Cancer prevention

[Guest guest]

I have a co-worker that swears that MTX gave her father the cancer he died from. I have read everything I could find on MTX and never found anything about it causing Cancer. But, the reaction from my co-worker was very real, she freaked. I've been taking it for 6 years and have only had good results from it. Becky

[ ] cancer prevention

I was sittin' in my easy chair a few nights ago thinking aboutmethotrexate and it's long-term negative side-effects when suddenlyit hit me like a smack on the back of the head. If MTX is a low-dose type of chemotherapy previously used for thetreatment of cancer, wouldn't it act as a cancer preventative forpeople like us who have to take it for PA?I've never read anything on this specific topic, so I'm wondering ifanyone else on the list has. It'd be nice to find a silver lining inthis cloud.Please visit our new web page at:http://www.wpunj.edu/icip/paWe are currently discussing new chat times. moderates a chat on arthritis atwww.about.com on Thursday evenings, so check thatout in the meantime! E mail at RA@... for details.

[Guest guest]

Well being a once upon a time chemo therapy nurse, here is the scoop on MTX. MTX is still used for cancer in combination with other drugs but at much higher doses than used for arthritis and is given IV .In high doses it kills cancer cells, it also kills good cells. In low doses it suppresses the immune system(when ones body does not fight so hard inflamation is reduced). In low doses it has not been known to produce cancer. In high doses it is known that the side effect of chemo therapy long term is to sometimes encourage the growth of another cancer. Long term cancer survivors often later get bone cancer or leukemia. Quality of life is what it is all really about. MTX is a minimal risk drug that in low doses allows people with painful arthritis to live a fairly normal life. Everyone has to decide if the result is worth the risk. Long term studies are good for most people 10 years plus as long as their liver profiles remain good. Hope that this answer is helpful. Sharon

[ ] cancer prevention

I was sittin' in my easy chair a few nights ago thinking aboutmethotrexate and it's long-term negative side-effects when suddenlyit hit me like a smack on the back of the head. If MTX is a low-dose type of chemotherapy previously used for thetreatment of cancer, wouldn't it act as a cancer preventative forpeople like us who have to take it for PA?I've never read anything on this specific topic, so I'm wondering ifanyone else on the list has. It'd be nice to find a silver lining inthis cloud.Please visit our new web page at:http://www.wpunj.edu/icip/paWe are currently discussing new chat times. moderates a chat on arthritis atwww.about.com on Thursday evenings, so check thatout in the meantime! E mail at RA@... for details.

[Guest guest]

Becky, tell your co worker that a lowered immune system allows cancer to not be fought off by the body. MTX lowers the immune response. Cancer is a complex disease perpetuated by genetic, enviornmental, viral and immune factors. All studies so far show low dose MTX to be safe for use with arthritis. I worry about Wayne and all the drugs he is on. However better he would die at old age even from cancer than at 53 years old being in so much pain he couldn't function. We discuss the risks all the time but the decision is his. Sharon

[ ] cancer prevention

I was sittin' in my easy chair a few nights ago thinking aboutmethotrexate and it's long-term negative side-effects when suddenlyit hit me like a smack on the back of the head. If MTX is a low-dose type of chemotherapy previously used for thetreatment of cancer, wouldn't it act as a cancer preventative forpeople like us who have to take it for PA?I've never read anything on this specific topic, so I'm wondering ifanyone else on the list has. It'd be nice to find a silver lining inthis cloud.Please visit our new web page at:http://www.wpunj.edu/icip/paWe are currently discussing new chat times. moderates a chat on arthritis atwww.about.com on Thursday evenings, so check thatout in the meantime! E mail at RA@... for details. Please visit our new web page at:http://www.wpunj.edu/icip/paWe are currently discussing new chat times. moderates a chat on arthritis atwww.about.com on Thursday evenings, so check thatout in the meantime! E mail at RA@... for details.

[Guest guest]

From: " Sev " <Sev@...>

> Just trying to get something clarified, if you had a choice of

> just 1 natural, edible thing to prevent cancer and not much time

> during the day to prepare things, what would you take?

a high-quality, soy-free green powder mix (w/organic ingredients)

[Guest guest]

Green Tea

The preventative effects of green tea (Camellia sinensis) have also been

demonstrated for several forms of cancer, including skin, stomach, duodenum,

colon, liver, lung, prostate and pancreas. On the cardiovascular front, in

test-tube studies green tea has suppressed oxidative damage to " bad " LDL

cholesterol, the initial step in the buildup of plaque in the arteries, or

atherosclerosis. Not surprisingly, a Japanese study of 1,371 men linked daily

consumption of green tea to the prevention of heart disease.

Sev <Sev@...> wrote:

Hi all,

Just trying to get something clarified, if you had a choice of

just 1 natural, edible thing to prevent cancer and not much time

during the day to prepare things, what would you take?

Any thoughts appreciated.

Sev.

[Guest guest]

Please send copy of The Holistic Dental Digest PLUS

Bob Ray

312 Park St.

Huron, Ohio 44839

Jerry Mittelman <jmittelman@...> wrote:

Garlic and Onions lower cancer risk Italian researchers from the Institute of

Pharmacology Research in Milan analyzed data from several Swiss and Italian

cancer studies. They found that the more garlic or onions you consume the lower

the risk of a number of cancers.

The greater the consumption of onions the lower the risk of developing

colorectal, laryngeal, and ovarian cancers. Those who ate the most onions also

had a lower risk of cancer of the pharynx, oral cavity, and esophagus,

prostate, and breasts. Higher intake of garlic was associated with a lower risk

of colorectal and renal cell kidney cancer and cancer at all sites but not

strongly for the breasts. The study is published in the American Journal of

Clinical Nutrition. - J. Hickey, RPh

Reply with your name and street or po box address for your free

copy of The Holistic Dental Digest PLUS, now in its 27th year and

helping people on 5 continents.

--What dentists aren't likely to learn in Dental School

[Guest guest]

Cancer prevention: don't stress yourself

JOE SCHWARCZ, Freelance

Published: 6 hours ago

Imagine

you had the opportunity to have any question you can think of answered. But only one. What would it be? I've got a candidate:

" How can cancer be prevented? " A pretty

important question, given that roughly one in two or three of us (depending on

whose statistics you believe) has to cope with the dread disease at some time

in our lives. And I'm not only proposing a question. I also have an answer.

Well, it

isn't really my answer. It comes from the most extensive and exhaustive survey

of the scientific literature on cancer prevention ever undertaken. .

The World

Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research are both

organizations with no commercial ties, dedicated to helping people make choices

about reducing their chance of developing cancer.

Their

latest collaborative effort, Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity and the

Prevention of Cancer is the result of years of work by experts from around the

world, and represents a comprehensive review of thousands of publications. The

report is like a phone book, but its essence can be summarized relatively

easily.

The main

thrust was to examine the link between foods and specific cancers, ranking the

associations from " convincing decreased risk " to " convincing

increased risk, " with " probable decreased risk " and

" probable increased risk " in-

between. So, what was the

conclusion about " convincing increased risk? "

Red meat

and processed meat clearly increase the risk of colorectal cancer. Arsenic in

drinking water increases the risk of lung cancer, and alcoholic drinks increase

the risks of cancers of the mouth, pharynx, larynx, colon and breast. Aflatoxins, found in mouldy

grains, cause liver cancer. And body fatness increases the risk of oesophageal, pancreatic, colorectal, breast, endometrial and kidney cancers. " Probable increased

risks " include salt consumption for stomach cancer, diets high in calcium

for prostate cancer, alcoholic drinks for liver cancer and arsenic in water

supplies for skin cancer.

Now for " convincing decreased risk. "

Pretty short list here. Breast

feeding exclusively for six months decreases the risk of breast cancer.

It also reduces the risk of obesity in children, which in turn reduces the risk

of cancer. Physical activity decreases the risk of colorectal cancer.

" Probable decreased risk " is more encompassing. Dietary fibre and garlic both decrease the risk of colorectal

cancer and foods containing selenium or lycopene

decrease the risk of prostate cancer. Milk decreases the risk of colorectal

cancer and so do calcium supplements. Folate reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer. Fruit and non-starchy

vegetable consumption decreases the risk of cancers of the mouth, oesophagus, stomach and lung.

There

were some surprises. Smoked or barbecued animal foods were seen to increase the

risk of stomach cancer only slightly, and fat consumption only affected lung

and breast cancer, and not with high significance. No evidence was found for

vitamin supplements decreasing risk.

After

digesting the massive amount of data, the expert panel managed to distill the

information down to eight recommendations. Here they are:

1. Being overweight increases the risk of many cancers.

2. Aim

for 30 minutes of vigorous or 60 of moderate physical activity a day.

3.

Consume " energy dense " foods that contain more than 225 calories per

100 grams sparingly. Aim for foods with less than 125 calories per 100 grams.

This means very limited consumption of " fast foods " and sugary

drinks.

4. Eat

mostly foods of plant origin. Try for some unprocessed grains and or legumes at

every meal. Eat at least five servings of fruits and non-starchy vegetables a

day. Non-starchy vegetables include broccoli, carrots, green leafy vegetables

and bok choy, but not

potatoes.

5. Limit

cooked red meat to less than 500 grams (18 oz) a week and avoid processed meats

like hot dogs, hams, salamis and smoked meat. Ouch!

6. Avoid

alcoholic drinks. The panel took into account the fact that modest alcohol

consumption may protect against heart disease but found that as far as cancer

is concerned, there is no level of consumption below which there is no increase

in risk. It should be limited to two drinks a day for men and one for women.

7. Limit

salt intake to less than 6 grams a day (corresponding to 2.4 grams of sodium).

The best way to do this is to curb processed foods and fast foods.

8.

Dietary supplements are not recommended for cancer prevention, but vitamin D,

which holds the greatest hope, was not investigated. It should be added here

that the panel did not consider the possible benefit of supplements for the

prevention of other diseases and did not find any risks with supplements.

There you

have it. The culmination of a five-year-long process.

On first glance, it may seem as if there is not much new here. But there is.

This is the first time any expert group has made such specific recommendations

about processed meats, soft drinks and alcoholic beverages. The advice is to

avoid them. And what can we hope to achieve by adhering to these

recommendations? The prevention of about 30 to 40 per cent of cancers! If we

include giving up smoking, we're probably up to preventing 60 to 70 per cent of

cases.

What

about the rest? Well, genes play a role and so do certain chemicals. There are

about 100,000 chemicals used in commerce today, with very few having been

thoroughly evaluated for cancer risk. We need to get a handle on which

compounds found in our cleaning agents, fabrics, plastics, toys, cosmetics,

electronic equipment or foods may contribute to human cancer. But for now,

there is evidence to suggest foregoing beer and doing without pepperoni on the

pizza while watching TV. And the survey found that television viewing was

" probably " linked with weight gain.

Now the good news. You don't have

to give up coffee. There was no link to any kind of cancer. Finally, don't

stress yourselves too much about all this; stress impairs the activity of the

immune system and that increases the risk of cancer.

Joe Schwarcz is director of McGill University's

Office for Science and Society (www.OSS.McGill.ca).

He can be

heard every Sunday from 3-4 p.m. on CJAD.

joe.schwarcz@...

© The Gazette (Montreal)

2008