>>> COVER STORY
Lifestyle changes after breast cancer:
Is
green
the new
pink?
Seldom does a day go by without a headline about something that will either cause or prevent cancer. Our report looks at some of the research behind these sensationalised headlines to see if there is any real evidence that lifestyle or environmental factors increase your risk, and whether significant changes make sense following diagnosis.
nce they have emerged from the ordeal of breast cancer treatment, it is understandable that many women are determined to do all they can to avoid anything that could cause a recurrence, while doing ‘the right things’ to prevent the disease. The problem is knowing where to start. It could be very easy to feel overwhelmed by conflicting reports and scare stories. As the “green” movement has made it clear that our Western habits have grown increasingly unnatural, even more potential risks have come to light in our foods as well as our personal care products like makeup, shampoo and lotions. We’ve never questioned these products on a large scale, relative to our overall health—but perhaps we should have, all along. On the other hand, could it be that the Internet Age is helping make mountains out of molehills? Not everyone who is exposed to DNA-mutating influences will develop cancer. So how do we get the headlines into perspective? And if we want to reduce our risk of breast cancer and recurrence, how do we prioritise so that we focus on the real ‘baddies’ and understand the reality behind some of the tabloid scares?
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Biology 101: DNA mutations U.S. expert Dr. Greg Orloff developed an award-winning website, CancerQuest.org, when his wife was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1998. As his site points out, “... simply put, cancer is the result of unregulated cell division. Cancer cells divide when they are not supposed to, don’t stop dividing when they are supposed to and don’t die when they should. In the worst cases, cancer cells leave the area in which they arose and travel to other parts of the body.” It seems that the reason cancer cells behave in this way lies in their genes. In cancer cells, changes (mutations) to key genes cause the cells to act abnormally. Because there are many different things that are capable of causing mutation, there are an equally large number of potential causes of cancer. These include: Over-exposure to certain minerals and chemicals in the environment including asbestos and toxic waste, and to the sun (in the case of skin cancer); Dietary factors such as too much fat and alcohol; Lifestyle factors such as smoking and too little exercise.
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6 | Amoena Life
The lifestyle lowdown Some reliable conclusions about cancer prevention are emerging. For example, there is increasing evidence that lifestyle plays a part. In December 2011, Cancer Research UK published the results of the most comprehensive study undertaken to date on the effects of lifestyle on cancer. The study concluded that 45 percent of all cancers in men could be prevented, and 40 percent of all cancers in women. This staggering figure takes into account every type of cancer—not just breast cancer—but it still provides some serious food for thought. The charity estimated that tobacco smoking, dietary factors, drinking alcohol and body weight accounted for 34 percent of UK cancers during 2010. While acknowledging that in most cases, cancers have multiple causes, Dr. Harpal Kumar, the charity’s chief executive, said: “Leading a healthy life doesn’t guarantee that a person won’t get cancer but this study shows that healthy habits can significantly stack the odds in our favour. We know that cancer risk can be affected by family history and getting older, but these figures show that we can take positive steps to help reduce our risk of the disease.” Like any statistical information, these conclusions need to be put into perspective when it comes to breast cancer, for which it remains the case that being female and over 50 are the two highest risk factors overall; however, it’s impossible to ignore the conclusions of this research.
Think before you eat Scientists predict that the continuation of existing trends in obesity could lead to about 500,000 additional cases of cancer in the United States by 2030. There is no reason to question the medical community’s insistence that healthier diets are our first line of defence, and the general recommendations are becoming a familiar refrain: Replace animal fats with polyunsaturated fats (found in many vegetable oils) and monounsaturated fats (such as olive oil); Get more isoflavones (found in peas and beans) and lignans (found in vegetables, fruits, grains, tea and coffee); >>
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“Leading a healthy life doesn’t guarantee that a person won’t get cancer but studies show that healthy habits can significantly stack the odds in our favour.” Amoena Life | 7