Understanding what cancer is
Cancer is a word that brings a wave of emotion every time it is uttered in conversations, but especially in medical diagnosis. As someone who has experienced cancer in my immediate family, I know the weight that the words bring with it. In today’s blog, I’m going to look into what cancer is and understand how it’s working in the body from a “laymen’s perspective”.
what are the cancer rates and chances
In 2020, the rate of cancer in the United States had reached its lowest levels of new cases in decades at 418 per 100,000 people. Statistically speaking, one out of two Americans will be diagnosed with some form of cancer in their lifetime. In 2022, it is estimated that more than 1.9 million people in the US will be diagnosed with a form of cancer. The estimated 2022 death rate is 609,360.
Thankfully, the death rate of cancer, while it remains high, has slowly declined over the past 30 years. The 5-year rate of survival in 2018 was around 68.1%. A recent 5-year rate has yet to be released.
what is cancer
We have the most recent cancer numbers above, but what exactly is cancer. I can tell you that from my own familial experience, the pinpoints of the cause for cancer were not usually paramount. For me, finding the root cause of any health-related issue has become just that. So, I found one of the best descriptions of what cancer is from Dr. Thomas Lodi. Dr. Lodi is an Integrative Oncologist and the Found of An Oasis of Healing. His explanation of what cancer is goes something like this:
“Cancer is a natural reaction of the body to a particular set of circumstances. A cluster of cells must lose its ability to use oxygen when it’s processing glucose…When the mitochondria start to get beaten up from toxins or whatever is the cause that their number declines and the cell can’t use oxygen. Cancer is the body’s attempt to stay alive despite the lack of oxygen in the cells. To save the tissue, the cells became chronically fermenting.”
In short, cancer is our body’s way of keeping us alive when our mitochondria begin to die off and can’t produce the energy they once did and free radicals are running lose inside our cells. Remember, the body is a symphony of chemical reactions, and when one reaction isn’t able to work properly, the rest of the orchestra can’t perform as well.
what are some things you can do to stop making cancer
Dr. Mark Hyman and Dr. Nasha Winters (a 25-year cancer survivor) both talk about a metabolic approach to stop making cancer. I encourage you to watch the linked video of Dr. Hyman’s explanation of what cancer is and how to stop making it. Below are a few of his tips from the video:
Diet - Cancer is driven primarily by sugar in our diet.
Remove the high processed foods and sugars from your diet.
Focus on eating a diverse array of healthy whole foods to create a good gut microbiome.
Phytonutrients help to fight against the free radicals in the cells
Environmental Toxins - Reduce your exposure to toxins in your environment such as:
Household cleaning products
Regular toxins in your job or outdoor pollution
Detoxify your body as much as you can
Move regularly and do physical activity
De-stress and improve your thoughts (our minds are very powerful, especially when it comes to our immune systems).