The recent tragic death of Steve Jobs, of Apple fame, due to a rare form of pancreatic cancer has once again focused public attention on one of the deadliest forms of cancer. The more common form of pancreatic cancer, pancreatic ductal cancer, is only the tenth most common form of cancer, but because...
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The modern management of breast cancer often includes “hormonal therapy,” in which medications that block the effects of estrogen, or decrease the amount of estrogen manufactured by the body, are used to reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrence. Despite significantly lowering the risk of breast cancer recurrence in patients with estrogen-sensitive breast tumors, recent...
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Cocoa, from which chocolate is made, is known to be rich in flavonol antioxidants, as well as other compounds that appear to reduce the risk of developing the cholesterol plaques that cause coronary artery disease, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease. Cocoa has also been shown to improve the function and health of critical blood...
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As I discuss in my book, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race, evidence-based lifestyle and diet modifications can dramatically reduce your lifetime risk of developing cancer, including some of the most deadly forms of this disease. As an “added benefit,” many of the same lifestyle and diet modifications that I discuss in my...
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As I discuss in my book, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race, there is a growing body of research evidence demonstrating potent cancer properties associated with certain foods and nutrients. While much of the available research in support of specific dietary and other lifestyle-related approaches to cancer prevention is of low scientific quality,...
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Along with the incidence of obesity, the incidence of diabetes has recently skyrocketed in the United States and around the world. The list of health complications associated with diabetes is frightening, and includes heart disease, peripheral vascular disease, stroke, kidney failure, progressive blindness, and as I discuss in my book, A Cancer Prevention Guide for...
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A possible link between cell phone use and brain tumor risk continues to cause concern among cancer experts. However, because it would be unethical to intentionally expose human research subjects to prolonged periods of cell phone radiation exposure, it is not possible to perform a prospective, randomized, blinded study to completely resolve this important...
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As I discuss in detail in my recent book, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race, there is considerable research evidence linking low Vitamin D levels in the blood with a higher risk of some types of cancer, and colorectal cancer in particular. As I have discussed previously in this column, there is also...
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As I discuss in detail in my recent book, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race, regular exercise not only decreases the risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure, but cancer as well. Most experts recommend at least 30 minutes of moderate or vigorous exercise per day, and for at least...
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As I discuss in detail in my recent book, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race, combination hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for the symptoms of menopause have been clearly linked to an increased risk of breast cancer. (This important topic is also the subject of my next book, which will be published in 2012.) Since...
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Pancreatic cancer is a relatively rare form of cancer (fewer than two percent of adults in the United States will ever be diagnosed with this form of cancer). However, although rare, pancreatic cancer is an extremely lethal type of cancer, with an average 5-year survival rate of only 5 to 8 percent, overall. Therefore, as...
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The cultivation and consumption of tea has continued, uninterrupted, for at least 12,000 years, based upon documentation from China. Today, tea is the most commonly consumed beverage throughout the world other than water. As I discuss in detail in my recent book, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race, a lot of health claims have...
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As I discuss in detail in my recent book, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race, there are several important lifestyle and dietary factors that have been linked to cancer risk by numerous high-level research studies. Moreover, breast cancer risk, as well as the risk of several other hormone-responsive cancers in particular, appears to...
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 The information in this column is intended for informational purposes only, and does not constitute medical advice or recommendations by the author. Please consult with your physician before making any lifestyle or medication changes, or if you have any other concerns regarding your health. I have written before about the interactions between physicians,...
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Most of us already know that a high-fiber diet is an important part of a healthy lifestyle.  Numerous previous research studies have associated a high-fiber diet with a decreased incidence of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and some forms of cancer. However, there is very little research information available that directly links a high-fiber diet with a...
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During my time in the lab, as a research fellow at the John Wayne Cancer Institute, I completed several research studies that revealed a powerful link between the presence of tiny numbers of cancer cells floating in the blood and overall survival in patients without any evidence of recurrent cancer by standard laboratory...
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As I discuss in my book, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race, the role of cholesterol-lowering statin drugs in cancer prevention continues to be debated because of contradictory research findings.  (While some clinical research studies have suggested that long-term statin use may reduce cancer risk, other studies have not shown any apparent improvement in...
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Known risk factors for breast cancer include: (1) age greater than 60, (2) a previous personal history of breast cancer or precancerous conditions of the breast (such as atypical lobular hyperplasia, lobular carcinoma in situ, atypical ductal hyperplasia, or ductal carcinoma in situ), (3) one or more first degree relatives with breast cancer,...
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I have written extensively about Vitamin D in the past, particularly in the areas of cancer prevention and cardiovascular disease prevention.  As regular readers of this column already know, Vitamin D, which actually functions more like a hormone than a vitamin, appears to be the only vitamin with clinically significant cancer prevention and cardiovascular...
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The earlier that cancer is detected, the greater the likelihood of cure.  Therefore, cancer researchers are always looking for more sensitive tests that can detect cancer at the earliest possible stage.  When I was a cancer research fellow working in the lab, I used an exquisitely sensitive chemical test to identify trace amounts of genetic...
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