Cancer Blog

My discovery came to me by accidentally removing an asbestos material in my home. The resulting condition of the whole house after this accident left me with a sore chest, dry and unbearably iching skin and eyes. My wife complained of extreme thirst and my oldest son, age 14, developed severe asthma. This all continued for five to six months. During this time I tried desparately to determine if we were living in an unsafe level of asbestos. The material that I had removed was tested and found to contain 20% crysitile asbestos. Air sampling proved to be unreliable because the area had been ventilated so well. But the furnishings, carpets, walls and all other personal belongings were covered the remnants of the demolition.Everyone wanted to play down the seriousness of the situation, but, to me it was obviously not a healthy environment.

So, I set out to try to logically deduce, with a knowledge of the physical properties of asbestos,when I encountered the substance as I attempted to clean every surface and item in every room of the house.

That was fifteen years ago. During that time, as I learned more about where we all encounter asbestos materials on a daily basis. I made mental notes concerning my and others’ reactions to these encounters. Many situations have arisen ranging from sore throats and skin conditions(acne and basil cell skin cancer) to asthma, pneumonia and death. I don’t have clinical proof of these claims I’ve made, except to say “if it looks, walks and sounds like a duck it probably is a duck”. Many times clinical trials are verified by producing the same results in subsequent testing. Deductive reasoning can also be verified in the same way. If the same results are observed again and again after low level exposure to these remnants then that is proof to me.

Without writing a book, I wouldn’t have the space to detail every observation I’ve made during this period, but I can assure you that no contact with asbestos is without a possible adverse health consequence.

Asbestos is a very lightweight chrystal-like material with highly static electrical properties. It often produces a static discharge like when one is shocked by touching the metal switch plate or door knob in their home. It often leaves a bitter-salty taste in your mouth. It can stay airborne for days at a time. It absorbs moisture and produces a very dry environment (which only makes the static electric situation worse.)

The loose material may be accidentally contacted in a number of building types and situations.

Many buildings built before 1977 have vinyl asbestos floor tile. No one can avoid walking on this, if they enter the building. This is fine if the floor is well maintained. Look out for broken or worn and never waxed tile. This applies to any location in the building, commercial or residential. Closets are very seldom waxed. Items stored there will accumulate certain amounts of this substance.

Anytime an older building is renovated the possibility exists for a number of materials containing asbestos to be encountered. The contractor does’t always do the right thing. In many instances it is cheaper to pay the fine if he is caught. So he just tears it out and throws it in the dumpster or hauls it to the dump himself. As a consequence, many newly renovated stores have a certain amount of this dust on the shelves and new merchandise in the store.

There are many more instances of contact for which I don’t have the time to detail here, but basically, with the characteristics of the material, knowledge of where you may encounter the substance and many hours of observation (I’ve been in construction over thirty years), you too can make the same deductive conclutions that I have made.

In subsequent articles I intend to go into detail on the unique physical properties of asbestos and how this promotes detection in your hair and clothes. In future articles I would also like to expand on the many other health effects I’ve noticed, such as acne, which could benifit many young adults and a number of people who continue with this complexion problem into adulthood.

For more information on this subject see these sites:

www.livingwithasbestos.com

http://ezinearticles.com/?id=25139

Conventional therapies are of little use in Mesothelioma Treatment. The survival time after diagnosis is around 6 to 12 months. The spread of malignant cells to the underlying tissue and other organs in the pleural cavity, the pleural cavity encouraging local metastasis by exfoliated cells, the long inactive period between asbestos exposure and development of the disease are among the chief reasons for the malignancy not responding to treatments.

Surgery for mesothelioma may be performed to relieve pain and discomfort caused by the tumor or to cure the patient. Palliative surgery is typically done in cases where the tumor has already spread beyond the mesothelium and is difficult to completely remove or in cases where the patient is too ill to tolerate a more extensive operation. Curative surgery is offered when the patient is in good health and the tumor is thought to be localized and can be completely removed.

Mesothelioma is highly resistant to radiation therapy and chemotherapy. These treatments are mainly used relieve symptoms due to tumor metastasis. The Food and Drug Administration approved in February 2004 the use of pemetrexed, brand named Alimta, for the treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma has reacted positively to certain treatments using immunotherapy. The attempt to boost immune response using intrapleural inoculation of Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) had not effect in Mesothelioma treatment and the patients who underwent this treatment had several side effects. Immunotherapy involving interferon alpha has been able to reduce tumor by 50% in certain patients. The side effects of this treatment were minimal.

Heated intraoperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy, a procedure developed by Paul Sugarbaker at the Washington Cancer Institute is a breakthrough in Mesothelioma treatment. He is able to remove a larger amount of tumor by the direct administration of a chemotherapy agent in the abdomen. In this treatment, high concentrations of selected drugs can be administrated into the abdominal and pelvic surfaces. The fluid used is perfused for 60 to 120 minutes and then drained out. When the drug is heated to 40 to 48 degree Celsius, it increases the penetration of drugs into tissues. The heating also damages the malignant cells.

New treatment approaches such as gene therapy are under clinical trials. Age, contributing health problems, or advanced state of disease may make aggressive treatment impossible. In these cases, palliative care which treats the symptoms is ideal.

Metastatic colon cancer is one of the leading causes of death from cancers and tumors in the USA and unfortunately the survival rate for those diagnosed with it is below 10%. If you have been diagnosed with a metastatic colon cancer then your life will change, but you should always remember that there is chance that you’ll be cured and try to fight the illness as much as you can.

Colon cancer occurs when a tumor appears in the colon or in the rectum. The colon and the rectum together form the large intestine. First, only a tumor appears either in the colon or in the rectum, but if it is not treated then the tumor will spread, and in time it will affect other organs, such as the liver and the lungs, causing tumors to appear in them too. This is the final phase of colon cancer, when it has spread too much and there are too many cancerous cells in the body. It is also called stage IV colon cancer or metastatic colon cancer.

When doctors discover colon cancer they usually immediately recommend surgery to remove the part of the large intestine where the tumor has grown. After the surgery several tests are performed to see if the cancer has spread. If the result is positive and the cancerous cells are discovered in other distant places of the body then you will receive the stage IV colon cancer diagnosis.

You still have several treatment options after the metastatic colon cancer diagnose. What the best treatment for you is will be determined by several clinical trials. The treatment is very influenced by how far has the metastatic colon cancer has spread.

If it has only spread to a single organ different from the large intestine then the treatment has higher chances of success because it can be directed to that single site. The most common place where metastatic colon cancer spreads is the liver, and sometimes the lungs.

The problem is that at most patients colon cancer has spread to many other locations, and the treatment can not be directed to a single site. The best treatment option in this situation is chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is done by injecting, directly in the blood, certain substances that have the ability of killing cancer cells. Chemotherapy has severe side effects like loss of hair, fatigue, loss of appetite, fever, and many more. The survival rate for chemotherapy-treated patients is not too high, but it increases each year and new techniques are continuously researched and developed.

We can only hope that the future will bring good news for those with metastatic colon cancer, and also remember that some manage to survive it and you could be among them.

Generations of families in India and Asia have been turning to tea to cure what ails them. Back in the year 1191, a Zen priest penned a work entitled the Book of Tea, which told how green tea could benefit at least five vital organs, including the heart. At that time, green tea was thought to improve urinary and brain function, combat beriberi disease, and alleviate indigestion. In other words, green tea was considered to be a multi-purpose elixir, able to treat a wide variety of health problems.

But this ancient remedy has now found a place in modern scientific literature, thanks to a new wave of studies on the medicinal properties of green tea. While studies on human subjects have been inconclusive, initial evidence from the laboratory looks incredibly promising.

While green tea can be beneficial in attacking everything from high cholesterol to depression, it has perhaps gotten the most attention for its impact on cancer. In order to understand the significance of this, it is first necessary to have some knowledge of the disease of cancer itself.

Cancer: A Disease of the Genes

When cancer occurs, cells divide uncontrollably, meaning that the genes controlling cell growth have been damaged in some way. In fact, a gene has to mutate a number of times before a typical cell will change into a cancer cell.

Antioxidants are important because they can stop the enzyme activities that give rise to cancer. In essence, they repair DNA problems which have been caused by oxidants, or free radicals.

Green Tea—A Natural Antioxidant

Green tea has been considered a godsend for good health because it contains antioxidants known as catechins. These substances have been called impressive inhibitors of cancer growth. Here’s how they do it: lab tests show that they combat oxidants prior to cell injuries, stop the growth of tumor cells, and reduce the occurrence of tumors.

For instance, mice tumors were found to shrink when the lab animals ingested green tea. This phenomenon occurred whether the cancer affected the liver, the skin, or the stomach.

Green Tea and Cancer Prevention

In an article which appeared in the Journal of Cellular Biochemistry, authors Santosh Katiyar and Hasan Mukhtar noted that the special properties found in tea can help prevent cancer, according to the experimental data available. This is significant, considering the wide availability of tea. As the authors recognize, tea is grown in about 30 different countries and it’s considered to be the most popular beverage worldwide.

Most scientific studies using tea have focused on the therapeutic effects of green tea. In these lab tests, the green tea is fed to mice as an extract in water or in a purified form. Green tea has even been found to have some positive medicinal effect before birth in the womb.

A Variety of Uses

Interestingly enough, medical research shows that the benefits of green tea are not limited to combating only one type of cancer. In fact, consuming green tea may help prevent the development of cancers of the stomach, lungs, esophagus, pancreas, liver, breast, and colon.

Still, even researchers admit that the reasons behind green tea’s broad therapeutic effects are not clear. A number of theories have been put forward—theories which require further investigation.

The Effects of Tea Drinking on Human Beings

Much of what we know about green tea’s effects comes from animal studies. While some research indicates that tea drinkers are less prone to cancer, other studies offer a conflicting view. This may be because there are a number of environmental factors which can contribute to the development of cancer, including diet, carcinogens in one’s living space, and the like.

Still, in China, where green tea is particularly popular, research results are encouraging. A study of more than 18,000 Chinese men found that tea drinkers were far less likely to experience stomach cancer than non-tea drinkers. Yet, a Netherlands study involving tens of thousands of men and women indicated there was no link between drinking tea and cancer prevention.

The Continuing Medical Debate

The debate over the health benefits of green tea continues at the highest levels of government and academia. For instance, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration asserts that green tea does not reduce the risk of breast, prostate, or any other type of cancer. The FDA also states that green tea does not reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

However, a study published in the fall of 2006 in the Journal of the American Medical Association directly contradicts the FDA’s contentions. That study indicated that drinking three or more cups of green tea could reduce the risk of death from heart disease.

Future Research Possibilities

Yet, there is a continued push toward additional research of the green tea phenomenon. For instance, the National Cancer Institute is especially interested in exploring the ability of green tea to prevent skin cancer. Researchers are examining the effects of both green tea in pill form and green tea creams applied directly to the skin.

Over the course of the past three decades, a significant number of scientific studies have demonstrated that a person’s diet can work to prevent some types of cancer. One diet regimen that appears to have beneficial effects at preventing cancer is the Mediterranean diet plan.

If you are interested in developing health eating routines and want to engage a diet program that can work to reduce the risk of certain types of cancer, you should take a look at the Mediterranean diet. In this regard, there are seven points that you should ponder when it comes to the impact of the Mediterranean diet on reducing the risk of cancer.

Seven Points to Ponder: The Mediterranean Diet and Cancer Risks

1. A Trans-European study undertaken by the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition demonstrated that people who closely adhere to Mediterranean dietary schemes were significantly less likely to succumb to cancer than were people who followed other diet programs. In fact, the study suggests that the mortality rate from cancer of men and women who follow the Mediterranean diet is an astonishing twenty-five percent less than the mortality rate of people who are involved in other dietary practices.

2. A significant number of people participated in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition study. In fact, there were 22,000 people enrolled in the study in Greece alone.

3. While it is not conclusively demonstrated that the Mediterranean diet is effective at reducing the risks of all types of cancer, preliminary results of various research studies suggest that there may be no types of cancer that are left unaffected by this diet scheme. Indeed, historical evidence suggests that the incidents of all types of cancer in the Mediterranean Sea region is less than what is found in other areas around the world.

4. In order to enjoy the cancer reduction benefits of the Mediterranean diet, it is important that a person follow all of the dining regiments of the program. In other words, a person can not pick and choose the components of the Mediterranean diet that he or she might favor or enjoy. Rather, in order to obtain the full cancer reduction benefits of the Mediterranean diet, a person need to embrace all aspects of the regimen.

5. Statistics and research suggest that the longer a person follows the Mediterranean diet, the less of a risk of developing cancer such a person will face. In other words, the Mediterranean diet appears to have a cumulative effect on a person’s health.

6. While researchers believe that it is the combination of elements that comprise the Mediterranean diet that reduce the risk of cancer, the program is particularly helpful in reducing the risk of this disease because it is low in saturated fat, high in fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and low in fatty, red meats.

7. Keep in mind that while diet is proven to impact the incidence of cancer, other healthy living practices are also important. In this regard, a person should exercise regularly. Additionally, if you are a smoker, you need to quit.

Conclusion

By understanding the interrelationship between diet and disease, a person can take steps that may effectively reduce his or her risk of cancer, heart disease and other serious ailments. The Mediterranean diet is proving itself an effective method of reducing the risks of a number of different diseases, including various types of cancer.

Are you at risk?

Cancer kills an estimated 526,000 Americans yearly, second only to heart disease. The most common cancers in the United States are cancer of the lung, large bowel, and breast. Rothman, K.J. in Preventive Medicine 9(2):174-179, 1980, found that there is now considerable evidence to suggest a connection between heavy alcohol consumption and increased risk for cancer, with an estimated 2 to 4 % of all cancer cases thought to be caused either directly or indirectly by alcohol.

There is also a strong connection between alcohol use and cancers of the esophagus, pharynx, and mouth, whereas a more controversial association links alcohol with liver, breast, and colorectal cancers. The American Cancer Society found that together, these cancers kill more than 125,000 people annually in the United States.

Alcohol Will NOT Allow You To Be Cancer Free For Life

Research shows a link between the level of alcohol consumption and certain types of cancer. As alcohol consumption increases, so does risk of developing certain cancers, such as cancers of the upper digestive tract, the esophagus, the mouth, the pharynx, and the larynx. Other data link alcohol consumption and cancers of the liver, breast, and colon.

An estimated 75 % of esophageal cancers in the United States are attributable to chronic, excessive alcohol consumption.

Nearly 50 % of cancers of the mouth, pharynx, and larynx are associated with heavy drinking. People who drink large quantities of alcohol over time have an increased risk of these cancers as compared with abstainers. If they drink and smoke, the increase in risk is even more dramatic.

Liver. Prolonged, heavy drinking has been associated in many cases with primary liver cancer. However, it is liver cirrhosis, whether caused by alcohol or another factor, that is thought to induce the cancer. In the United States, liver cancer is relatively uncommon, afflicting approximately 2 people per 100,000, but excessive alcohol consumption is linked to as many as 36 percent of these cases. Alcohol CANNOT promote a cancer free for life.

Mechanisms of Alcohol-Related Cancers

Preliminary studies show that alcohol may affect cancer development at the genetic level by initiating and promoting cancer. Acetaldehyde, a product of alcohol metabolism, impairs a cell’s natural ability to repair its DNA, resulting in a greater likelihood that mutations causing cancer will occur.

Alcohol assists in the development of cancer

Alcohol may act as a co-carcinogen by enhancing the cancer-provoking effects of other chemicals. The risk for mouth, tracheal, and esophageal cancer is 35 times greater for people who both smoke and drink than for people who neither smoke nor drink, implying a co-carcinogenic interaction between alcohol and tobacco-related carcinogens.

Alcohol’s cancer producing effect may be explained by its interaction with enzymes that normally help to detoxify substances that enter the body. Carcinogens such as those from tobacco and diet can become more potent as they pass through the esophagus, lungs, intestines, and liver and encounter the activated enzyme.

Nutrition. Chronic alcohol abuse may result in abnormalities in the way the body processes nutrients and promote certain types of cancer. Reduced levels of iron, zinc, vitamin E, and some of the B vitamins, common in heavy drinkers, have been experimentally associated with some cancers. Also, levels of vitamin A, hypothesized to have anticancer properties, are severely depressed in the liver and esophagus during chronic alcohol consumption. For a cancer free life, just watching your diet will not reduce your chances of developing cancer in your body.

A recent study indicates that as few as two drinks per day can suppress any beneficial effects of a “correct” diet on decreasing risk of colon cancer. Although the study suggests that a diet high in folic acid, a B vitamin found in fresh fruits and vegetables, decreases the risk for colon cancer, it also warns that alcohol consumption may counter this protective action and increase the risk for colon cancer by reducing folic acid levels.

Suppression of immune response

Alcoholism has been associated with suppression of the immune system. Immune suppression makes chronic alcohol users more susceptible to various infectious diseases, and to cancer. For your best chances to remain cancer free for life, you would be best to reduce your alcohol consumption to a minimum. This means a maximum of two alcoholic beverages NO MORE than 3 times a week.

by Dr Laurence Magne, publisher of Alternative Health Ebooks and Author of Cancer Free for Life

Sam (not real name) is a 74-year old male from Singapore. He had undergone an operation to remove a 8 x 4 cm tumor at his colon in October 2005. The pathology report indicated a “moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma infiltrating into the subserosal fat with no lymph node metastasis”. The resection margins were free of the tumor. Nothing eventful happened after the surgery and Sam recovered well. A follow up surveillance check with a CT scan on 21 February 2006, indicated “a new left adrenal mass measuring 4.5 x 3.6 cm”. This was suspicious of metastasis.

Due to the renal mass, Sam was asked to undergo chemotherapy — either via intravenous injection or oral drug. Sam opted for an oral drug. After collecting his medication, he was told of the drug’s side effects. Shocked by such revelation, Sam and his wife debated while driving home whether to take the drug or not. Sam finally decided not to take the chemo-drug.

Soon afterwards, someone happened to find our books and passed them on to Sam, who read them. He decided to send his sister and daughter to come and see us. Their mission was to find out more about our therapy. It turned out they (sister and daughter) decided that Sam should take our herbs without further delay.

Two weeks after taking the herbs, Sam went back for another CT scan follow up. The report dated 12 April 2006, showed “no adrenal mass is seen. The previously visualized ‘mass’ in the left suprarenal region is artefactual in nature”.

I received an e-mail from Sam’s daughter on 13 April 06 with this message: “He (my father) visited his surgeon … and to everyone’s amazement there was no longer any sign of spot that was present in earlier scans. It has miraculously disappeared. Needless to say we also see God’s intervention and kindness at work here”.

Sam, his wife and daughter, came to see us on 11 August 2006. Sam appeared to be a jovial, healthy man who could travel to Korea, Taiwan, etc. without problems. No one would ever suspect that he had been diagnosed with cancer in the first place. The following are excerpts of our conversation.

Chris: The doctor gave you a choice? You either get the chemo as an injection or take oral chemo? Sam: Yes, correct. I opted for the oral chemo. I went downstairs and collected the medicine (S$613 for three weeks). But the person who gave me the drug warned me that I should not come back to the hospital complaining, if I have problems like fever, vomiting, stomach cramps etc. Such side effects were to be expected. So, on the way home, I and my wife were arguing in the car. My wife wanted me to take the medicine. But I decided not to take the medicine. So, I drove straight from the hospital to see my family doctor.

S: My family doctor told me: “Uncle, I understand. You take this medicine also no use, because you are totally against it. So, even if you take it, you’ll never get better.

C: Your doctor told you that?

S: Yes, he told me: You will not be cured. And he is a medical specialist and my family friend. He told me: “In my opinion, what you think is correct. You are right. You are the patient. You dictate what you want and what you don’t want. So, I stand with you — wherever you go and whatever you do”. Then he told my wife: “Don’t worry. Leave him alone. Let him decide”.

C: So, you decided not to take the chemo-drug? Then, what did you do after that?

Wife: My sister found your books — two books, when she went to a seminar.

S: I read the book and I took it that God send them to us.

Wife: He read the book and then went into the internet, found you and then called our daughter in Penang.

S: The Holy Spirit sent the message. So, I asked my daughter to come and find out what it is all about.

C: Before this, did you have any idea at all about herbal therapy?

Wife: No, no.

C: You did not want to take the chemo-drug and you also did not have any idea about wanting to do something different?

S: I only knew that I did not want to take the medicine but I did not have any other idea about alternative treatment.

Sam’s Daughter: So, when I and my auntie came to see you that night, we did not know what to expect. After we talked to you, we felt we have nothing to loose. So, why don’t we just try the herbs.

S: Yes, I sent her and my sister to come and study only. We did not ask them to take the herbs — we just wanted to know more and study only. But they got the herbs for me.

C: Now that you got the herbs (at that time in Singapore), did you start taking them or not?

S: Yes, straight away. My wife started cooking them three times a day.

C: Good. After you started taking the herbs, did you suffer any side effects or have any problem?

S: No. I can take bitter things — the smell did not bother me.

C: You did not find it difficult to take the herbs?

S: I have gone through worse experience then this. The herbs are no problem.

C: Then, you took the herbs for how long?

S: Two weeks. I was due to go for my routine check-up two weeks after I started taking the herbs. So, I went for a scan. After the scan, it was another two weeks before I went to see the doctor. The scan report was with the doctor. He asked: “What happen? I cannot see the spot anymore. It has disappeared”. This was only after I took the herbs for two weeks.

C: Are you sure that the doctor knows that there was a tumor before?

S: Yes, it was a scan — a GH scan. No joking — it was a scan, a scan.

C: Did the doctor really tell you that the tumor disappeared?

Wife: Yes and the doctor said he was 95% sure that it was cancer.

C: Did you see the same doctor or not?

S: Yes, the same doctor, the same man, the same patient.

C: And he said that it was not there any more? Did he ask you what you did?

Wife: He knows that we did not take the chemo-drug. I called him and told him: “Sam is not taking the medicine”.

C: Your doctor knew that you did not take the medicine. And he said that the tumour had disappeared. He asked you what you did. What did he say after that?

S: The doctor said: “Chemotherapy is also herbal”.

C: Did he say that chemotherapy is herbal?

S: Yes, the doctor said that. This is what I can’t understand. He said clearly — I am one hundred percent sure –“Chemotherapy is also herbal”.

Our 46 minutes chat ended with these words:

C: That’s great. I am happy to see you.

S: But you are not as happy as I am.

C: Wonderful, God works in different ways.

S: I believe so. I have no reason to get those two books.

C: Yes, I too do not see any reason why my books are found in Singapore!

This is wonderful news for two reasons. One, Sam’s tumor had disappeared. Just imagine what could have happened if he had undergone chemotherapy? We see this as a miracle — but for some others it was just a coincidence or luck. Two, now we have chemotherapy “going” herbal. The next time if you are asked to go for chemotherapy, why not ask for the “herbal type”? And better still, if they have the “organic variety”!

According to the findings of a recent study conducted by the Cancer Research Center of the European Foundation of Oncology and Environmental Sciences in Bologna, Italy, the frequent use of aspartame considerably increases the risks of developing lymphoma cancers and leukemia. Although the long-term study was conducted exclusively on female rats, without involving the active participation of any human subjects, the results are still very conclusive: aspartame is a clear carcinogenic agent that has a major contribution in the occurrence and evolution of lymphoma. A very popular chemical sweetener used as a replacement for sugar-based sweeteners, aspartame is no longer considered to be harmless.

The Italian research team that has conducted the study on the effects of aspartame on long-term use has stated that this chemical sweetener should be completely withdrawn from the market, as it greatly increases the risks of cancerous diseases. In present, aspartame is extensively used worldwide, being a common chemical component of chewing gum, sweet beverages and a wide range of other products.

Another series of studies have confirmed the strong carcinogenic potential of aspartame, revealing the fact that the chemical actually damages DNA, increasing the risks of cancer and degenerative brain diseases on long-term use. According to the findings, this commonly used product facilitates the development of tumors at various levels of the body, being a serious risk factor for brain cancers. The theories on the pronounced carcinogenic potential of aspartame have been recently supported by statistic reports: the incidence of brain tumors among animals exposed to prolonged doses of aspartame has increased over 47 times. The strong carcinogenic character of aspartame is due to the variety of toxins it contains. Medical scientists have stated that aspartame was also known to be a very unsafe chemical in the past; despite this fact, aspartame has been further promoted as harmless for commercial reasons.

The continuously increasing incidence of brain cancers among the global population is also considered to be related with the frequent use of aspartame-based products. Oncologists have stated that nowadays the incidence of brain tumors is considerably higher than it was a few decades ago, before aspartame products became available on the market. Furthermore, the increased frequency of various rare lymphoma subtypes such as reticulum cell sarcoma, microglioma and histiocytic lymphoma in the last few years has also been influenced by the use of aspartame.

Although exposure to aspartame can be considered a serious risk factor of lymphoma and other similar malignant diseases, the exact way aspartame triggers the occurrence of such disorders is still unknown. It is believed that aspartame directly interferes in the genetic structure of the body, causing genetic anomalies that later lead to production of cancerous cells. However, further studies are needed in order to provide cancer specialists with additional data on aspartame and its malignant effects on the human body.

President Nixon declared war on cancer on 3 December 1971 and promised the American people and the world then that victory over cancer would be achieved within five years. It was not to be. Today cancer shot up to be the number one killer in the US. “The war on war was a qualified failure” declared an author in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine.

When I think of war, what comes uppermost to my mind is Vietnam. Mighty America went to the battlefield with the most sophisticated gadgets and weapons of war. Might, terror, money and brain went into the fight to win. The Vietnamese had primitive weaponry and burrowed themselves into the ground to avoid the mighty Americans. The world knows the Vietnamese won the war!

The Star (Malaysian’s major newspaper - 19 November 2006) carried an Associated Press newsreport with this heading: “Viets wonder why Americans can’t get past war.” It said: “The American president erred in Iraq because he failed to learn a fundamental lesson of the Vietnam conflict: All the firepower in the world can’t defeat people … Vietnamese were very determined — we would not give up. That’s why we won.” The consequence was tragic. “The Americans invaded Vietnam and left. We’re the ones who had to live with the consequences.”

Perhaps fighting cancer is like the Vietnamese war? I have maintained that treating cancer based on the concept of war would never succeed! If doctors wage an unending war within the body — what do you think happens to the battleground (your body!)? Surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy etc. are advanced, mighty “fire power.” Cancer cells are just tiny enemies floating and circulating around in the blood stream that later attach themselves to certain tissues of the body. Can these awesome treatments destroy all cancerous cells yet at the same time not destroy the host i.e., you and your living systems? Are we healing the sick body or are we creating more Vietnam, Hiroshima and Iraq?

In our strategy to fight cancer, while I advise patients to seek the assistance of modern medicine at the same time beware of the damage modern medical treatment can do to the body. In short, patients should know the limits of medical science and know when to say: “Enough is enough.” At the same time, I feel that patients should seek other benefits from the traditional methods of healing. The wisdom of the Chinese and Indian cultures cannot be ignored — no matter how “educated or scientific” you think you are! They have much to offer in terms of maintaining and restoring health. Much has been said about the need to build or rebuild a strong immune system. Let our own body’s defence system destroy or fight the cancerous cells. Fight the war from within! The mighty, sophisticated weaponry of modern medicine may not be totally effective!

The problem with many of us is we like to turn a blind eye to what we don’t understand or know. We always think our ways are always the best — other ways are suspect and are of no consequence.