In the last century cancer has become a global disease. Both, the incidence- as well as the mortality rate (to a smaller extent) for most types of cancer are increasing. According to the World Cancer Report of the World Health Organization (WHO), the number of new cancer patients each year worldwide will increase from around 12 million now, to approximately 15 million by 2020. In industrial countries today, every second man and every third woman will develop cancer in their lifetime. If this development continues, then it can be assumed that in the foreseeable future every person inhabiting the earth will develop cancer.
This alarming development occurs despite ever increasing global research efforts and enormous government spending to win the “war on cancer”. Read more
Breast cancer seems to run in some families (about 15% of breast cancer cases), which suggests that some women may have inherited genetic factors (about 5% to 10%) that contribute to the development of breast cancer. However, most breast cancers occur in women without a family history of it. Nevertheless, having a mother or sister with breast cancer (positive family history) more than doubles a woman’s risk of developing this breast cancer as well.This type of breast cancer develops because of a combination of shared genes and shared environmental or lifestyle factors. Hereditary breast cancer may be suspected, if a family history includes any of the following characteristics: 3 or more first-degree relatives with breast cancer, breast cancer in 3 generations on the same side of the family, and 2 or more close relatives, such as a grandparent, parent, sibling, child, aunt or nice on the same side of the family diagnosed with breast cancer before age 55. Hereditary breast cancer results directly from gene changes (mutations), which are passed on from a parent. Mutations in the so-called BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are the most common cause of hereditary breast cancer.
There is no proven way to prevent breast cancer, but there are many ways that can reduce your personal risk to become a breast cancer patient. Conventional chemoprevention has been suggested with either selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) or aromatase inhibitors. Tamoxifen and Raloxifen are SERMs drugs that may be prescribed for breast cancer risk reduction in women aged 35 and over. Prevention is recommended for 5 years regardless of whether the woman has gone through menopause or not.
Aromatase inhibitors reduce the amount of oestrogen in the body, depriving hormone-sensitive breast cancer cells of their “fuel”, free estrogen, which they need to thrive. Several aromatase inhibitors are in clinical practice for use in postmenopausal women with breast cancer: Arimidex (anastrozole), Aromasin (exemestane) and Femara (letrozole). Not many women choose this option of prevention, because of the various side effects of for example tamoxifen and arimidex, which include hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal discharge or dryness, weight gain, muscle and joint pain, fatigue, and headaches as well as the increased risk of blood clots, stroke, endometrial cancer, osteoporosis, and cataract formation.
Prostate cancer seems to run in some families (about 20% of prostate cancer cases), which suggests that some men may have inherited genetic factors (about 5% of prostate cancer cases) that contribute to the development of this cancer. However, most prostate cancers occur in men without a family history of it. Nevertheless, having a father or brother with prostate cancer (positive family history) more than doubles a man’s risk of developing this cancer.This type of prostate cancer develops because of a combination of shared genes and shared environmental or lifestyle factors. Hereditary prostate cancer may be suspected, if a family history includes any of the following characteristics: 3 or more first-degree relatives with prostate cancer, prostate cancer in 3 generations on the same side of the family, and 2 or more close relatives, such as a parent, sibling, child, grandparent, uncle, or nephew, on the same side of the family diagnosed with prostate cancer before age 55.
There is no proven way to prevent prostate cancer, but there are many ways that can reduce your personal risk to become a prostate cancer patient. Conventional chemoprevention has been suggested with 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors, which includes dutasteride (Avodart) and finasteride (Proscar). These drugs are also often recommended to treat the age-related prostate hypertrophy, which is the non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate gland that comes with increasing age and causes all the urinary symptoms of elderly men. However, some previous clinical trials found that long-term use of 5-alpha-reductase inhibiting drugs was associated with more aggressive prostate cancers, while newer studies have suggested this to be incorrect. So far, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved these drugs for the prevention of prostate cancer. We have never recommended or clinically used these medications with preventive intentions, but rather focused on natural remedies with proven positive effects on prostate health and other measures to support a healthy prostate gland, including dietary changes.
