CANCER RATES EXPECTED TO SOAR IN ASIA:

Continuing cultural and dietary homogenization in Asia has taken a severe toll on the overall health of the area, experts say, replacing infectious disease with skyrocketing cancer rates in the area, especially among the Chinese.In the past year alone, China has seen a severe spike in cancer rates, associated with chemically-altered popular fast food dietary practices and increasing smoking habits—a combination that has proven deadly. China is now home to about one-fifth of the world’s new cases (Associated Press).Public health officials estimate that if current trends continue, cancer rates across Asia could soar to 60% by 2020.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), stomach cancer was the most deadly form of the disease for both Chinese men and women in 2006, followed by lung and liver cancers, and for women, breast and cervical cancer.In celebration of “World No Tobacco Day,” Beijing issued its first study on tobacco habits, which revealed that the number of smokers in China now exceeds 350 million people—the highest in the world.While other nations and governments, including the United States and the European Union, have been trying to combat the negative effects of smoking and develop healthy alternatives to help people quit, the Chinese have been “puffing away.”Even pollution has played a part in Asia’s rising cancer rates. Industrialization has caused what were once peaceful villages with pristine rivers to become cesspools of chemical waste, with many rural Asians developing rare forms of cancer.One example is Vietnam, where citizens are still struggling with the effects of Agent Orange, a chemical used by U.S. troops during the Vietnam War in the 1970s. Statistics from the Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin estimate that of the three million people that were exposed to the chemical, one million still suffer from cancer or birth defects.

Adding to skyrocketing cancer rates in Asia is the lack of proper diagnosis and treatment. Even though various forms of liver cancer are caused by the Hepatitis B virus—which can be treated, and the vaccine is available and widely used for school-aged children in Western countries—it is not yet accessible for a great majority of Asians.Equally, poor eating and exercise habits due to an increased pace of life and city dwelling influenced by Western culture have caused the cancer rates to soar, according to experts—warning that perhaps the best thing for Asians to do is abandon Western practices and return to traditional foods and societal norms.Even in Japan, known for its meticulously healthy meals of fish and rice, fast food chains typically dominate business districts. Last year, the nation’s Ministry of Health estimated that more than half of Japanese men and about one in five women—as many as 20 million people—were susceptible to conditions associated with obesity, diabetes and heart disease due to poor lifestyle choices, including eating habits.

A recent study by The Shanghai Cancer Institute showed that the incidence of various types of cancer in Shanghai demonstrated that 80% of cases were tied to patients’ lifestyles. Statistics by cancer therapy experts such as Dr. Qin Xinyu from the city’s Zhongshan Hospital also support this conclusion...“Because of high calorie and protein diets and a lack of physical exercises, colorectal cancer has become the second most fatal cancer in Shanghai, the same as Western countries,” Dr. Qin said. “Its incidence rate has been increasing by 4.2% annually in the city, doubling the speed of the rest of the world” (Shanghai Daily).

BETEL NUT - CANCER LINK TAKES BUZZ OUT OF TRADITION:

Taiwan launches ad campaign warning of risk from chewing Asian fruit:

For centuries, hundreds of millions of people across Asia, from Pakistan to Palau, have chewed the spicy date-like fruit of the betel palm for a quick buzz. Then four years ago, a World Health Organization study found that chewing betel nuts can cause oral cancer and that the rate of these malignant mouth tumors was highest in Asia where the betel nut is a widely used stimulant.

Despite the cancer link, betel nut addicts are chewing on in many parts of Asia. But in Taiwan, the findings have spurred a government health campaign against the nut which is grown on palm trees across the sub-tropical island southeast of China. Betel nut, which contains an addictive stimulant similar to nicotine, is widely used in parts of Southeast Asia, India, Pakistan and the South Pacific as a breath freshener, a hunger antidote, a substitute for cigarettes and as a way to get high.

Users often chew it all day long, causing all sorts of unpleasant side-effects such as red-stained teeth and pavements covered with red spittle as many users spit out the betel nut’s remnants as they chew. Under pressure from the government health drive, betel nut traders and growers are seeking new uses for the nut — such as soup — as the industry seeks to stay in business.
There is a lot at stake for betel nut growers as the nut is the island’s second biggest crop after rice and provides more than 20,000 jobs.

Embattled betel nut:

Aware of the cancer link, some merchants are wrapping betel quids with less lime, a leaf-to-nut bonding additive that some in the industry believe to be the most noxious ingredient. Growers in Taiwan now use almost every bit of the betel nut stick palms that grow all over the island. They turn it into chicken soup, chicken feed and hard liquor for as much as $366 per bottle. Some advocate eating betel flowers instead of chewing the kernels. Many consume a combination of betel nut and tobacco.

For those who still chew, sellers say they consistently hand out paper cups to discourage spitting the red pulp onto public streets, an act that outrages a sanitation-conscious public. Betel controversy first hit Taiwan in the 1990s, when the government made farmers stop clearing mountains to grow betel palms and required growers to plant grass to prevent mudslides. Then nut’s popularity in Taiwan began to wane after the WHO cancer study came out. The study prompted Taiwan government health warnings against betel nut in schools, churches and on tissue boxes at gas stations. Chewers can be fined the equivalent of $36 for spitting. “Oral cancer appears to be the most prevalent and serious health effect of concurrent use of (betel) nut and tobacco in the region,” said a WHO report.

Government statistics show that the oral cancer rate rose from 1,790 to 4,754 between 1994 and 2004, with deaths going from 779 to 1,593 cases over that period. Taiwan officials blame betel nuts. The WHO says 58 percent of the world’s 390,000 oral cancers come from Asia, where the betel nut is widely consumed.

Phasing out betel nut:

The Taiwan Department of Health anti-cancer bureau says betel flowers and other parts of the palm also contain an alkaloid that causes cancer. It wants Taiwan to phase out betel completely, replacing it with healthier crops. Betel nut chewers are 28 times more likely to get oral cancer than non-users, according to health officials.

In India, where the betel nut is sometimes used as offerings in religious ceremonies, some states have begun regulating the betel nut industry due to a growth in adolescent users. The WHO predicts a reduction in oral cancer in those regions. Other countries are letting betel run its course. In the South Pacific, 63 percent of Micronesian high school students chew it, the WHO says, adding that about 20 percent of Micronesian users get mouth diseases such as oral cancer.
Experts doubt that health officials will be able to cut the use of betel across the region as the nut is embedded in many cultures and the industry is lucrative and provides jobs.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONTRIBUTORS TO CANCER:

Physical Carcinogens:

Cancer pathogenesis is traceable back to DNA mutations that impact cell growth and metastasis. Substances that cause DNA mutations are known as mutagens, and mutagens that cause cancers are known as carcinogens. Particular substances have been linked to specific types of cancer. Tobacco smoking is associated with lung cancer and bladder cancer. Prolonged exposure to radiation, particularly ultraviolet radiation from the sun, leads to melanoma and other skin malignancies. Breathing asbestos fibers is associated with mesothelioma.

Many mutagens are also carcinogens, but some carcinogens are not mutagens. Examples of carcinogens that are not mutagens include alcohol and estrogen. These are thought to promote cancers through their stimulating effect on the rate of cell mitosis. Faster rates of mitosis increasingly leave less opportunities for repair enzymes to repair damaged DNA during DNA replication, increasing the likelihood of a genetic mistake. A mistake made during mitosis can lead to the daughter cells receiving the wrong number of chromosomes, which leads to aneuploidy and may lead to cancer.

Viral Infections:

Furthermore, many cancers originate from a viral infection; this is especially true in animals such as birds, but also in humans, as viruses are responsible for 15% of human cancers worldwide. The main viruses associated with human cancers are human papillomavirus, hepatitis B virus, Epstein-Barr virus, and human T-lymphotropic virus. Experimental and epidemiological data imply a causative role for viruses and they appear to be the second most important risk factor for cancer development in humans, exceeded only by tobacco usage.[12] The mode of virally-induced tumors can be divided into two, acutely-transforming or slowly-transforming. In acutely transforming viruses, the viral particles carry a gene that encodes for an overactive oncogene called viral-oncogene (v-onc), and the infected cell is transformed as soon as v-onc is expressed. In contrast, in slowly-transforming viruses, the virus genome is inserted, especially as viral genome insertion is an obligatory part of retroviruses, near a proto-oncogene in the host genome. The viral promoter or other transcription regulation elements in turn cause overexpression of that proto-oncogene, which in turn induces uncontrolled cellular proliferation. Because viral genome insertion is not specific to proto-oncogenes and the chance of insertion near that proto-oncogene is low, slowly-transforming viruses have very long tumor latency compared to acutely-transforming viruses, which already carry the viral oncogene.

Bacterial Infections:

In addition to viruses, researchers have noted a connection between bacteria and certain cancers. For example, researchers have found that stomach, and other forms of gastric cancer are now believed linked with infection by the bacterium H.Pylori. A number of researchers are also investigating the contribution of small, cell wall-deficient bacteria known as Mycoplasma to cancer pathogenesis.

DIET AND NUTRITION FACTS - FOODS FOR CANCER PREVENTION:

Of the many diseases that affect people these days, cancer is among the most feared. But despite a wealth of scientific data, most people remain unaware of how they can reduce their risk of developing cancer. According to the National Cancer Institute, as much as 80 percent of all cancers are due to identified factors, and thus are potentially preventable. Thirty percent are due to tobacco use, and as much as 35 percent to 50 percent are due to foods. It is easy to control these and other risk factors.

Fiber Fights Cancer:

In 1970, British physician Dennis Burkitt observed that a high-fiber diet reduces diseases of the digestive tract. He observed that in countries where diets are high in fiber (that is, plant-based diets), there were fewer cases of colon cancer. Around the world, this has proven true. The highest fiber intakes are found in nonindustrialized nations where meat is scarce and plant foods fill the menu. Animal products contain no fiber. The U.S. and other Western nations whose diets are based upon animal products have the highest rates of colon cancer.

While no one is certain exactly how fiber protects against digestive tract disorders, there are several possibilities. By definition, fiber cannot be digested by humans early in the digestive process. It moves food more quickly through the intestines, helping to eliminate carcinogens. It also draws water into the digestive tract. The water and fiber make fecal matter bulkier, so carcinogens are diluted.

Bile acids are secreted into the intestine to help digest fat; there, bacteria can change the acids into chemicals that promote colon cancer. Fiber may bind with these bile acids and evict them from the intestines.1 Also, bacteria in the colon ferment the fiber creating a more acidic environment which may make bile acids less toxic.

Fiber is also protective against other forms of cancer. Studies have shown that stomach cancer and breast cancer are less common on high-fiber diets.2,3 Fiber affects levels of estrogens in the body. Estrogens are normally secreted into the intestine, where the fiber binds with the hormone and moves it out of the body.4 Without adequate fiber, the estrogen can be reabsorbed from the intestine into the bloodstream. High levels of estrogen are linked to a higher risk of breast cancer.

In the U.S., the average daily fiber intake is 10 to 20 grams per day. Experts recommend 30 to 40 grams per day. The best sources of fiber are whole grains, beans, peas, lentils, vegetables, and fruits. Foods that are closest to their natural state, unrefined and unpeeled, are highest in fiber.

Fat Raises Cancer Risks:

Cross-cultural studies have revealed that the populations with the highest levels of fat consumption are also the ones with the highest death rates from breast and colon cancer. The lowest rates are in groups with the lowest consumption of fats.5 Migration studies help to rule out the influence of genetics.

Many studies indicate that fat in foods increases one's risk for cancer, and it may also adversely affect breast cancer survival rates for those who have cancer.

Although the total amount of fat one eats is of concern, there is evidence that animal fat is much more harmful than vegetable fat. One study noted a 200 percent increase in breast cancer among those who consume beef or pork five to six times per week. Dr. Sheila Bingham, a prominent cancer researcher form the University of Cambridge, notes that meat is more closely associated with colon cancer than any other factor. Meat and milk are also linked to both prostate and ovarian cancers.

How Fat Affects Cancer Risks:

Fat has many effects within the body. It increases hormone production and thus raises breast cancer risks. It also stimulates the production of bile acids which have been linked to colon cancer.

The average diet in the United States is about 37 percent fat. The National Cancer Institute suggests that people lower that percentage down to 30 percent; however, studies have shown that fat intake should be well below 30 percent to have an anti-cancer affect. Ten to 15 percent is more likely to be helpful.

The Importance of Vegetables:

Not only are vegetables low in fat and high in fiber, they also contain many cancer-fighting substances. Carotenoids, the pigment that gives fruits and vegetables their dark colors, have been shown to help prevent cancer. Beta-carotene, present in dark green and yellow vegetables, helps protect against lung cancer and may help prevent cancers of the bladder, mouth, larynx, esophagus, breast, and other sites.

Vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli, kale, turnips, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts contain flavones and indoles which are thought to have anti-cancer activities.

Vitamin C, found in citrus fruits and many vegetables, may lower risks for cancers of the esophagus and stomach. Vitamin C acts as an antioxidant, neutralizing cancer-causing chemicals that form in the body. It also blocks the conversion of nitrates to cancer-causing nitrosamines in the stomach.

Selenium is found in whole grains and has the same antioxidant effects as vitamin C and beta-carotene. Vitamin E also has this effect. Caution is advised in supplementing selenium, which is toxic in large doses.

Alcohol:

Excessive intake of alcohol raises one's risks for cancers of the breast, mouth, pharynx, and esophagus. When combined with smoking, these risks skyrocket. It also raises risks for stomach, liver, and colon cancers.

Vegetarians Are Better Off:

All the evidence points to a low-fat, high-fiber diet that includes a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and beans, as being the best for cancer prevention. Not surprisingly, vegetarians, whose diets easily meet these requirements, are at the lowest risk for cancer. Vegetarians have about half the cancer risk of meat-eaters.

Vegetarians have higher blood levels of beta-carotene. They consume more vitamin C, beta-carotene, indoles, and fiber than meat-eaters. Vegetarians also have stronger immune systems. German researchers recently discovered that vegetarians have more than twice the natural killer cell activity of meat-eaters. Natural killer cells are specialized white blood cells that attack and neutralize cancer cells. Also, vegetarians tend to eat more soy products than meat-eaters. Soybeans contain many substances that are anticarcinogens, including lignans and phytoestrogens. A diet that is rich in soybeans may be one reason for the lower incidence of breast cancer in Asia.

Conclusion:

A cancer prevention diet is one that is high in fiber, low in fat (especially animal fat), and includes generous portions of fruits and vegetables. It also minimizes or excludes alcohol. The best diets are pure vegetarian diets.

MANY CANCER SURVIVORS GO BACK TO WORK AS USUAL:

When a person is first diagnosed with cancer and undergoes treatment, their work may suffer; but in the long run, most people who survive cancer work a similar number of hours as anyone else, new study findings show"Cancer patients have reason to remain optimistic about the future," study author Dr. Pamela F. Short, of Pennsylvania State University, told Reuters Health. "There are more than 10 million cancer survivors in the United States, and cancer is no longer the death sentence that it once was." "Furthermore," she added, "our study suggests that the careers of survivors are not usually affected over the long term -- especially if they remain cancer free.

It is known that cancer treatment has a short-term effect on patients' employment and productivity. One study found that 4 out of every 10 patients stop working while they receive treatment, while other researchers reported that people receiving cancer treatment are absent from their jobs more often than are people with other chronic conditions. Overall, both male and female cancer survivors who remained cancer free worked only 3 to 5 fewer hours each week, on average, than did those in the comparison group, the investigators report in the journal Health Services Research.

However, those who developed a new cancer during the study period, as did 20 percent of the cancer survivors, worked up to 14 fewer hours per week than they had previously, on average.
Therefore, people with recurrent or second cancers "may particularly benefit from supportive services to help them continue working," the researchers write. In light of the findings, "employers, who are generally required to accommodate the absences and health problems of employees who undergo cancer treatment, should be reassured that these employees are not more likely to quit working afterwards," the researchers conclude.

Inflammatory genes cause lung cancer:

Changes in two genes that activate the immune system after tissue damage may increase lung cancer risk, researchers report.

The changes were found on the genes for interleukin 1A and 1B, two molecules that immune system cells secrete in response to infection or tissue damage. The changes may cause the body to overproduce the molecules, which could sustain the inflammatory effects of the damage.
Writing in the July issue of Cancer Research, the researchers observed a stronger effect of the genes in heavy tobacco smokers.

"Our findings help explain how heavy smoking, for example, combines with a genetic predisposition to create a besieged environment within the lungs," lead author Dr. Eric Engels, researcher at the Viral Epidemiology Branch of the U.S. National Cancer Institute's Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, said in a prepared statement. "Essentially, sustained inflammation alters the microenvironment of the lung tissue, damaging cells and altering DNA."
The study is the first to pinpoint the mechanism by which damage to the lung might cause an inflammatory response from the immune system, leading to cancer. Inflammation is a normal part of the immune system's response to the effects of infection and cell damage, but the researchers argue that prolonged inflammation could increase the risk of lung cancer.
The team examined differences in genes related to inflammation among more than 1,500 lung cancer patients and 1,700 healthy adults. More than 80 percent of the lung cancer patients were former or current smokers.

The researchers then analyzed 59 variations on 37 inflammation-related genes. They found variants in the genes for interleukin 1A and 1B more frequently in patients with lung cancer, especially among heavy smokers.

More Americans die from lung cancer each year than any other type of cancer. In 2003, the most recent year for which data is available, 105,508 men and 84,789 women were diagnosed with lung cancer, while 89,906 men and 68,084 women died from the disease.

Meats and sweets may cause breast cancer:

A study of older Chinese women suggests that a move toward a Western-style diet -- heavy on meat and sugary foods -- boosts breast cancer risk.

Postmenopausal Chinese women who ate a diet that included red meat, starches and sweets were twice as likely to develop breast cancer than those who ate the traditional vegetable-soy-fish diet, according to a study in the July issue of the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. The dietary habits of the women with the 1,602 breast cancer cases were compared to those of more than 1,500 women without breast cancer.

The researchers found that overweight, postmenopausal women who ate a western-style diet had a greater than twofold increased risk of estrogen-receptor-positive breast cancers. There was no association between breast cancer risk and a vegetable-soy-fish diet.

The "meat-sweet" western diet relies on various kinds of meats, saltwater fish and shellfish, bread, milk, dessert and candy. The vegetable-soy-fish diet favors various vegetables, soy-based products, and freshwater fish.

"The Shanghai data gave us a unique look at a population of Chinese women who were beginning to adopt more western-style eating habits," researcher Marilyn Tseng, an associate member in the population science division at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, said in a prepared statement. "Our study suggests the possibility that the 'meat-sweet' pattern interacts with obesity to increase breast cancer risk," Tseng said. "Low consumption of a western dietary pattern plus successful weight control may protect against breast cancer in a traditionally low-risk Asian population that is poised to more broadly adopt foods characteristic of western societies."

WHAT IS CANCER ?

Cancer begins as a single abnormal cell that begins to multiply out of control. Groups of such cells form tumors and invade healthy tissue, often spreading to other parts of the body. Carcinogens are substances that promote the development of cancerous cells. They may come from foods, from the air, or even from within the body. Most carcinogens are neutralized before damage can occur, but sometimes they attack the cell's genetic material (DNA) and alter it. It takes years for a noticeable tumor to develop. During this time, compounds known as inhibitors can keep the cells from growing. Some vitamins in plant foods are known to be inhibitors. Dietary fat, on the other hand, is known to be a promoter that helps the abnormal cells grow quickly.

Of the many diseases that affect people these days, cancer is among the most feared. But despite a wealth of scientific data, most people remain unaware of how they can reduce their risk of developing cancer. According to the National Cancer Institute, as much as 80 percent of all cancers are due to identified factors, and thus are potentially preventable. Thirty percent are due to tobacco use, and as much as 35 percent to 50 percent are due to foods. It is easy to control these and other risk factors.