How do I prevent myself from getting cancer?

How do I prevent myself from getting cancer?

Dr. ASHOK UTTAM CHANDANI DIVISION OF ONCOLOGY

MAFRAQ HOSPITAL ABU DHABI

Factors

Factors that may affect the risk of cancer

• Diet• Alcohol• Physical Activity• Obesity• Environmental Risk Factors

– Strengthen healthy lifestyle– Eliminate or reduce exposure to cancer risk factors

05/03/2023 4

Avoid

Smoking

Alcohol

Pattern of cancer and diet

In Western Countries we see frequent cancers of:• Colon• Breast • Uterus• Prostate

Pattern of Cancer and diet

In Eastern Countries we see frequent cancers of:

• Mouth• Stomach• Liver • Uterine Cervix

Fruits & vegetables

Diet high in plant food including vegetables & fruits are associated with

• Low occurrence of CAD• Cancer of lung, colon, esophagus & stomach

• Despite heavy marketing; there is no scientific evidence that Graviola can cure cancer.

Pomegranate and its Juice

• It protects against prostate cancer and it slows prostate cancer.

• It hinders the metastatic process in breast cancer and it inhibits angiogenesis.

• Red color from Anthocyanin pigments.

Beets

• Has Betalin pigments with inconclusive evidence on cancer prevention.

Don’t mix Pomegrante juice with Beets juice:

• Adding anthocyanin pigments with betalain pigmentd neutralizes the potential anti-cancer activity.

FatsAnalysis of pattern of diets and cancer incidence show• Diets high in total fats possibly increase the risk of

lung and colorectal cancer.• Diets high in animal fats and or saturated fates

increase risk of Ca lung, colorectal, breast, endometrial and prostate.

• High in cholesterol increase the risk of lung and pancreatic cancer.

Source• Red meat is high in fats specially saturated fat.• Diet containing substantial amount of red meat

increase risk of colorectal cancer.• Possibly increase the risk of pancreatic, breast,

prostate & renal cancer.• Limit red meat intake to no more than 80 gms/day.

Meat

• Neal Freedman, Ph.D., Division of Cancer Epidemiology,

NCI, examined the association between coffee drinking

and risk of death. Coffee drinking was not associated with

cancer mortality among women, but there was a slight

and only marginally statistically significant association of

heavier coffee intake with increased risk of cancer death

among men.

• This rise was in bladder and lung cancer, may be because

they smoke with coffee.

Coffee

Green Tea Black Tea30-40% Catechins 3-6% Caffeine

~310 mg polyphenols per 6 ounces

3-10% Catechins 2-6% Theaflavins

> 20% Thearubigens 3-6%  Caffeine

~340 mg polyphenolsper 6 ounces

Dried

Tea Leaves

Crushed tea leaves

Polyphenol oxidase

Oxidation,Polymerization

O

OR 2

HO

OH

OH

R1

HO

Yang CS. Personal Communication

Tea (Camellia sinensis

Tea and Cancer Prevention

Camellia Sinensis

Yang CS. Personal Communication

SkinLiver

Colon

Oral

Esophagus

LungStomach

ProstateMammary

• Caramel color is a common ingredient in Colas

and other dark soft drinks, and a possible human

carcinogen—4-methylimidazole (4-MEI)—is

formed during the manufacture of some kinds of

the coloring.

Soft Drinks

Soy beans have high contents of isoflavones which is beneficial for inhibiting

• Breast Cancer• Prostate Cancer

Soy Beans

• Salt increases risk of stomach cancer.

Salt

• Black pepper, clove, cinnamon, mace, nutmeg, bay leaf, cardamom, cumin & ginger

• Eugenol is component of several spices increases activity of detoxifying enzymes in liver in animals.

• Myristicin – volatile aroma constituent of several spices inhibits chemically induced tumors of

lung & stomach in mice.

Z heng et al

Herbs and Spices

• Case control study observed decreases risk of bladder cancer with greater intake of cumin.

Bitterman et al 1991.• In vitro curcumin has shown to be cytotoxic to various

cancer cell lines.• Curcumin is strong antioxidant.

• Free radical scavenger.• Has potent anticancer activity.

Herbs and Spices

Black seed

• Evidence suggests that N. sativa has anticancer properties. Thymoquinone and other constituents of the seeds reduced the growth and size of tumors in rats.

• Thymoquinone also enhanced the anticancer effects of doxorubicin in certain cancer cell lines.

• Garlic extract kill the H-pylori bacteria in vitro. H-pylori can cause stomach cancer and stomach lymphoma (One cohort study & 4 case control studies)

• Two case control studies found decreased risk of stomach ca with increased intake.

Garlic

• Bioactive peptide Turmerin DNA protective against oxidative injury.

• Protects membrane mediated chromosomal damage

Turmeric

In Vitro• Cytotoxic to various tumor cell lines.• It decreases tumor colony formation but not normal

cell. • contains growth inhibitors for tumor cells.• inhibits DNA synthesis in leukemia cells & various

other cells in vitro specific to tumor cells.• It elevates level of glutathions-s-transferase in tumor cells when incubated

in vitro, evidence suggests protective action.

Saffron

• Diets high in whole grain cereals possibly reduces the risk of stomach cancer.

• Diets high in refined cereal increases risk of esohageal cancer.

• More studies are needed.

Cereals

• Cooking meal at high temperature increases risk of ca stomach and colorectal cancers.

NAS• Grilling and Barbecuing generates – Mutagens e.g.– Heterocyclic amines (H C A’s)– Frying also generates H C A’s

HCA’s

• Are present in cooked muscle meat.• Frying, barbecuing produce largest amount of HCA’s.• HCA content increases 3 times when cooking temperature is increased from 200 to 2 50 º C.

Cooking and Barbecuing

What should we do?

• Limit consumption of fatty foods particularly those of animal origin.

• Choose modest amount of vegetable oils.• Limit consumption of salted foods.• Limit use of salt in cooking & table salt• Preferable to eat fresh food.• Food stored at room temperature for prolonged

period should be avoided (due to fungal contamination).

• Maintaining Healthy Body Weight• Daily Physical Exercise.

Recommendations

• Use refrigeration rather than salting/curing.• Reduced charred foods.• Burning of meat & fish juices should be avoided.• Reduce eating fish & meat grilled in direct flame.• Reduce consuming smoked & cured meat.Dietary supplements • If above recommendations are followed, no

supplementation is needed.

Recommendations

DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this presentation is for general information purposes intended for cancer patients, caregivers, and community.The images and information are provided by Cancer Patient Care Society (CPCS) - Rahma from various websites and resources. We endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the source, contents or related graphics in this presentation.