There are factors related to Osteosarcoma bone cancer.
Primary cancer of the bone
Primary cancers of the bones are localized cancers in the bone, or its immediate periphery, which develop from bone, cartilage or fibrous. They are quite rare. The main bone cancers are chondrosarcoma, Osteosarcoma, the Ewing’s sarcoma and multiple myeloma . The secondary bone cancer, or bone metastases, are remote locations, in bone cancer in another organ: prostate , kidney, breast, thyroid, and to other parts of the body that can result in severe pain and significant mortality.
Osteosarcoma
This is a malignant primary bone tumor. In most cases, it occurs in children and adolescents.
Dietary influences, hormonal milieu, and the role of environmental carcinogens are currently under intense investigation. As further risk factors are identified, it will become increasingly important to identify individuals at increased risk for the disease. These men should undergo regular evaluation with state-of-the-art methods.
Benefit of omega 3 ingestion
There was a suggestion of a protective effect of n-3 fatty acid intake that was limited to Latinos and Whites. However, overall, our findings from a large cohort study of ethnically diverse population give no indication that intake of fat and meat substantially affects prostate cancer risk.
Risk factors for cancer in general
This section of the book covers issues such as Red Meat, Western vs. Eastern Diet, Alcohol, Anti-Oxidants, Obesity, and other components that affect our health.
Fats that Harm and Fats that Heal
Information about Trans-Fats, Hydrogenated Oils, Broken Fats that may be harmful, and the Essential Fatty Acids that have beneficial anti-oxidant benefits.
Dietary Fat can Alter Tumorigenesis
A study that relates to the activity and expression of fatty acid synthase (FAS), a critical enzyme in the de novo biosynthesis of fatty acids in mammals, is exquisitely sensitive to nutritional regulation of lipogenesis (production of fats) in liver or adipose tissue.
A study by Menendez et al indicate that: a) GLA- and omega-3 PUFA-induced repression of tumor-associated FAS may result, at least in part, from a non-specific cytotoxic effect due to peroxidative mechanisms; b) alternatively, GLA and omega-3 PUFAs have a suppressive effect on FAS expression and activity that can result in the accumulation of toxic fluxes of the FAS substrate.
Overexpression and hyperactivity of breast cancer-associated fatty acid synthase (oncogenic antigen-519) is insensitive to normal arachidonic fatty acid-induced suppression in lipogenic tissues but it is selectively inhibited by tumoricidal alpha-linolenic and gamma-linolenic fatty acids: a novel mechanism by which dietary fat can alter mammary tumorigenesis.
Menendez JA, Ropero S, Mehmi I, Atlas E, Colomer R, Lupu R, Department of Medicine, Evanston Northwestern Research Institute, Evanston, IL 60201, USA. Int J Oncol. 2004 Jun;24(6):1369-83.
Nuts and nutrients that slow some kinds of cancer growth
Walnuts contain components that may slow breast cancer growth including omega-3 fatty acids, phytosterols, polyphenols, carotenoids, and melatonin.
The eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acid fractions of the livers of the group that consumed walnuts were significantly higher than that of the group that did not consume walnuts. Tumor cell proliferation was decreased, but apoptosis was not altered due to walnut consumption. A study by Hardman et al was done evaluating omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants and phytosterols, such as elements that are found in walnuts.
Further work is merited to investigate applications to cancer in humans.
Suppression of implanted MDA-MB 231 human breast cancer growth in nude mice by dietary walnut.
Hardman WE, Ion G. hardmanw@marshall.edu
Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Marshall University School of Medicine, Huntington, West Virginia 25755, USA.
Good Fats: The Omegas 3 fatty acids
Although it is believed that fish omega-3 fatty acids may decrease breast cancer risk, epidemiological evidence has been inconclusive. This study examined the association between fish and fish omega-3 fatty acids intake with the risk of breast cancer in a case-control study of Korean women.
Metastasis is the leading cause of death from breast cancer. A major factor of metastasis is the migration of cancerous cells to other tissues by way of up-regulated chemokine receptors (receptors that work on the surface of cells).
Much is known of the beneficial effects of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA, or omega-3) on cancer; however, the mechanisms behind these effects are unclear.
Researchers have investigated the effects of two n-3 PUFAs, (the good guy fats from fish) docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid, on CXCR4 expression and activity in the MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell line. The n-3 PUFAs were compared with the saturated fatty acid stearic acid as a control.
A preventative effect on cancer metastasis
Together, data suggest that omega-3 PUFAs may have a preventative effect on breast cancer metastasis in vitro. This suggests a previously unreported potential benefit of omega-3 PUFAs to patients with metastatic breast cancer. The data presented in this study may also translate to other disorders that involve up-regulated chemokine receptors.
These results suggest that high consumption of fatty fish is associated with a reduced risk for breast cancer, and that the intake of omega-3 fatty acids from fish is inversely associated with postmenopausal breast cancer risk.
Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids down-modulate CXCR4 expression and function in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. Mol Cancer Res. 2009 Jul;7(7):1013-20. Epub 2009 Jun 30. Altenburg JD, Siddiqui RA.,Cellular Biochemistry Laboratory, Methodist Research Institute, Clarian Health Partners, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA.
BMC Cancer. 2009 Jun 30;9:216. Fatty fish and fish omega-3 fatty acid intakes decrease the breast cancer risk: a case-control study. Kim J, Lim SY, Shin A, Sung MK, Ro J, Kang HS, Lee KS, Kim SW, Lee ES.
Cancer Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Management, Research Institute, National Cancer Center, Gyeonggi, South Korea. jskim@ncc.re.kr
Opposing effects of dietary n-3 and n-6 fatty acids on mammary carcinogenesis: The Singapore Chinese Health Study
This study in women may be important for men and the risk for prostate cancer. A study investigated the effects of individual fatty acids on breast cancer in a prospective study of 35,298 Singapore Chinese women aged 45-74 years, who were enrolled during April 1993 to December 1998 (The Singapore Chinese Health Study).
Each study subject was administered, in-person, a validated, semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire consisting of 165 food and beverage items. As of December 31, 2000, 314 incident cases of breast cancer had occurred. We used the Cox regression methods to examine individual fatty acids in relation to breast cancer risk, with adjustment for age at baseline interview, year of interview, dialect group, level of education, daily alcohol drinking, number of live births, age when menstrual periods became regular, and family history of breast cancer. Consumption of saturated, monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fat overall was unrelated to risk. On the other hand, high levels of dietary n-3 fatty acids from fish/shellfish (marine n-3 fatty acids) were significantly associated with reduced risk.
This study has prospective findings linking the intake of marine n-3 fatty acids to breast cancer protection. Gago-Dominguez M, Yuan JM, Sun CL, Lee HP, Yu MC.USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, 1441 Eastlake Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90089-9181, USA. Br J Cancer. 2003 Nov 3;89(9):1686-92.
Their findings suggest that, although CLA intake was not related to overall breast cancer risk, there may be associations with tumor biology at least among premenopausal women.
Dietary intake of conjugated linoleic acids and risk of premenopausal and postmenopausal breast cancer, Western New York Exposures and Breast Cancer Study (WEB Study).
McCann SE, Ip C, Ip MM, McGuire MK, Muti P, Edge SB, Trevisan M, Freudenheim JL. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2004 Sep;13(9):1480-4.
Department of Epidemiology, Division of Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Elm and Carlton Streets, Buffalo, New York 14263, USA
Mediterranean diet and cancer
At the Istituto di Richerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Milano, Italy, they studied the role of various aspects of the Mediterranean diet in several common epithelial cancers, including digestive and selected non-digestive tract neoplasms.
The study took place in northern Italy, between 1983 and 1998 with over 12,000 cases of 20 cancer sites and 10,000 controls.
Risk decreased with increasing vegetable and fruit consumption
They found that for most epithelial cancers, the risk decreased with increasing vegetable and fruit consumption, with relative risk (RR) between 0.3 and 0.7 for the highest versus the lowest tertile.
For digestive tract cancers, population-attributable risks for low intake of vegetables and fruit ranged between 15 and 40 percent.
A protective effect was observed also for breast, female genital tract, urinary tract and a few other epithelial neoplasms. A number of antioxidants and other micronutrients showed an inverse relationship with cancer risk, but the main components responsible for the favorable effect of a diet rich in vegetables and fruit remain undefined.
Fish tend to be another favorable diet indicator
In contrast, subjects reporting frequent red meat intake showed risk for several common neoplasms.
Include whole-grain foods in your diet
Intake of whole-grain foods was related to a reduced risk of several types of cancer, particularly of the upper digestive tract. This may be due to a favorable role of fiber, but the issue is still open to discussion. In contrast, refined grain intake and, consequently, glycemic load and glycemic index were associated with increased risk of different types of cancer including, among others, breast and colorectal.
The researchers concluded that a low-risk diet for cancer in the Mediterranean would imply increasing the consumption of fruit and vegetables, as well as avoiding increasing the intakes of meat and refined carbohydrates. Further, olive oil and other unsaturated fats, which are also typical aspects of the Mediterranean diet, should be preferred to saturated ones.
The results of the study were published in BMC Cancer. 2007 May 9;7:80.
Mediterranean diet has showed beneficial aspects
A study found that an adherence to the Mediterranean diet is a favorable indicator of the risk of several common epithelial cancers in Italy. A score summarizing the major characteristics of the Mediterranean diet was related to a prior defined reduced risks of several digestive tract neoplasms by over 50 percent. The findings of this large study showed an inverse association between intake of flavones and breast cancer risk.
Olive oil helps with cancer therapy
Olive oil's healthy fats reverse acquired autoresistance to trastuzumab (Herceptin) in HER2-overexpressing breast cancer cells.
A study done by Menendez JA, Vazquez-Martin A, Colomer R, Brunet J, Carrasco-Pancorbo A, Garcia-Villalba R, Fernandez-Gutierrez A, Segura-Carretero A. Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO)-Health Services Division of Catalonia, Spain.
A low incidence of breast cancer in the Mediterranean basin suggests that a high consumption of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) might confer this benefit
While the anti-HER2 oncogene effects of the main omega-9 fatty acid present in EVOO triacylglycerols (i.e., oleic acid) have been recently described, the anti-breast cancer activities of EVOO non-glyceridic constituents--which consist of at least 30 phenolic compounds--remained to be evaluated.
Curr Pharm Biotechnol. 2006 Dec;7(6):495-502.
Mediterranean dietary traditions for the molecular treatment of human cancer: anti-oncogenic actions of the main olive oil's monounsaturated fatty acid oleic acid
The final proof about the specific mechanisms by which the different components of olive oil, the principal source of fat in a typical "Mediterranean diet", exert their potential protective effects on the promotion and progression of several human cancers requires further investigations. A recent discovery that dietary fatty acids can interact with the human genome by regulating the amount and/or activity of transcription factors has opened a whole new line of research aimed to molecularly corroborate the anti-cancer benefits of the olive oil-based Mediterranean diet and the underlying mechanisms.
Their most recent findings in this study reveal that oleic acid , the main olive oil's monounsaturated fatty acid, can suppress the overexpression of HER2 (erbB-2), a well-characterized oncogene playing a key role in the etiology, invasive progression and metastasis in several human cancers.
Certainly, an appropriate dietary intervention reproducing this prominent anti-oncogenic feature of the "Mediterranean diet" must be carried out in animal models and human pilot studies in the future. Only then we will know whether the old "Mediterranean dietary traditions" will become a new molecular approach in the management of cancer disease. Int J Mol Med. 2008 Oct;22(4):433-9. Menendez JA, Lupu R.,Fundació d'Investigació Biomèdica de Girona Dr. Josep Trueta (IdIBGi), Girona, Catalonia, Spain. javiermenendez72@yahoo.com
Analyzing effects of extra-virgin olive oil polyphenols on breast cancer-associated fatty acid synthase (protein enzyme) and protein expression
Inhibitors of fatty acid synthase (FASN), a key enzyme involved in the anabolic conversion of dietary carbohydrates to fat in mammals, are receiving increasingly more attention as they may provide therapeutic moieties for the treatment of human malignancies. Natural compounds, such as the green tea polyphenol epigallocatechin-3-gallate, have been shown to induce anti-cancer effects by suppressing FASN, which may account for the epidemiologically observed inverse correlation between green-tea drinking and cancer risk in Oriental populations.
Since extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)-derived phenolics have been suggested to possess biological activities that may explain the health-promoting effects of the “Mediterranean diet”, we evaluated their effects on the expression of FASN protein in human breast epithelial cell lines.
Anti-cancer effects
These findings reveal for the first time that phenolic fractions, directly extracted from EVOO, may induce anti-cancer effects by suppressing the expression of the lipogenic enzyme FASN in HER2-overexpressing breast carcinoma cells, thus offering a previously unrecognized mechanism for EVOO-related cancer preventive effects.
Int J Oncol. 2009 Jan;34(1):43-51. Menendez JA, Vazquez-Martin A, Oliveras-Ferraros C, Garcia-Villalba R, Carrasco-Pancorbo A, Fernandez-Gutierrez A, Segura-Carretero A.
Girona Biomedical Research Institute, Medical Oncology, Dr. Josep Trueta University Hospital of Girona, E-17007 Girona, Catalonia, Spain.
High levels of phenolic compounds in Olive Oil
Extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO - the juice of the olive obtained solely by pressing and consumed without any further refining process or heating that disturbs the quality) is unique among other vegetable oils because of the high level of naturally occurring phenolic compounds.
Really Bad Fats:
Trans-Fatty Acids, Hydrogenated Oils and Others
These fats are often hidden in foods. Some packaged foods lack the details of the ingredients. Some list 0 Grams of trans fats, which can mean that there are up to 999 mg of trans fats per serving, but they still put 0 Grams. I feel that is more than misleading, it is false information. Given the body of information about trans fats that is so widespread in processed foods, I feel this misinformation is criminal.
The strongest evidence that monounsaturated fat may influence breast cancer risk comes from studies of southern European populations, in whom intake of oleic acid sources, particularly olive oil, appears protective. No previous study has examined the relation of adipose tissue fatty acid content to breast cancer in such a population.
The Essential Fatty Acids are those that have anti-oxidant benefits. Oleic acid showed a strong inverse association with breast cancer in the Spanish center trials.
Palmitoleic and myristoleic acids showed evidence of an inverse association outside Spain, and cis-vaccenic acid showed a positive association in three centers. These data do not support the hypothesis that increasing tissue stores of oleic acid are protective against breast cancer in non-Spanish populations.
This finding implies that the strong protective associations reported for olive oil intake in dietary studies may be due to some other protective components of the oil.
It may be that there is less ingestion of toxic trans fats when more of the healthy fats are ingested.
Trans Fats in food products have been often hidden in the past
Before 2006, consumers in the United States could not directly determine the presence of trans fats in food products.
This information was often omitted or could only be inferred from the ingredient list, notably from the partially hydrogenated ingredients, which may be listed as simply “soy”.
According to the FDA, the average American consumes 5.8 grams of trans fat per day (2.6 percent of calories).
In 2003, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a regulation requiring manufacturers to list trans fat on the Nutrition Facts panel of foods and some dietary supplements.
The new labeling rule became mandatory across the board, but unfortunately there is severe deception from the food industry that, unlike in many other countries, trans fat levels of less than 0.5 grams per serving can be listed as 0 grams trans fat on the food label.
According to a study published in the Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, many consumers do not know how to interpret the meaning of trans-fat content on the Nutrition Facts panel, and they may not know that 0 grams is a lie if there is 0.5 grams or even 0.99 grams hidden inside each serving.
Without specific knowledge about trans fat and its negative health effects, consumers may misinterpret nutrient information provided on the panel and think that soy is healthy even though they should avoid trans fats whether they have coronary heart disease or not.
There is no requirement to list trans fats on institutional food packaging. Bulk purchasers such as schools, hospitals, and cafeterias are unable to evaluate the trans fat content of commercial food items.
The FDA defines trans fats as containing one or more trans linkage that are not in a conjugated system. This is an important distinction, as it distinguishes non-conjugated synthetic trans fats from naturally occurring fatty acids, and essential fatty acids are the foods that heal, while trans fats harm.
I, as well as others, have expressed concern that the 0.5 gram per serving threshold is too high to refer to a food as free of trans fat. There should be no trans fats at all and if there is, it should state how much is in each serving. I feel strongly in evidence that there is inflammation that damages DNA, RNA, Mitochondria that not only cause damage leading to disease, that there is also evidence that minor dietary changes are being passed to many future generations. If there is arsenic in food it would be banned and not just labeled: “0 grams of arsenic” i.e. under 0.5 grams of arsenic in each serving.
A person eating many servings of a product, or eating multiple products over the course of the day may still consume a significant amount of trans fat.
Despite this, the FDA estimates that by 2009, trans fat labeling will have prevented from 600 to 1,200 cases of coronary heart disease and 250 to 500 deaths each year.
The food industry needs to completely eliminate trans fats and use natural ingredients that actually have health benefits that are already available for use.
Trans fats are linked to cancer risk in some studies
Trans fats are being phased out of food because they cause inflammation in arteries and may be associated with heart disease and may raise the risk of getting breast cancer according to European researchers.
They found that women with the highest blood levels of trans fats had about twice the risk of breast cancer compared to women with the lowest levels.
Researchers suggest limiting the consumption of processed foods, the source of industrially produced trans-fatty acid according a recent article in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
Trans fats or trans-fatty acids are made in creating artificially broken or partially hydrogentated fats. Many times these are just listed as soy, cotton, or other oil without mentioning a process of hydrogenization. The food industry is creating more nomenclature to confuse or hide these toxic substances.
Butter for some people may be safer than these trans fats due to the inflammation factors from the trans fats, even though they are marketing as healthful replacements for artery-clogging saturated fats. More and more states like New York and California have banned trans fats in restaurant foods.
In Canada and Britain countless food companies have dropped them as an ingredient.
Veronique Chajes at the University of Paris-South and colleagues studied women taking part in a large European cancer trial at The National Center of Scientific Research. They looked at blood samples collected between 1995 and 1998 from 25,000 women who had volunteered to report on their eating and lifestyle habits and studied the incidence of developed cancer.
They studied women diagnosed with breast cancer, comparing their blood levels of fatty acids with those of women without cancer.
The higher the levels of trans-fatty acids, the more likely a woman was to have cancer, researchers found.
Obese women are more likely to develop breast cancer, and other cancers, and high-fat diets are also linked with breast cancer. There are a variety of mechanisms for these cancer causing risk factors.
Trans fats can be found in many kinds of processed foods, baked goods, snacks and a variety of other prepared foods.
Healthy Omega-3 fatty acids are found in fatty fish such as salmon, walnuts and leafy green vegetables and I feel may counteract the bad effects of bad fats and foods and even alcohol. It is a chemical balancing act and oxidants versus antioxidants that decrease or destroy toxins.
There are Alternatives to Trans Fats which can be non-harmful
The food industry is being to committed to removing trans-fatty acids from its products, and getting better with information on package inserts.
Paul Wassell and Niall Young from Danisco's Multiple Food Application Group reviewed the options available to formulators and stated that designing foods with trans fat alternatives must be a "multidisciplinary' approach" (International Journal of Food Science and Technology, Vol. 42, pp 503-517).
The food industry has been using trans fats as preservatives, and say they have had difficulty finding another non-trans fats food preservative. However, despite their claims, there are now natural preservatives that can be used that are much more beneficial to our health.
American Journal of Epidemiology, "Association between Serum trans-Monounsaturated Fatty Acids and Breast Cancer Risk in the E3N-EPIC Study"
Authors: V. Chajes, A.C.M. Thiebaut, M. Rotival, E. Gauthier, V. Maillard, M.-C. Boutron-Ruault, V. Joulin, G.M. Lenoir, F. Clavel-Chapelon.
The report from European Community Multicenter Study on Antioxidants, Myocardial Infarction, and Breast Cancer suggests that eating trans fats may increase risk for breast cancer
Study: Tissue antioxidants and postmenopausal breast cancer: the European Community Multicentre Study on Antioxidants, Myocardial Infarction, and Cancer of the Breast (EURAMIC), by P van 't Veer, et al. from the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) Food and Nutrition Research Institute, Zeist, The Netherlands.
Antioxidants may protect against free radical mediated carcinogenesis
Epidemiological studies have not confirmed this hypothesis for breast cancer, possibly because of methodological limitations. Time-integrated exposure of alpha-tocopherol and beta-carotene in adipose tissue, and selenium in toenails was investigated in a case-control study among postmenopausal women, ages 50-74 years, from five European countries.
Women with breast cancer have higher levels of trans fats in their bodies than other women
Trans fats are found in processed foods, most margarines and in many kinds of French Fries, fried chicken or fish, pies, cakes, cookies, and other foods made with shortening.
The researchers measured trans and other fats in tissue samples taken from the buttocks of 291 women with breast cancer and 407 similar healthy women in Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain, and Switzerland.
The women who had eaten higher levels of trans were almost four times more likely to have breast cancer than the women who had eaten less trans--but only if they also ate low levels of polyunsaturated fats.
Polyunsaturated fats are largely found in full-fat salad dressings and mayonnaise, nuts, and vegetable oils--except palm and coconut.
Polyunsaturated fats may help keep cells from proliferating and the trans fat may be blocking the polyunsaturated oils from carrying out that beneficial role,
This information comes from Lenore Kohlmeier, et al at the University of North Carolina. They found that as long as there are enough polyunsaturated, the trans fats have little impact and if polyunsaturated fats are low, the trans fatty acids may keep them from doing their job.
This information is important about prevention of cardiovascular disease and about breast cancer.
They found in the study that trans fat intakes and fat stores are higher in the U.S. than in European countries.
Antioxidants may protect against free radical mediated carcinogenesis
Tissue antioxidants and postmenopausal breast cancer: the European Community Multicentre Study on Antioxidants, Myocardial Infarction, and Cancer of the Breast (EURAMIC)
Epidemiological studies have not confirmed this hypothesis for breastcancer, possibly because of methodological limitations.
These results do not support the hypothesis that antioxidants are importantdeterminants of this hormone-related malignancy among postmenopausal women.
Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention, Vol 5, Issue 6 441-447,1996 by American Association for Cancer Research, Nutr Cancer. 2008;60(5):666-74.
Flavonoids
High intakes of fruit and vegetables are associated with a reduced risk of cancer at several sites
Few epidemiologic studies have investigated the potential relation between flavonoids and breast cancer risk.
They studied recently published data on the composition of foods and beverages in terms of six principal classes of flavonoids (i.e., flavanones, flavan-3-ols, flavonols, flavones, anthocyanidines, and isoflavones) on dietary information collected in a large-case control study of breast cancer conducted in Italy between 1991 and 1994. The study included 2,569 women with incident, histologically confirmed breast cancer, and 2,588 hospital controls.
A large body of evidence indicates that high intakes of fruit and vegetables are associated with a reduced risk of cancer at several sites. The association is generally most marked for epithelial cancers, apparently stronger for those of the digestive and respiratory tracts, and somewhat weaker for hormone-related cancers.
The relationship between frequency of consumption of vegetables and fruit and cancer risk was analyzed using data from a series of case-control studies conducted in northern Italy since 1983. The relative risks (RRs) for most common neoplasms ranged from 0.2 to 0.5 for the highest compared with the lowest tertile of vegetable intake. Protective effects were highest for epithelial neoplasms, but were also observed for hormone-related neoplasms. Fruit was related to reduced RRs for cancers of the oral cavity and pharynx, esophagus, stomach, larynx, as well as of the urinary tract. There was a specific and consistent pattern of protection by tomatoes, a typical Mediterranean food, with RRs between 0.4 and 0.7, most notably for gastrointestinal neoplasms.
No significant association was observed between fruit and vegetable consumption and non-epithelial lymphoid neoplasms. For digestive tract cancer, population attributable risks for low intake of fresh vegetables and fruit ranged from 15 to 40 percent of all cases in this Mediterranean population. Combined with tobacco and alcohol, the population attributable risks exceeded 85 percent for men and 55% for women for upper digestive and respiratory tract neoplasms.
Their study from a public health viewpoint and epidemiological evidence indicates that a substantial reduction in epithelial cancer risk can be obtained by increasing fruit and vegetable consumption.
Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2005 Apr;14(4):805-8. Eur J Cancer Prev. 1998 Feb;7(1):3-8.
Soy, Herbs and Other Dietary Supplements
Fiber, Fruits and Veggies (rather than meat and dairy)
It is the position of the American Dietetic Association that appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases.
Well-planned vegetarian diets are appropriate for individuals during all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, and adolescence, and for athletes. A vegetarian diet is defined as one that does not include meat (including fowl) or seafood, or products containing those foods.
This article reviews the current data related to key nutrients for vegetarians including protein, n-3 fatty acids, iron, zinc, iodine, calcium, and vitamins D and B-12. A vegetarian diet can meet current recommendations for all of these nutrients. In some cases, supplements or fortified foods can provide useful amounts of important nutrients.
An evidence- based review showed that vegetarian diets can be nutritionally adequate in pregnancy and result in positive maternal and infant health outcomes.
The results of an evidence-based review showed that a vegetarian diet is associated with a lower risk of death from ischemic heart disease. Vegetarians also appear to have lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, and lower rates of hypertension and type 2 Diabetes than non vegetarians.
Furthermore, vegetarians tend to have a lower body mass index and lower overall cancer rates. Features of a vegetarian diet that may reduce risk of chronic disease include lower intakes of saturated fat and cholesterol and higher intakes of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, soy products, fiber, and phytochemicals.
The variability of dietary practices among vegetarians makes individual assessment of dietary adequacy essential. In addition to assessing dietary adequacy, food and nutrition professionals can also play key roles in educating vegetarians about sources of specific nutrients.
Position of the American Dietetic Association: vegetarian diets. Craig WJ, Mangels AR; American Dietetic Association. J Am Diet Assoc. 2009 Jul;109(7):1266-82.
Vitamin D can stop cancer cells from dividing
Vitamin D, the vitamin made from the sun, has been the focus of intense study in recent years as researchers have found evidence it may help lower the risk of developing several types of cancers, among them colon, prostate, pancreatic and breast cancer. A New study gives further hope that vitamin D can fight breast cancer.
In 2006, it was found vitamin D may help curb breast cancer progression, and this information was published in the Journal of Clinical Pathology. The authors, from Imperial College London, measured the levels of vitamin D in the blood serum of 279 women with invasive breast cancer. The disease was in its early stages in 204 of the women, and advanced in the remaining 75.
The results showed that women with early stage disease had significantly higher levels of vitamin D (15 to 184 mmol/litre) than the women in the advanced stages of the disease (16 to 146 mmol/litre).
The authors say that the exact reasons for the disparity are not clear, nor is it known whether the lowered levels of vitamin D among those with advanced disease are a cause or a consequence.
The researchers' results, taken together with results from previous studies, lead them to believe that lowered levels of vitamin D may promote the progression of the disease to its advanced stages.
Laboratory studies have shown that vitamin D stops cancer cells from dividing and enhances cancer cell death. Vitamin D sufficiency and exposure to sunlight has been shown to reduce the risk of developing breast cancer. The body produces its own vitamin D in the skin when it is exposed to sunlight. The vitamin is also found in certain foods, including eggs and fish.
It is known that vitamin D treatment boosts the activity of certain key genes and dampens it down in others. One that is boosted is p21, which has an important role in controlling the cell cycle.
Dr Carlo Palmieri, from the Department of Cancer Medicine at Imperial College London observed that vitamin D levels are lower in advanced breast cancer as compared to early breast cancer. It lends support to the idea that vitamin D has a role in the breast cancer.
Research is needed to try and understand the potential roles of vitamin D. I feel that vitamin D is worth talking if coupled with bioavailable calcium. It is the combination of the vitamin D and the cancer that contribute to a more alkaline state.
Antioxidants
Antioxidants reduce the daily oxidative damage—and thus the risk of malignant change—that occurs in all cells by removing reactive “free radicals” that form as a part of normal cellular metabolism.
Vitamins C and E:
Classic sources of antioxidant activity, these vitamins have been extensively studied. Carotene: While recent research has revealed that synthetic beta-carotene may increase risk for certain cancers, the carotene found in natural carrot oil is a potent antioxidant that reduces risk.
Selenium:
Selenium is a metallic trace element is important in potentiating the effects of vitamin E.
High levels of ALA in breast tissue have been shown to decrease the likelihood of cancer metastasis
Alpha lipoic acid is an intracellular and extracellular antioxidant and is found in red meats, some organ meats, spinach, broccoli, and yeast. It is the only intracellular and extracellular antioxidant that I am aware of. This is of interest as the activity against toxins needs to be everywhere.
The absorption of polyphenols from the gut may be impaired by certain foods, such as refined foods and sugars. Cocoa, green tea, and grape seed are sources of polyphenols.
Green tea and grape seed extract may reduce breast tumor growth
Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG): is found in green tea, EGCG effectively inhibits tumor angiogenesis, and has been shown to reduce the growth of breast tumors in mice.
Oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPCs): These polyphenols are found in grape seed extract and have been shown to irreversibly inhibit the growth and division of human breast cancer cells in tissue culture (Clinical Cancer Research, Vol 6, 2921-2930, July 2000).
Researchers have stated that OPC should be studied more extensively to be developed as preventive and/or interventive agents against breast cancer in humans.
Indoles
A naturally occurring component of Brassica vegetables (broccoli, kale, cauliflower, etc), indole-3-carbinol has been shown to reduce the incidence of mammary tumors. Indoles arrest the growth of cultured human breast cancer cells
Research indicates that indoles do not function as classical estrogen antagonists. Instead, they may activate genes that are responsible for regulating cells’ responses to estrogen.
Immune boosters
Garlic, zinc, Echinacea, and transfer factors are among a broad class of agents that activate certain components of the immune system which are T helper cells, natural killer cells, B cells, and others. There is more information in later chapters about T cells.
Fruits and Vegetables are Better than Meat and Dairy
A new study suggests that women who eat diets rich in meat and dairy may have a decreased risk of breast cancer, while those who ingest on fiber, fruits and vegetables show a lower risk of ovarian cancer, published in the International Journal of Cancer.
Vegetables studies Show Less Risk for Cancer
Researchers found that among more than 6,000 Chinese women, those with the highest intake of Chinese cabbage and white turnips had a somewhat lower risk of postmenopausal breast cancer than those with the lowest intake.
Reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, this adds to information about foods, such as cruciferous vegetables, which may help fight cancer.
Chinese cabbage and white turnips are two cruciferous vegetables common in the Chinese diet.
In Western diets, the most common cruciferous vegetables include broccoli, cauliflower and kale.
This may be of importance for men’s cancer risk.
Vegetables may contain anti-cancer substances
Vegetables contain certain compounds that the body converts into substances called isothiocyanates, which are thought to have anti-cancer effects.
In this study, high consumption of Chinese cabbage and white turnips was linked to a moderately lower breast cancer risk.
The apparent benefit was stronger among women who carried two copies of a particular variant of a gene called GSTP1.
But the excess risk was cut substantially in those who ate the more cruciferous vegetables.
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, March 2008.
Tumor Growth Reduced with grape seed
When the grape seed extract was fed to mice that had been injected with breast cancer cells, tumor growth was reduced in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, hyperplasia and other abnormal changes of the breast seen in aromatase transgenic mice were reversed by oral administration of the extract.
Mushrooms and breast cancer in lab studies.
Mushrooms reduced the proliferation of breast cancer cells in a lab dish and with other studies.
Eating a few ounces of mushrooms every day could help prevent breast cancer. Dr. Shiuan Chen of the Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope in Duarte, California, and colleagues tested seven vegetable extracts for their aromatase -blocking activity, and found that white button mushroom had the strongest effect.
Various mushrooms
The researchers evaluated 10 other types of mushrooms, and found stuffing mushrooms, portobello, crimini, shiitake and baby button mushrooms also inhibited aromatase activity. Extracts of the fungi interfere with the action of aromatase, an enzyme that helps the body make estrogen. Because white button mushrooms are the most commonly eaten type, the researchers tested extracts of the mushrooms in a series of laboratory and animal experiments.
The extract reduced the proliferation of breast cancer cells in a lab dish, while feeding the extract to mice implanted with breast cancer cells suppressed tumor growth.
Based on the amount of extract used in the experiments in mice, about 100 grams of mushrooms daily would be enough to prevent breast cancer growth, and it is possible that eating even less every day could be effective. Cancer Research, December 15, 2006.
Cellular and physiological effects of Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi), and mushroom studies.
In Asia, a variety of dietary products have been used for centuries as popular remedies to prevent or treat different diseases. A large number of herbs and extracts from medicinal mushrooms are used for the treatment of diseases. Mushrooms such as Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi), Lentinus edodes (Shiitake), Grifola frondosa (Maitake), Hericium erinaceum (Yamabushitake), and Inonotus obliquus (Chaga) have been collected and consumed in China, Korea, and Japan for centuries.
Mushroom Immuno-Stimulation
More studies are needed to determine if the benefits of mushrooms are cancer type specific and cell type sensitive. They may be good for some cancers, bad for some and may have a role in subtypes of cancer. An example of a substance that may be good for heart health such as Human Growth Hormone, but bad as it supports cancer growth. This is why it is so important to know what is the state of our health, what are medical conditions are, and what are the biochemical balances for the body.
These mushrooms were largely unknown in the West and were considered 'fungi' without any nutritional value. However, most mushrooms are rich in vitamins, fiber, and amino acids and low in fat, cholesterol, and calories. They contain a large variety of biologically active polysaccharides with immunostimulatory actions and properties, which contribute to their anticancer effects.
Other bioactive substances, including triterpenes, proteins, lipids, cerebrosides, and phenols, have been identified and characterized in medicinal mushrooms.
Extracts of the fungi interfere with the action of aromatase, an enzyme that helps the body make estrogen, the researchers explain in the medical journal, Cancer Research. Mini Rev Med Chem. 2004 Oct;4(8):873-9. Sliva D. Methodist Research Institute, Clarian Health Partners, Inc., Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA.
Portobello Mushrooms may help fight breast cancer cell growth
Chen and her colleagues tested seven vegetable extracts for their aromatase-blocking activity, and found that white button mushroom had the strongest effect.
Further experiments showed that linoleic acid, a fatty acid usually found in meat and dairy products, was probably responsible for the extract's anti-cancer effects.
Cancer Research, December 15, 2006, Chen et. al.
Western diet ups cancer risk among Chinese and the risk of Obesity
The Chinese Diet has been associated with less cancer risk and the researchers in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, tracked about 3,000 women in Shanghai, about half of whom were diagnosed with breast cancer.
Post-menopausal women who ate a Western-style diet were 60 percent more likely to develop breast cancer than those eating a diet based on vegetables and soy and the study found the increased risk most acute for cancer involving estrogen-receptor positive tumors.
The post-menopausal women with the Western-style diet experienced a 90 percent increased risk for this type of breast cancer.
Marilyn Tseng of the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia found a much smaller increased breast cancer risk among younger women on a Western-style diet which was not statistically significant.
Red Meat
Cooking meat at high temperatures in direct heat over an open flame can lead to the production of cancer-causing chemicals known as heterocyclic amines, or HCAs.
Dr. Kala Visvanathan from Johns Hopkins University explained at a cancer prevention conference sponsored by the American Association for Cancer Research.
By studying the eating patterns of 312 women with breast cancer and 316 women who were cancer free, Visvanathan's team found that breast cancer was increased a significant 74 percent in women who ate flame-broiled foods more than twice per month compared with women who never ate flame-broiled foods.
Women who ate more than 64 grams per day compared with those who ate less than or equal to 64 grams per day had a 43-percent higher risk of breast cancer.
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heterocyclic amines (HCAs) are carcinogens formed in or on the surface of well-done meat, cooked at high temperature.
They estimated breast cancer risk in relation to intake of cooked meat in a population-based, case-control study (1508 cases and 1556 controls) conducted in Long Island, NY and they found modest increased risk was observed among postmenopausal, but not premenopausal, women consuming the most grilled or barbecued and smoked meats over the life course.
These results support the accumulating evidence that consumption of meats cooked by methods that promote carcinogen formation may increase risk of postmenopausal breast cancer.
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and heterocyclic amines are known carcinogens produced by cooking meat at high temperatures, in their report.
Grilled meat has particularly high heterocyclic amine content, where high temperatures are more likely to occur.
Steck and her colleagues compared the lifetime and recent consumption of cooked meat among 1,508 women with breast cancer and 1,556 healthy women.
Postmenopausal women who fell in the highest two-thirds category of with a lifetime consumption of smoked, grilled or barbecued meats more than once a week had a 47 percent greater risk of the disease compared with women who ate the least amount of meat.
Smoked red meat eaters have a 47 percent increased risk of breast cancer. Epidemiology: May 2007 - Volume 18 - Issue 3 - pp 373-382, Cooked Meat and Risk of Breast Cancer-Lifetime Versus Recent Dietary Intake, Steck, Susan E.; Gaudet, Mia M.; Eng, Sybil M.; Britton, Julie A.; Teitelbaum, Susan L.; Neugut, Alfred I.; Santella, Regina M.; Gammon, Marilie D.
The Alcohol Volume is the Key Factor
One of the largest individual studies of the effects of alcohol on the risk of breast cancer has concluded that it makes no difference whether a woman drinks wine, beer or spirits (liquor) -- it is the alcohol itself (ethyl alcohol) and the quantity consumed that is likely to trigger the onset of cancer. The increased breast cancer risk from drinking three or more alcoholic drinks a day is similar to the increased breast cancer risk from smoking a packet of cigarettes or more a day
Dr Klatsky, adjunct investigator in the Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program, Oakland, USA, and his colleagues studied the drinking habits of 70,033 multi-ethnic women who had supplied information during health examinations between 1978-1985. By 2004, 2,829 of these women had been diagnosed with breast cancer.
They found that there was no difference in the risk of developing breast cancer between wine, beer or spirits, it was the alcohol itself.
Anti-Oxidants: Green Tea Ingredient and Risk of Cancer
An antioxidant in green tea may be beneficial against breast cancer. A study in 2008 was conducted by Jian-Wei Gu, Emily Young, Jordan Covington, James Wes Johnson, and Wei Tan, all of the Department of Physiology & Biophysics, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS. Dr. Gu discussed his finding titled Oral Administration of EGCG, an Antioxidant Found in Green Tea, Inhibits Tumor Angiogenesis and Growth of Breast Cancer in Female Mice, at the 121st Annual Meeting of the American Physiological Society.
One study shows the green tea antioxidant EGCG (epigallocatechin-3-gallate) significantly slowed breast cancer growth in female mice.
Researchers say the results suggest that green tea's anticancer effects may be largely because of its high content of EGCG, which helps the body's cells from becoming damaged and aging prematurely.
The important role of Oxidative stress and the damage it causes can start the process of cancer
Oxidative stress and the damage it causes can start the process of cancer. One of the best ways to stop oxidative stress is with use of antioxidants such as vitamin E, vitamin C, selenium and other phytonutrients. These are found in plant foods.
Antioxidants are the body's first line of defense against the damaging effects of oxidative stress. (Sharhar, S., et al. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2008; 9(2):343-50.)
Flavonoids are able to inhibit aromatase, a key enzyme in the production of estrogen, inhibit tumor cell proliferation
Numerous laboratory studies show that flavonoids are able to inhibit aromatase, a key enzyme in the production of estrogen, inhibit tumor cell proliferation and decrease the production of reactive oxygen compounds.
All of these mechanisms are thought to influence breast cancer development. This study suggests that postmenopausal women could reduce their risk of developing breast cancer by eating foods or drinking beverages containing flavonoids.
[1] Further research is necessary to confirm these results.
[1] Fink BN, Steck SE, Wolff MS, Britton JA, Kabat GC, Schroeder JC, Teitelbaum SL, Neugut AI, Gammon MD. Dietary flavonoid intake and breast cancer risk among women on Long Island. Am J Epidemiol. 2007 Mar 1;165(5):514-23.
