General Topics about Cancer

_____________________________________________________________________________ 

The following examples represent some general topics about cancer that are relevant and important.

• Billions of dollars are being poured into cancer research the world over.  Much of the current cancer research is being funded by charity organizations, who are doing their part to help in this fight against cancer.
  
  
• Cancer research also is now focusing on the human immune system.  It is the immune system that detects irregularities in the human body and fights them.  With cancer, however, the immune system seems to fail to recognize the cancer cells and does not attack them.  As a consequence, cancer research is looking into ways in which the immune system can be enhanced to more effectively defend the body against malignant tumors.
  
  
• People have wrong assumptions about the cause of lung cancer. They generally believe that cigarette smoking is the cause of all types of lung cancers.
  
  
• This wide ignorance about the causes of lung cancer makes it more important to make people more aware about the real cause of asbestos related lung cancer.  Smoking definitely is an important factor, but not the only cause of lung cancer.

• Lung cancer statistics are in your hands - Do something about it.
  
  
• Some mutations that increase the risk of cancer are present at birth in the genes of all the cells in the body, including the reproductive cells. These mutations, which are called germline alterations, can be passed from parent to child. This type of alteration is known as an inherited susceptibility or predisposition and is

  consider as unusual as a cause of cancer. 

  
  
• Diet is often an overlooked subject for cancer patients, but eating the right nutritional foods for strength and energy is just as important as taking the proper medication.
  
  
• Cancer diets involve eating the correct amounts of protein and calories as well as drinking the right amount of water to keep the ailing body replenished and energized.  The body needs plenty of nourishment when it is going through chemotherapy or when the patient is taking cancer-related medications.

• The mathematics of adding risk factors of asbestos-related lung cancer is especially noteworthy. When you add the risk posed by asbestos exposure to the risk posed by cigarette smoking, it is like one plus one equal to five, rather than two.

• When discussing cancer and environmental factors, keep in mind that the term environment includes not only air, water and soil, but also substances and conditions in the home and in the workplace.  Moreover, it includes the use of tobacco, alcohol, or drugs; the exposure to chemicals, sunlight and other forms of radiation; and the diet.
  
  
• Among cancers, lung cancer is the biggest killer, causing up to 3 million deaths every year worldwide.  It mostly affects the above-50 age group population and is one of the most common types of cancers that occur in the industrialized countries.
  
  
• Cancer research is a complex subject.  It includes epidemiology, molecular bioscience, and clinical trials that assess the various cancer treatment applications.

Eating Guidelines from the National Cancer Institute

The following suggestions from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) may be helpful if you have difficulty eating or a loss of appetite even when you are feeling well with cancer:

• Eat small, frequent meals (every one to two hours).
  
  
• Eat high-protein and high-calorie foods (including snacks).
  
  
• Avoid foods low in calories and protein, and avoid empty calories (such as soda).

• To avoid nausea and improve your appetite, do not drink liquids with your meals.
  
  
• Try to eat when you are feeling the best, no matter what time of day.
  
  
• Use meal substitutes, such as high-calorie, high-protein drinks, when you do not feel like eating.
  
  
• Try to increase your appetite through light exercise or appetite stimulants including a glass of wine or beer, if allowed.

• Add extra calories and protein to food using foods such as butter, skim milk powder, honey, or brown sugar.
  
  
• Take your medications with high-calorie fluids.
  
  
• Eat foods at room temperature.
  
  
• Avoid spicy foods or foods with strong odors.  

_________________________________________________