When US adults were polled about certain erroneous cancer ‘myths’, the most widely believed misconception was that surgical removal of a cancer can cause it to spread throughout the body.

The next most common misconception? A cure for cancer already exists but it is being withheld from the public in order to increase profits.

The new findings, which appear in the medical journal Cancer, come from a telephone survey of 957 randomly selected adults who reported never having been diagnosed with cancer.

Forty-one percent of subjects believed that surgery could, in fact, spread a malignancy to other regions of the body, lead author Dr. Ted Gansler, from the American Cancer Society in Atlanta, and colleagues note. Twenty-seven percent of the people surveyed thought there was a conspiracy to withhold a cure for cancer from public knowledge.

The third most common cancer myth was that there are no effective medications for cancer pain, endorsed by 19 percent of respondents.
Continue reading ‘And the Number One Cancer Myth Is…’

New research reaffirms the potential value of green tea as a natural substance able to stop cancer before it starts.

“What we do in our conference every year is focus on what the scientists are talking about,” said Jeffrey Prince, vice president for education and communications of the American Institute for Cancer Research.

Prince and others spoke at a news briefing at AICR’s annual International Research Conference on Food, Nutrition and Cancer in Washington. He said this year’s conference includes six separate presentations on the benefits of green tea — and no tea companies were involved in the research.

The AICR also released the “New American Plate Cookbook,” featuring recipes designed to promote smaller portion sizes and increased consumption of fruits and vegetables.

“The American Institute for Cancer Research recommends a mostly plant-based diet to people concerned with reducing cancer risk,” Prince said.

Many plant-based foods are rich in anti-oxidants, which limit damage to cells and tissues that toxins and pollutants cause by slowing the rate of certain chemical reactions.

The active ingredient in green tea is a compound called epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG, a stronger anti-oxidant than is contained in either vitamin C or E, according to an AICR fact sheet. Green tea is made from the same plant as black tea and oolong tea, but the leaves are not fermented during processing, which apparently preserves the plant’s cancer-fighting compounds.
Continue reading ‘Green tea suggests cancer cure’

Cancer is a group of diseases characterized by uncontrolled cell division and the ability of these cells to invade other tissues. It is caused by alterations to DNA (the genetic material) that are either inherited or acquired. If untreated, it is fatal, but many cancers can be treated and a significant proportion is cured.

I am at a speech meet. Cancer can cause many different symptoms, depending on the site and character of the malignancy and whether there is metastasis (spread). A definitive diagnosis usually requires the microscopic examination of tissue in the form of a biopsy. Once diagnosed, cancer is usually treated with surgery, chemotherapy and/or radiation.

Many cancers are preventable by avoiding environmental carcinogens or modifying behavior. Smoking tobacco is the largest preventable cause of cancer. Cancer is a prominent cause of death in many countries.