Diet and Cancer

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Diet and Cancer
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Cancer

• Cancer is the 2nd most common cause of death in
  the US after heart disease.
• Cancer kills 1 out of every 4 Americans.
• The risk of developing cancer can be reduced by
  changes in a persons lifestyle.

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What is Cancer?

• Normal body cells grow, divide and die in an
  orderly fashion.
• Cancer cells are different because they do not
  die, just continue to divide and grow.
• Cancer cells form as a result of damaged DNA.

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What is Cancer?

• These damaged genes can be passed on, which
  accounts for inherited cancers.
• In other cases, the DNA is damaged by an outside
  source such as smoking.
• Cancer usually forms a tumor.

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What is Cancer

• There are two types of tumors Malignant and
  Benign
• Malignant tumors spread to other areas in the
  body. These are the dangerous ones.
• Benign tumors stay in one place.

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Types of Cancer

• Sarcoma-rise from connective tissue such as
  muscle or bone and are more common in younger
  people.
• Carcinomas-which occur in epithelial tissue and
  are more common in older people. It includes
  lung, breast, prostate, and colon.

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Types of Cancer

• Leukemia- cancers of the blood or blood forming
  organs.
• Lymphomas- affect the lymphatic system. The
  lymphatic system is a group of vessels and nodes
  that act as the bodys filter. It prevents
  bacteria and foreign invaders from entering the
  bloodstream.

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Causes of Cancer

• 80 are considered sporadic- meaning the cause
  is unknown. There are several risk factors that
  increase the chance of cancer
• Age- risk increases gt50.
• Diet- high fat, high cholesterol diets increase
  risk.

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Causes of Cancer

• Obesity- no clear link but research indicates it
  is a factor
• Cigarettes- increases lung cancer, other tobacco
  products such as pipes and chewing tobacco
  increase cancers of the mouth.
• Long term exposure to chemicals- asbestos, radon
  and benzene.

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Causes of Cancer

• Exposure to high levels of radiation
• Harmful ultraviolet rays from the sun.
• Some viruses- Hepatitis B, C, HPV, Epsteinn-Barr.
• Immune system diseases

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Causes of Cancer

• Heredity
• Screenings are recommended for high risk
  families. You are considered high risk if
  Several relatives have had cancer or if someone
  had cancer at a very early age.

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Symptoms of Cancer

• Remember one word CAUTION
• Changes in bowel or bladder habits.
• A sore that will not heal.
• Unusual bleeding or discharge
• Thickening or lump in breast or any part of the
  body.

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CAUTION

• Indigestion or difficulty swallowing.
• Obvious change in any wart or mole
• Nagging cough or hoarseness.

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Diagnosis of Cancer

• Biopsy- small tissue sample under a microscope to
  look for cancerous cells.
• Endoscopy- a flexible plastic tube with a tiny
  camera
• Diagnostic Imaging- x rays

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Diagnosis of Cancer

• CAT scan- more precise than standard x-ray.
• MRI- uses a powerful magnetic field, very
  accurate but expensive.
• Blood Tests- some tumors release substances
  called tumor markers which can be found in the
  blood.

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Treatment of Cancer

• Types of treatment
• Surgery- 60 of all cancer pts. have some kind of
  surgery.
• Radiation Therapy
• Chemotherapy
• Immunotherapy

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Diet and Cancer

• The American Cancer Society recommends 4 rules of
  thumb for cancer prevention
• Choose most of the foods you eat from plant
  sources. 5 or more servings
• Limit intake of high fat foods, particularly from
  animal sources.

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Diet and Cancer

• Be physically active.
• Limit alcohol intake.

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Dietary Components Associated with Cancer

• Excesses of Certain substances such as
• Fat- the end products of metabolism have been
  found to be carcinogenic.
• Alcohol- has been connected with liver,
  colorectal, and breast cancers.
• Pickled and Smoked Foods- related to cancers of
  the esophagus and stomach. that may increase the
  risk.

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Dietary Components Associated with Cancer

• Cooking methods have also been found to have a
  role in cancer. Frying or charcoal-broiling
  meats at very high temperatures creates chemicals

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Protective Dietary Components

• Certain foods and nutrients have been shown to
  protect against certain types of cancers.
• Vitamin C - has been shown to protect against
  cancer of stomach, esophagus, and oral cavity.
• antioxidants- these are certain nutrients found
  in fruits and vegetables.

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Protective Dietary Components

• Fruits and Veggies- contain vitamins, fiber and
  phytochemicals.
• Vitamin E and selenium- both antioxidants that
  protect cells against breakdown.
• Calcium- Calcium reduces cell turnover rates.
• Water- drinking more than 5 glasses a day has
  been associated with a lower risk of cancer.

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Diet and Cancer

• Fiber- Insoluble fiber is connected to decreased
  risk of colon cancer.
• Beans, vegetables, whole grains and fruit are
  good sources.

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Diet and Cancer

• Salt- some evidence links diets containing large
  amounts of foods preserved by pickling and
  salting to increased cancers of the stomach, nose
  and throat.

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Diet and the Cancer Patient

• Nutrition is an important part of treatment.
• Eating the right kinds of food before, during and
  after treatment can help the patient feel better
  and stay stronger.
• Treatments can have an affect on appetite.

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Diet and the Cancer Patient

• People with cancer have unique nutrition needs.
• Eating enough food is usually not a problem.
  Treatment can have an adverse effect on appetite.
• Nutrition suggestions often emphasize eating high
  calorie, high protein foods.

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Diet and the Cancer Patient

• Treatments kill cancer cells but they also kill
  healthy cells. This can cause side effects such
  as
• Loss of appetite, sore mouth or throat, dry
  mouth, dental and gum problems, changes in taste
  or smell, nausea, diarrhea, constipation, fatigue
  and depression.

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Diet and the Cancer Patient

• It is very important to have good nutrition to
  minimize the side effects of cancer, prevent or
  reverse nutritional deficiencies, and to maximize
  the quality of life.
• The best method of calorie intake is by mouth.
  Sometimes this is not possible.

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Diet and the Cancer Patient

• Other options of intake are
• Feeding Tube
• TPN or total parenteral nutrition- this is
  nutrition directly through a vein.

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Stop , Look, and Listen

• Be aware of your body, this is the best
  prevention against cancer.
• Early detection can be the difference between
  life and death!
• Here are some things to look for early detection
  of the most common cancers.

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Stop, Look, and Listen

• Breast Cancer- look for a lump, any puckering,
  dimpling or scaling of the breast skin.
• Colorectal Cancer- blood in the stool, prolonged
  diarrhea, or constipation.
• Endometrial Cancer- (lining of the uterus)
  bleeding between periods or after menopause.

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Stop, Look, and Listen

• Cervical Cancer-Bleeding after intercourse, or
  between periods
• Prostate- Frequent or painful urination, blood in
  the urine, difficulty starting and stopping.
• Testicular Cancer- a change in the consistency of
  the testicles, or a small hard lump that is often
  painless.

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Stop, Look, and Listen

• Oral Cancer- white or velvety red patches
• Skin Cancer- Check body from head to toe, looking
  for new moles, or those that have suddenly
  increased in size, changed color, or bleed
  easily.
• Lung cancer- chest pain, recurring bronchitis, or
  pneumonia

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5 for the Road

• Five things you should remember about preventing
  cancer.
• Eats lots of fruits, vegetables, and whole
  grains.
• Discover the pleasure of physical activity.

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5 for the Road

• Stay tobacco free
• Enjoy a low-fat diet
• Protect yourself from the sun between 1000 am
  and 400 pm.

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Conclusion

• Cancer is a preventable disease in most cases.
• Lead a healthy lifestyle.
• Be aware of your body.
• Great resource www.cancer.org