Exposing the “Lies” and “Rumors” in Cancer Prevention and Control! “Lies and Rumors in Cancer Prevention and Control! Let’s borrow the eyes of senior American scientists: to see clearly the heavy fog in cancer prevention and control. Science and pseudo-science have been at loggerheads since ancient times, who is pseudo-science? Who is pseudoscience? Who is real science? Recently, there are all kinds of rumors and even rumors about cancer prevention and control on the Internet fermentation. Johns Hopkins University scientists in the United States for these rumors – counterattack, next, we will learn together. Lie 1: everyone’s body contains cancer cells Cancer, in fact, is a genetic disease. It occurs due to mutations or modifications in the genes in our bodies, and some of these gene changes are inherited from our parents, but the greater part is closely related to the environment in which we live. For example, people are likely to develop cancer if they smoke and have a poor diet. Mechanistically, these genetic changes inactivate certain regulatory factors in our body, causing some cells to multiply and proliferate uncontrollably. These cells are known as malignant cells or cancer cells. With more than a trillion cells in the human body, there are bound to be atypical cells that are abnormal or have mutations. They may have the same characteristics as cancer cells. However, please note that most of these cells will either undergo self-apoptosis (i.e., commit suicide) or be cleared by our immune system, and the vast majority of them will not develop into cancer! There are no standardized universal screening tests for cancer, but some modern medical techniques can detect cancer at a fairly early stage, such as colonoscopy for colon cancer, mammogram for breast cancer, PSA for prostate cancer, and pap smear for cervical cancer, to name a few. For other cancers, however, there are no good tests, and doctors can only accurately diagnose these cancers after they cause symptoms. However, even though there may be undetectable cancer cells in everyone, and even though there are so many possibilities, it doesn’t mean that everyone will eventually develop cancer, and the vast majority of these stealthy cancer cells will not develop into cancer. What’s more, there are a large number of cancer patients who are saved and recovered by modern medicine every day! Lie 2: A strong immune system can kill cancer The relationship between the immune system and cancer is not described as “strong” or “weak”. The relationship between the immune system and cancer is not a matter of “strong” and “weak”. It is more a matter of “recognition”. Fundamentally, our immune system does not recognize cancer. Because cancer cells are extremely complex, they can even disguise themselves as a healthy normal cell to avoid being killed by the immune system. A normal cell infected by a virus or bacteria releases unique signaling molecules for the immune system to recognize itself and take action. Cancer cells, on the other hand, cannot be recognized and killed by this route.” Lie #3: Cancer is caused by certain nutrient deficiencies, and supplementing these deficiencies will destroy cancer cells Some dietary habits and lifestyle patterns (such as smoking), among others, do contribute to the development of many tumors. I often remind people to maintain some healthy eating habits and patterns to reduce the risk of cancer. Vitamin deficiencies may be ameliorated by these nutrient supplements, but if we supplement too much and more than we normally need, it won’t do any good. Lie #4: Chemotherapy and radiation damage healthy cells and surgical treatments cause cancer cells to spread Regarding this lie, I would like to tell you that chemotherapy and radiation are remarkably selective. It is true that there are some side effects during chemotherapy and radiotherapy, but they are obviously reversible and temporary. These include hair loss and decreased blood counts. Modifying and treating these side effects is also part of radiotherapy. As for surgical removal, it is the treatment of choice for many cancers. And surgical treatment does not cause cancer to spread. The spread of cancer is just a part of the cancer development process, where cancer cells leave the primary tumor, travel through the bloodstream, and spread to other parts of the body, rather than surgery promoting the spread of cancer cells. Lie 5: Cancer uses certain foods as its own nutrition This lie, I’m afraid, is the most deeply rooted and misleading. The lie mentions that cancer cells use certain special foods for energy, and that if we avoid certain foods we can prevent cancer and the cancer cells will starve to death as a result. Is this claim accurate? Let me tell you that poor eating habits or obesity are high risk factors for developing cancer, but there is no evidence to prove that any food has anti-cancer properties. Food can neither change the environment in which cancer lives nor promote the death or growth of cancer cells. In fact, cancer cells do produce some mucus, but this mucus is definitely not caused by drinking milk. Reducing meat intake is indeed a way to prevent cancer, but it does not produce certain “enzymes” that attack cancer cells, i.e. eating less meat does not fight cancer. Dietary modification is the key to cancer prevention. As part of a balanced diet, sugar, salt, milk, coffee, tea and meat, which are often mentioned in such lies, are all safe to eat. Of course, these foods do have problems of their own, especially sugar – they increase the number of calories, or calories, we consume. These increased calories can then lead to a high risk factor for cancer, namely obesity. A balanced diet, average weight, moderate exercise and avoidance of alcohol can reduce the risk of cancer by 1/3. It is recommended that you must consume more than 5 servings of vegetables and fruits per day and limit your intake of red, processed meats such as hot dogs. In terms of diet, we would like to give you the following suggestions as a means of preventing cancer and maintaining good health: 1. Try to maintain a low body weight without losing too much weight; 2. Engage in at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day; 3. Avoid sugary drinks. Limit the consumption of foods that are high in energy (especially processed foods with added sugar, low fiber, and high fat); 4. Eat a variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes; 5. Limit red meat (beef, pork, lamb, etc.) and avoid processed meats; 6. Drink up to 2 units of alcoholic beverages per day for men and up to 1 unit per day for women (no units mentioned in the text); 7. Limit salt intake, including foods treated with salt; 8. Do not take some so-called “dietary supplements” to prevent cancer. Lie 6: Cancer is actually a physical, mental and spiritual disease This lie is taken for granted, but many people believe it. The truth is that cancer is a disease caused by genetic changes. In many cases, these genetic changes are caused by our bad behaviors: smoking, poor diet, viral infections and excessive sun exposure. The influence of spirituality, beliefs and many other factors on cancer is unknown. Everyone wants to live a happy, loving and stress-free life because it’s a good way to live and feel meaningful as a human being. However, there is no evidence that a person’s spirit and state of mind causes or prevents cancer. Lie #7: Oxygen Kills Cancer Cells Moderate exercise is essential for any healthy lifestyle. However, there is no evidence to support that taking deep breaths or receiving oxygen therapy prevents the development of cancer. The American Cancer Society describes oxygen therapy on its website as follows: “Some valid scientific evidence has now proven that people cannot cure cancer even if they take some chemicals that release oxygen. And this so-called treatment is dangerous; deaths have been reported in patients who received these treatments.”