I think a healthy diet and lifestyle is a good thing, but it doesn't prevent cancer...certain risk factors can possibly be lowered for certain types of cancers, such as possibly lung or throat cancer that might be directly related to smoking (they think) or certain skin cancers from radiation exposure, or having a known mole or intestinal polyp removed before it becomes cancerous, but the majority of cancers cannot be prevented...treated once detected, yes. Eating right, consuming miracle foods, and exercising doesn't provide immunity (prevention) against cancer...I think claims like that often reflect the fears and/or prejudices of those making the claims to the masses. It might lower certain risk factors but it does not prevent most cancers. Possibly lowering risk factors compared to actually preventing the disease is greatly different. It's understood that it might be comforting to think that something as scary as cancer can be attributed to avoidable lifestyle factors (which, btw, rings with false superiority, blames the victims, and can be hurtful to them) than it is to acknowledge that most cancer is known to date to be unpreventable and is largely a random disease without prejudice, that can strike any of us at any time and does not discriminate between lifestyles. The cancer toll is high across the board, including those that have avoided possible risk factors, been as healthy as they possibly could be, ate healthy foods their entire lives and were physically fit even to the point of triathlete, while those that lived a lifetime of "unhealthy lifestyles", drank to infinity, smoked 4 packs a day, practically bathed in chemicals, ate only meat and potatoes or nothing but junk food, get passed by by the cancer ship. My oncologist offices are full of people who feel hurt and betrayed by touted cancer prevention claims they lived by, that the very cancer that struck them would be prevented by lifestyle and diet and yet it was not. Believe we will prevent cancer from striking us by diet and lifestyle, nope...do all we can to be as healthy as possible and hope we're not one of the 1 in 3 that cancer strikes, yep. This is just something that was on my heart this morning after receiving probably the 300th email regarding cancer preventing foods and herbs, not to mention the countless number of food and herb quack cancer cures. I'm sure most people mean well but just don't stop to think it through about how it can come across to so many of us with cancer. I know they don't want to lose us because we're so important to them and usually so completely loveable.
I agree wholeheartedly with you. If so called 'miracle foods' worked, then there would be no cancer. But they don't, so there is. My beloved high school chemistry teacher died of lung cancer my senior year. She didn't smoke a day in her life, nor did anyone around her, so no second hand smoke. It was devastating to me, especially because right before she was diagnosed, she wrote me a glowing letter of recommendation for my college application. By then, it had gone too far to be curable.
I think it's an issue of language and fear. I think many people hear "reduce risk" and think "prevent". That misconception is also fed by clever, slick marketing and anecdotal evidence. Follow the money. It's odd to hear many intelligent people laying out the faults of big pharma companies (where it often deserved for sure), while forking out hundreds of dollars to other companies selling their own expensive, dubious cures. I think our fear of cancer is so strong, we are willing to do and think most anything to avoid it. The mysteriousness of cancer adds to the fear. Fear is not conducive to reason. We are deeply afraid of debilitation, death and being bankrupt. Eating a ton of blueberries probably won't kill you, so really what's the harm in trying . . .To each their own. Life is very rarely fair.
Stacykins, I'm very sorry about your teacher. AllTheseCreatures, yep, cancer is surely a frightful thing.
Cancer sucks!! My 33 year old sister died from brain cancer and my dad is dying from prostate cancer! cancer.org
I always ate the "right foods" actually craved them......my weight was never an issue, always did the right things.......what did I get? Cancer. It was supposedly estrogen related. Age? maybe.............still I have been doing a little research.......and no matter what you do it may get you anyway because of the pollutions out there, the food we eat ( no matter how hard you try) in women especially, these things we breathe and eat will turn into the bad estrogen which causes cancers in certain people (lucky me!) Yup I had cancer, did the chemo & radiation, lost the hair still doing the same things: good food, healthy weight, excercise regularly, have a good outlook on life, don't hold any grudges............ Ya never know
Not sure why but have had 3 different cancers. I really eat the right foods, don't smoke, love chocolate but thats now good for you! Have fought cancer on and off for 14 yrs. Couple rounds of chemo, rad. etc still have a tiny spot. Do think it comes with our enviroment as much as individual actions plus genes But I think the greatest weapon is "tude". I have horses, chickens,a dog and a family I love very very much ,they are all great weapons against cancer!
Lunachick and ellieroo, I hear ya. Like so many others, I did the right things and not only got cancer, but got 3 different unrelated cancers (not from mets), 2 of them rare -- and especially rare for someone of my age. Everyone always said I was 1 in a million or 4. Always was easy going and still am, not a type A stresser at all, always loved life and had an upbeat outlook, still do... ellieroo, chocolate is a wonderful thing. The person who was soon to be my childs' MIL has been living with cancer for 12 years, but now has mets to the bone and breast. She always was fit and healthy but it didn't prevent her from getting it. Lunachick, you're so right...ya just never know.
I hate cancer with such a passion...i cant even begin to explain it. I've lost much loved family members to it... and now my father was just diagnosed with it. I hate HATE it... i wish they would find a cure for it. Enough already..