Did you know that in 2016, there will be an estimated 1,685,210 new cancer cases diagnosed and 595,690 cancer deaths in the US? Cancer has become so common in today’s society and is one of the most feared diseases of both young and old. 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women in America are diagnosed with some form of cancer in their lifetime. If cancer is caught early enough, proper care can be taken to avoid it from becoming life threatening. Below we will talk about the stages of cancer and the signs and symptoms that may help you catch cancer when it most receptive to treatment.
Precancerous
Precancerous, sometimes called a potentially premalignant condition, is a state of abnormal cells that is associated with an increased risk of cancer. If left untreated, these conditions may lead to cancer. The precancerous stage is usually either dysplasia or benign neoplasia. Sometimes the term “precancer” is used to describe cancer in a noninvasive form that has yet to progress to an aggressive, invasive stage. Not all precancerous abnormal cells will progress to invasive disease.
-Stages of Dysplasia
- Mild dysplasia – Mild dysplasia refers to cells that are slightly abnormal. These cells do not usually progress to cancer.
- Moderate dysplasia – Moderate dysplasia refers to cells that are abnormal but don’t pose a huge threat of becoming cancer.
- Severe dysplasia – This is the most extreme abnormality seen before a cell would be described as cancerous. Severe dysplasia is much more likely to progress to cancer.
Cancer
Cancer is an abnormal growth of cells which tend to proliferate in an uncontrolled way or, in some cases, spread (metastasize).Cancer is a group of more than 100 different and distinctive diseases. It can involve any tissue of the body and have many different forms in each body area. Most cancers are named for the type of cell or organ in which they start.
-The Four Stages of Cancer
- Stage 1– The cancer is relatively small and contained within the organ it started in.
- Stage 2– The cancer has not started to spread into surrounding tissue but the tumour is larger than in stage.
- Stage 3– The cancer is larger. It may have started to spread into surrounding tissues and there are cancer cells in the lymph nodes in the area.
- Stage 4– The cancer has spread from where it started to another body organ. This is also called secondary or metastatic cancer.
11 Signs You May Be Cancerous
1.) Persistent cough or blood-tinged saliva
- They could be symptoms of cancer of the lung, head, and neck. Anyone with a nagging cough that lasts more than a month or with blood in the mucus that is coughed up should see a doctor.
*These symptoms usually represent simple infections such as bronchitis or sinusitis.
2.) A change in bowel habits
- Pencil-thin stools are associated with colon cancer.
- Occasionally, cancer exhibits continuous diarrhea.
- Some people with cancer feel as if they need to have a bowel movement and still feel that way after they have had a bowel movement.
*Most changes in bowel habits are related to your diet and fluid intake.
3.) Unexplained anemia (low blood count)
Anemia is a condition in which people have fewer than the expected number of red blood cells in their blood.
- Many cancers can cause anemia, but bowel cancers most commonly cause iron deficiency anemia.
4.) Breast lump or breast discharge
- Discharge from a breast is common, but some forms of discharge may be signs of cancer. If discharge is bloody or from only one nipple, this may be worrisome and should be checked immediately by a physician.
- Breast lumps can be cancerous but are, in most cases, benign or cysts.
*Most breast lumps are noncancerous tumors such as fibroadenomas or cysts.
5.) A change in urination (Men)
- A change in urination frequency, color, small amounts of urine or slow stream in men may signal prostate cancer.
*Most men will suffer from harmless prostate enlargement as they age and will often have these urinary symptoms.
6.) Unexpected weight loss
- Unexplained weight loss might be present with several different types of cancer. This may be because cancer cells use up much of the body’s energy supply, or they may release substances that change the way the body makes energy from food.
*Weight loss can also occur with change in diet or common sickness such as a cold.
7.) Back pain, pelvic pain, bloating, or indigestion
- These signs may be one of the first signs of ovarian cancer which is particularly difficult to treat, because it is frequently diagnosed late in the course of the disease.
*These are common symptoms of daily life, often related to food intake, muscle spasms or strains, but they also can be seen in ovarian cancer.
8.) Unexplained Chronic Fatigue
- Unexplained chronic fatigue has been associated with some cancers. The body is working harder and depending on where the abnormal cells are located, can directly effect your energy and ability to stay awake.
*Fatigue can also be associated with weight loss, obesity, stress and sleep disorders.
9.) Blood in the urine
- For some people, blood in the urine is a symptom of cancer of the bladder or kidney.
*Blood in the urine can be caused by urinary infection, kidney stones, or other causes.
10.) Persistent lumps or swollen glands
- Lumps in any area of the body or a swollen lymph gland may related to cancer.
- A lump (any area) or gland that remains swollen for three to four weeks should be evaluated.
*Lumps most frequently represent harmless conditions such as a benign cyst. A doctor should examine any new lump or a lump that won’t go away.
11.) Unusual vaginal bleeding or discharge
- Unusual vaginal bleeding or bloody discharge may be an early sign of cancer of the uterus.
- Bleeding after intercourse or between periods is abnormal and should be evaluated.
*Vaginal bleeding can also be caused by rough intercourse. Bleeding between periods can be associated with an STD or hormonal changes.
As with any sign or symptomatic condition, the more signs and symptoms you may have above may be a stronger indicator. There’s no need to panic if you have one or two signs, but if you hadn’t changed your diet or lifestyle habits in any way and some of these changes occur, you may want to get checked out.
Smart Cancer Prevention Decisions:
–Food Preparation: Eat at least one-third of your food raw. Boil food over frying or charbroiling. Steaming food is also recommended.
–Carbohydrates and Sugar: Reduce or eliminate processed foods, sugar/fructose and grain-based foods from your diet.
–Protein and Fat: Consider reducing your protein levels to one gram per kilogram of lean body weight. Replace excess protein with high-quality fats like avocados and coconut oil.
–GMOs: Avoid genetically engineered foods as they are typically treated with herbicides such as Roundup (glyphosate), and likely to be carcinogenic.
–Animal-Based Omega-3 fats: Normalize your ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fats by taking a high-quality krill oil and reducing your intake of processed vegetable oils.
–Natural Probiotics: Optimizing your gut flora will reduce inflammation and strengthen your immune response. Researchers suggest that inhibiting inflammatory cytokines might slow cancer progression. Garden of life has a great women’s probiotic found here, and a men’s probiotic found here. Foods like kimchi and saurkraut are also great sources of probiotics.
–Exercise: Exercise lowers insulin levels, which creates a low sugar environment that discourages the growth and spread of cancer cells.
–Vitamin D: There is scientific evidence you can decrease your risk of cancer by more than half simply by optimizing your vitamin D levels with appropriate sun exposure. If you live in the north and cannot get much sunshine in the winter, Dr. Mercola has a great vitamin d supplement to use during that time, found here.
–Sleep: Sleep helps rejuvenate and replenish the body. Poor sleep can interfere with your melatonin production, which is associated with an increased risk of insulin resistance and weight gain, both of which contribute to increased chance of acquiring cancer.
–Exposure to Toxins: Reduce your exposure to environmental toxins like pesticides, herbicides, chemical cleaners, synthetic air fresheners, toxic cosmetics, OTC and prescription meds.
–Exposure to Radiation: Limit your exposure from radiation produced by cell phones, cell towers, Wi-Fi modems and practically anything that requires a signal. Minimizing your exposure, or in some cases completely removing exposure from radiation-based medical scans, including dental x-rays, mammograms and CT scans is recommended. There are better ways to detect breast cancer (and cancer as a whole) than mammograms, which actually cause cancer as you can learn here:
We can’t always predict cancer but prevention is always the best method since cancer is running rapid and usually comes without warning. If you are experiencing more than one symptom above, contact a physician immediately with your symptoms or concerns. The quicker you detect cancer, the better chances it can be treated without invasive surgery.
Whether you choose to treat cancer naturally through diet changes or to use chemotherapy , this article will benefit you and hopefully prevent or help you on your road to a healthier body.
Here’s a great video to check out if you are looking for Natural Cancer Treatments:
Sources: Mercola, EMedicineHealth, Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Killer_T_cells_surround_a_cancer_cell.png
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