or lightly cooked) in order to get the best nutritional effect. 

4.)    Exercise regularly…not just for short periods in your life when getting ready for the summer. It is important to find an exercise routine you enjoy and maintain it for the rest of your life. Many studies have shown that regular exercise provides powerful protection against breast cancer. Aim for 30 minutes or more of moderate aerobic activity (brisk walking) five or more days a week. Consistency and duration, not intensity, are key!

5.)    Do your fats right! The type of fat in your diet can affect your breast cancer risk. Minimize consumption of omega-6 fats (sunflower, safflower, corn and cottonseed oils), saturated fats and trans fats. Maximize your intake of omega-3 fats, especially from oily fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel, sardines, lake trout and herring). Consume monounsaturated oils (canola, olive oil, nuts/seeds, avocados) as your primary fat source, as these foods have potential anti-cancer properties.

6.)    Understand Carbs. Minimize consumption of the "Great White Hazards" - white flour, white rice, white potatoes, sugar and products containing them. These foods trigger hormonal changes that promote cellular growth in breast tissue. Replace these "wrong" carbs with whole grains and beans/legumes. Beans/legumes because of their high fiber and lignan content are especially protective.

7.)    Consume whole food soy products. Regularly eating such foods as tofu, tempeh, edamame, roasted soy nuts, soy milk and miso have been shown to lower a woman’s risk for breast cancer. Additionally, try eating organic; genetically modified foods have been shown to increase a woman’s risk for breast cancer.

8.)    Minimize exposure to pharmacologic estrogens and xeno-estrogens. Do not take prescription estrogens unless for a specific medical purpose. Lifetime exposure to estrogen plays a fundamental role in the development of breast cancer. Also avoid estrogen-like compounds found in environmental pollutants, such as pesticides and industrial chemicals. Buy organic produce if you can afford it; otherwise, thoroughly wash all non-organic produce. Minimize exposure to residual hormones found in non-organic dairy products, meat and poultry.

9.)    Take daily general vitamin supplements.

10.)  Maintain your mind AND body. Engage in self-nurturing behaviors regularly. Develop rich, warm and mutually beneficial relationships with family and friends. Get adequate sleep (7-8 hours per night). The mind-body associations with breast cancer are significant.

Four soups recommended for alleviating nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy

As a major treatment for cancer, chemotherapy can deliver therapeutic effect to the primary lesion, metastases and subclinical metastases; it can also reduce the occurrence rate of postoperative recurrence and distant metastases of early and medium stage cancer. Chemotherapy drug kills cancer cells while it also destroys normal cells and immune cells. The common side effects of chemotherapy are bone marrow suppression, gastrointestinal reaction, hair loss, urinary tract toxicity, cardiotoxicity, etc. To prevent and minimize the side effects, cancer patients are advised to have traditional Chinese medicine during chemotherapy, take decoction that can tonify the kidney, the spleen, the stomach and produce blood and receive acupuncture and moxibustion.

Chinese traditional and Western medicine compliment to each other in treating cancer, especially during the course of chemotherapy as the combination of traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine can prevent and minimize the side effects of chemotherapy and help patients tide over courses of chemotherapy. Notably, cancer patients should take traditional Chinese medicine as directed by traditional Chinese physician instead of randomly taking anti-cancer folk prescription or anti-cancer secret prescription.

In addition, diet adjustment is also very important during chemotherapy. Patients should have more food rich in protein, such as dairy products, lean meat, fish, animal liver, red dates, etc. and avoid oily, cold and nondigestible food.

For patients who have low white blood cell count and immunosuppression, herbs and food materials, such as Chinese date, astragalus membranaceus, ginseng, longan pulp, angelica sinensis, polygonatum kingianum, polygonum multiflorum, mud fish, quail will help increase the white blood cell count.

For patients who have poor appetite, dyspepsia, nausea and vomiting, ingredients that can activate spleen, promote appetite, regulate vital energy and control vomiting can be added into daily diet. The ingredients include crataegus, white hyacinth bean, turnip, mushroom, dried orange peel, perilla leaf, and Chinese parsley.

Food therapy during chemotherapy

●Stewed young pigeon with American ginseng and yam

Ingredients: 1 young pigeon, 15g sliced American Ginseng, 30g yam, 10 red dates, 6 pieces of ginger (for patient who have deficiency-cold syndrome, add 5g red ginseng)

Directions: wash American ginseng, yam, red dates (without pit), ginger and the young pigeon. Cut the young pigeon into bite size. Put all ingredients into a stew pot. Add appropriate amount of boiled water into the stew pot. Simmer gently for 2 hours. Add salt for taste. Serve warm.

Efficacy: it is sultable for people who have damaged Yinqi, fatigue, loss of appetite, dry mouth after chemotherapy.

 ●Beef soup with astragalus membranaceus, caulis spatholobi and red dates

ngredients: 30g Astragalus membranaceus, 30g Caulis Spatholobi, 5red dates, 150g beef, 3 slices of ginger.

Directions: dice the beef and put all the ingredients into a clay pot. Simmer gently for 2 hours. Add salt for taste. Serve warm.

Efficacy: It can tonify qi and produce blood. It is especially suitable for those who have bone marrow suppression and declined WBC after chemotherapy.

●Stewed soft-shelled turtle with yam and longan

Ingredients: 15g lucid ganoderma, 15g astragalus membranaceus, 15g rhizoma polygonati, 15g caulis spatholobi, 100g lean meat

Directions: boil all the medical materials for half an hour and then remove the slag. Put the lean meat into the pressure-cooker and stew for half an hour. Add oil and salt for taste. It can replenish qi to invigorate the spleen, nourish blood, and enhance the immunity.

Efficacy: the soup is suitable for patients who have dizziness, weakness, poor appetite and fatigue after chemotherapy. Purple lucid ganoderma or rainbow conk can replace lucid ganoderma if the lucid ganoderma is too expensive.
                                                                

                                     Edited by Guangzhou Fuda Cancer Hospital

The Status of Psychosocial Factors in Cancer Prevention and Control

Psychosocial factor have the close relation of the tumor, positive psychology, social support, mental intervention which make a better effect than medicine in cancer treatment and prevention.

                                                                    -Fuda Cancer Hospital

Since 21th century,tumor known as the No.1 killer to harm human health which is no longer a incurable disease. Plan seed therapy, chemo, radio, biological immunotherapy, molecular targeting treatment,traditional Chinese medical treatment  such a comprehensive treatment, which not only can make the cancer patients of rehabilitation at early stage,but also can reduce the pain, remit symptom, prolong survival time and improve the high quality of life for middle-advanced cancer patients. With the medical mode develop in biology -psychology-social medicine,the status of psychosocial fators in cancer treatments have been concerned by more and more people, so we do a preliminary study.

1.The development between psychosocial factors and tumors.

1.1 Negative emotion become the worst reason to create tumors

Thought there are many complicated reasons caused tumors, but psychosocial factors are also the main reasons to create tumors, such as Natural disaster, Traffic accident ,War, Unrest, Bankrupt, Lose job, Brokenhearted, Divorced, Loss of spouse, all of them may become the factors to give rise to psychological stress, anger, fear,sorrow,loneliness, hopelessness and etc bad emotion.Such strong psychological reaction and long-time negative emotion will stimulate the cancer gene and become the forceful reasons to create tumors. 

1.2 Psychological factors suppress immune function to induce tumor.

Whatever physical, chemical, biological reasons or spiritual,nervous,endocrine,genetic reasons, all of them can 

make normal cells gene mutations, which are formed cancer gene of cancerous cells, when this kind of cancer cells unlimited growth, they will rise tumor lesions. Normally, human immune function can recognize ,suppress and kill cancer cells in time, carcinogenic factor will induce cell canceration, but won’t create a tumor, only when the carcinogenic factors and damage of immune function happen in the same time,then the tumors developed. Intense psychological stress for anger, sadness, fear, loneliness, despair and other negative emotions, and introverted,not very talkative, negative emotions can not be outlet,will cause central nervous system function disorder and adrenal cortical hormone releasing factor secretion, accelerate the secretion of adrenocortical drunk increases,thus inhibiting the activity of T lymphocytes, natural killer cells, lead to the body's cellular immune function lower, and make cancer cells avoid the immunity attach to be alive, and have space and chance to grow unlimited to be tumor.

2. Psychological factors and tumor treatments return

2.1 Tumor diagnosis before-after mentality

Because the less hope for survival, everyone have a resistance and fear psychology of cancer.For early stage cancer patients who have not yet been diagnosed often use the rationalization mentality to remove the cancer.For example, Lung cancer patients regard the cough as “catching a cold”to comfort themselves, or doubt the doctors diagnose wrong, go to many of kind of hospitals to do the repeatedly examination to satisfy talking chance.Once the cancer confirmed, they will be caught in the extremely fear,    sorrow,desperation,and etc negative emotion, the worst will be emotional shock. This strong psychological stress may decrease the immune function and sharply worsen the tumor. 

2.2  Psychological adaptability influence the recurrence of tumor 

After making a definite diagnose and get the effective surgery or chemo, radio, but the external reason to cause cancer may be not removed, and cancer patients have no such ability to change the external reason,and lack of psychological adaptability at the same time, that will make patients are caught in scare,sorrow, despair,depression negative emotion and can not get rid of cancer scene so as to cause the cancer reappear and metastasize easily. On the contrary, optimistic, open, happy and peaceful emotion will make patients’ inside environment reach steadily to develop immune potential, so that it not only prevent the occurrence of tumors but also can make existing tumors to limit growth, eventually, the survival cancer will be killed by self-immune function. The positive influence from psychological factors can not reply by other medical therapies.   

3.Psychological behavior intervention from cancer rehabilitation.

3.1 Psychological counseling

The mentality shock from cancer, after patients suffer the process of  pain , deny, double, hate,abandon,black mood,they face the reality. At this moment, the doctor should guide the patients to know the cancer properly and introduce the modern medical therapies’ new development, tell the patients the time of treatments, possible side effect and right solution of treatments to cancel their fear and depression,and also help the patients keep peaceful in mind ,encourage them to face the true and built the confidence to fight cancer. Thus, patients can be positive and active to accept the treatments as well as stimulate the patients'potential immune prevention ability to resist cancer,so it become the key point to recover from cancer.

3.2 Behavior modification

Different patients have their different diet, the unhealthy diets such as smoking,bad drinking, junk food, stay up late, bad eating habit, which all relate with the occurrence, development,treatment, recurrence and metastases of cancer, the doctors should guide the patients modified their habit, for example, help to quit smoking step by step, avoid alcohol, learn to customize diet, make diet and illness records, encourage the communication with others encourage each other, and induced its appropriate to take a walk, qigong, yoga cafe, tai chi sports, etc.To help patients do life orderly, diet is adjustable, psychosomatic relaxation, optimism, to enhance the psychological ability to adapt.

3.3 Family love

after surgery ,chemo or radiation therapy, the patients need a long-term comprehensive treatments, and one of the most critical diet, attitude adjustment, drug therapy, rehabilitation exercise needs to be implemented in the family. Therefore, Care of relatives, the warmth of family, can not only maintain corning patients' psychological,and makes a comprehensive treatment measures into effect. Family members to meet the reasonable requirements, to assist the implementation of the treatment plan and at the same time, should also pay attention to help them build up confidence, rebuild psychological social adaptation ability, don’t give up anytime. 

3.4 Social support 

Cancer patients are the members of the society, not only need family care, more understanding and social support, which also need an extension of the family care, care unit of leadership, colleagues and relatives visiting, can buffer in patients with mood disorders, enhance the courage to overcome the tumor. Many countries have a cancer nursing homes, rehabilitation school, anticancer club provides patients a comfortable, quiet and psychosomatic rehabilitation of environment. Positive social support can offset the adverse psychological social factors of stress caused by negative emotions, peaceful state of mind, qi reconcile, viscera function coordination, the body's internal environment stable, make drugs to achieve the best curative effect. In a word, psychological social factors is an important link for cancer patients in the prevention and treatment , the positive psychological social factors make drug effect work well, how to transfer the positive psychological social factors achieve control cancer, the purpose of protecting people's health remain to be the efforts of the whole society. 

Tai Chi Make Great Effect In Cancer Rehabilitation

Tai Chi is a kind of tradictional Chinese Kungfu exercise which is vary popular Over the world.

Medical theory shows that human’s health is related to smooth channel qi, Tai Chi physical exercise can smooth body channel, blood vessel, lymphatic circulatory system. During exercise,human body's artery blood vessel get soft relaxation,it could also promote blood circulation,improve the supply of oxygen and also promote lymphatic metabolism. Tai Chi exercise is also a significant option of treatment and health care, it is a kind of popular activity for people. Most of people practice Tai Chi can cured their Chronic disease and enhance the immunity, even quite a few Cancer patients create a miracle that successfully cured malignant tumor by practicing Tai Chi. 

1. Stick to practice Tai Chi can help cancer patients reduce acid waste accumulation in the body

In human blood, normally the oxygen count is far more than carbon dioxide, and the carton dioxide is only 1/1000 demand of human body. The main source of carbon dioxide in human body is from body histocyte system instead of air. It is a important modulator of PH balance in human body, Neither too much nor too little. If the carbon dioxide of blood decrease rapidly will give rise to increase blood alkaline, the “Alkalemia” will destroy human body normal metabolism and damage the immune function, if carbon dioxide is too much will easy to create a bulk acid waste accumulation, forming too acidic physique, at this time, some endogenous diseases get the chance to invade human body to make plenty of acid waste accumulate in lymphatic tissue cells system and final to lead to histocyte canceration. The people pay less attention on exercise is easy to get sick by carbon dioxide acid waste accumulate. On the contrary, the people who insist on Tai Chi practice can be effective to promote the blood circulation of artery and vein, also good at microcirculation of a large number of blood capillary, dredging channel, removing stasis, and destroying cancer cells living environment.   

2.Practicing Tai Chi is also beneficial to organic exercise to reduce the cancer cells

During exercise, because each part of human muscle and joint do the relaxation, the blood capillary open, and the blood of vein lymph will backflow faster, thus, reduce the burden of heart. Tai Chi also can help with promoting peristalsis of liver and stomach, make intestines,stomach, liver and kidney to do the exercise too, which promote the blood circulation, digestion and absorption of liver and stomach, strengthen the adrenergic secretion function, improve body’s substance metabolism. Also make people has a good appetite and reduce blood cholesterol content, increase albumin content and ect. In a word, the Tai Chi exercise is good for preventing the cancer disease. 

3.Stick to practice Tai Chi is great help to improve the human immune function.  

Practice Tai Chi can increase the immune globulin and enhance the damage of virus and bacterial,that proven to get a obvious effect.

4. conclusion :

Practice Tai Chi is a good way to avoid various disease, it not only fortify people’s health, but also strength body, and also benefit the cancer patients treatment.

Top 10 Cancer Causing Foods to Cut Your Cancer Risk in Half

1.Genetically Modified Foods (GMOs): The rapidly growing industry of genetically modified crops are infiltrating our food supply at an alarming rate. More than 90% of our corn and soy are now genetically modified. This fairly new practice is the source of many debates. Experts agree that adequate testing was not done before GMO foods were added to the ingredient listing of thousands of products. In other words, no one – including the growers and manufacturers of GMO foods – knows the long-term effect they will have on human health. Look for GMO-free labels whenever possible or buy organic (which always means a product is not genetically modified).

2. Microwave Popcorn: From the chemically-lined bag to the actual contents, microwave popcorn is at the center of lung cancer debates around the world. Not only are the kernels and oil likely GMO (which the manufacturer does not have to disclose) unless organic, the fumes released from artificial butter flavoring contain diacetyl, which is toxic to humans. Make your own organic popcorn the old-fashioned way – it tastes better, doesn’t release toxic fumes, and is a healthier choice for you.

3. Canned Goods: Most cans are lined with a product called bisphenol-A (BPA), which has been shown to genetically alter the brain cells of rats. Many plastic goods, thermal paper, water lines, and many dental composites also contain BPA. Stick to fresh or frozen vegetables that have no added ingredients for your family’s table! These are better for you and available year-round.

4. Grilled Red Meat: While grilled food can taste delicious, scientists have discovered that preparing meats in this way – especially processed meats like hot dogs – releases a carcinogen called heterocyclic aromatic amines. When you grill red meat to the point of well-done, it changes the chemical and molecular structure of the meat. You’re better off baking, broiling, or preparing meat in a skillet than on the grill.

5. Refined Sugar: The biggest cancer causing food (by far) is high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and other refined sugars. Even brown sugar is highly refined white sugar with some of the removed molasses added back in for flavor and color. Refined sugars (and foods made with them) are the source of major insulin spikes and feed the growth of cancer cells. Since the majority of the sugar supply in the U.S. is made using genetically modified (GMO) sugar beets, a healthier option is organic honey, coconut sugar, or maple sugar. Now that oncologists are using diabetes medication to fight cancer cells, there’s no doubt (finally) that those mutated cancer cells love sugar.

6. Salted, Pickled, and Smoked Foods: These products typically contain preservatives, such as nitrates, which are intended to prolong shelf life. The additives used in processed foods can accumulate in your body over time. Eventually, such toxins cause damage at the cellular level and lead to diseases like cancer. When smoked foods are cooked at high temperatures, the nitrates are converted to the much more dangerous nitrites. (Note: By pickled foods we don’t mean the fermented foods you make at home.)

7. Soda and Carbonated Beverages: Sodas have been at the center of the health debate for two decades as a major cancer causing food. Filled with high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), dyes, and a host of other chemicals, they are very bad for every aspect of your health. They provide zero nutritional value and rob your body of the nutrients you get from other foods. Adding “diet” to the label means you’re also likely consuming aspartame – which is no better than rat poison to human cells.

8. White Flour: When flour is refined, all nutritional value is removed. Then it’s bleached with chlorine gas to make it more appealing to consumers. The glycemic index for white flour is very high – meaning it spikes your insulin levels without providing nutritional fuel. Carbohydrates are converted to sugars by your body, so excessive products that contain white flour can lead to increased insulin resistance. Simple sugars (like refined carbohydrates) are the preferred fuel source for cancer.

9. Farmed Fish: Commercial fish farming involves raising an incredible number of fish (such as salmon), in a crowded environment. More than 60% of the salmon consumed in the United States comes from a farming operation where they are treated with antibiotics, pesticides, and other carcinogenic chemicals to try and control the bacterial, viral, and parasitic outbreaks that result from cramming so many fish in a small space. Farmed fish also don’t have as much omega-3 as wild salmon.

9. Hydrogenated Oils: Vegetable oils are chemically extracted from their source, chemically treated, and more chemicals are added to change the smell and taste. They’re packed with unhealthy omega-6 fats (that Americans already consume way too much of) and have been proven to alter the structure of our cell membranes.

4 Steps to Help Prevent Cancer

In addition to the 10 foods listed above, also be sure to avoid any food labeled as “diet,” “light,” or “fat-free”. In order to remove fat or natural calories, they are replaced with chemicals that are dangerous to your body.

Instead of consuming food products that manufacturers claim is “good for you” – follow these four anti-cancer diet tips to prevent cancer the easy way:

Eat organic whenever possible.

Choose raw or clean frozen if availability of fresh product isn’t good in your area.

Fill half your plate each meal with non-starchy vegetables. If you eat animal products, make sure they’re pastured and grass-fed meats and dairy goods (including eggs). Use only high quality oils such as coconut oil, olive oil, ghee, or grass-fed butter.

Cut back drastically on grains and sugars.

Guangzhou Fuda Cancer Hospital provides latest anti-cancer information for you!