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The Anti-Cancer Toolbox
As a physician, there is probably no single question I get more frequently than “What causes cancer – and how can I avoid getting it?”
We human beings always tend to look for that “one elusive thing” that will solve our problems. Even doctors do it. But the reality is that many things in life are made up of many small factors which combine in mysterious ways to produce big results. Cancer is one of those big things. There are many relatively small contributors that “cause” cancer and affect how it grows and spreads, and this complexity is why questions about cancer’s cause and cure are so difficult to answer.
In this blog we’ll focus on a few tips for cancer prevention. In upcoming blogs we’ll consider some supplements you should consider that we believe will help reduce your risk of getting cancer, and also suggest some things you can do if you already have cancer.
Take Mice Studies with a Grain of Salt
Are clinical trials using animal studies always valid for humans? Consider me a skeptic.
I frequently see advertisements and newsletters (even some written by physicians) that promote lab tests and treatments based entirely on studies done using rodents. These “experts” frequently draw conclusions from these studies that their lab test or product is a breakthrough of vital importance to humanity. While it may be true, all too often it’s not.
Let me give you a recent example of a study done in mice that could lead to the conclusion that every woman with breast cancer should be taking very robust doses of the adrenal hormone DHEA. This study should serve both as an encouragement and as a caution, an example of the care we must exercise when we use animal studies to draw conclusions about humans.
Has Science Discovered the Crystal Ball for Cancer?
At Longevity Medical Clinic we often talk to our patients about detecting and preventing cancer. It’s something on the minds of most of us, since we all know that, when it comes to treating cancer, early detecting is critical. One of my patients recently asked me about they had read concerning an early detection test for cancer. Are these tests valid, or do they offer a false hope?
In fact, thanks to advances in early detection, there are now some promising tests for cancer. These tests look for what we call “markers” – early signs of cancer. But the fact is that each cancer has its own specific set of markers, sometimes as many as 30 or 40 that doctors can actually measure. In many cases, in order to get an early detection test that is statistically valid, doctors need to combine 15 or 20 of these markers. You can see how complicated this can get.
Let’s consider one specific example – lung cancer. Almost 5 years ago, medical journals began