Cancer Risk Higher with Diabetes

Many people know that with diabetes comes a higher risk of many health problems.  This new report adds to that.  It tell us that we MUST prevent - reverse - and cure diabetes.

Natural Health and good nutrition tell us this has to be a priority.  This is much more urgent as Congress attempts to cut funding drastically for diabetes.

During The Longest Walk we are posting more information here each day during the week, weekends excluded.

Just a not to say that Lantus insulin is carcinogenic.  It is a genetically engineered drug.

Diabetics have higher risk of death from cancer

By Kate Kelland and Gene Emery

LONDON (Reuters) - Doctors know that diabetics have a higher than normal risk of dying of heart attacks or strokes, but new research on Wednesday showed that having diabetes also ups the risk of dying from many cancers and other diseases.

The findings shed light on the potential burden of disease that will build in the future as the number of cases of diabetes is predicted to rise dramatically in coming decades.

"These findings highlight even more the need to prevent diabetes and to understand it better," said Emanuele Di Angelantonio of Britain's Cambridge University, who worked on the study as part of an international collaboration.

"They show that diabetes is not only a cardiovascular risk factor, but is linked as well to other conditions."

The research, published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), collated and analyzed data from 97 previous studies involving more than 820,000 people worldwide.

It found that being a diabetic hiked the odds of dying from cancer by 25 percent, and also heightened the risk of death from infection, kidney and liver disease.

The risk of death was only higher in people with poorly controlled diabetes, however, as indicated by high blood sugar levels after a fast.

Among the biggest cancer risks for diabetics were liver and pancreatic cancer, colorectal or bowel cancer, and lung cancer.

Diabetes is reaching epidemic levels with an estimated 280 million people, or 6.4 percent of the world's population, suffering from it and numbers predicted to rise further as obesity rates also increase.

The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says up to a third of U.S. adults could have diabetes by 2050 they continue to gain weight and shun exercise.

Another study published this week found that millions of people with diabetes are undiagnosed or poorly treated, raising their risk of early death from heart disease and of serious complications like blindness and chronic kidney disease.

The Cambridge-led study found that aside from cancer and vascular diseases such as stroke, diabetes was also associated with deaths from many other causes including renal disease, liver disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, mental disorders, pneumonia, other infectious diseases.

"A 50-year-old with diabetes died, on average, six years earlier than a counterpart without diabetes," said Cambridge University's John Danesh, who also worked on the study.

The study did not look at why these death rates were higher among diabetics, so the researchers could not say whether diabetes link was simply a proxy for generally poorer health.

"Preventing diabetes becomes that much easier when we have a complete picture of the debilitating effect it has across the body and we know what steps to take to mitigate the damage," said Stephen Holgate of Britain's Medical Research Council, which part-funded the study.

SOURCE:  bit.ly/g5guqz The New England Journal of Medicine, online March 2, 2011. 

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Posted in: cancer,diabetes,first natural health news,Longest Walk 3

Cancer is a Nutritional and Environmental Dis-ease

If you take the time to visit the cancer pages on my original website, established in 1991, you will find this note:

There are at least 22 known causes of cancer including malnutrition, reported by the USDA to be related to at least 50% of all cancers in 1972, resulting from over 100 scientific studies.  Most nutritional deficiencies included low levels of magnesium, vitamin A, zinc, B complex, iodine, vitamin E, and choline (an important  brain nutrient).

and  you will find this note:  Columbia University School of Public Health reports that 95% of cancer is caused by diet and environmental toxicity.

Now today, you can read this - and wonder why it takes so long for the mainstream to inform you.

Healthier Lifestyles May Prevent 340,000 U.S. Cancers a Year: Study

Fri Feb 4, 11:49 pm ET

THURSDAY, Feb. 3 (HealthDay News) -- About 340,000 cancer cases in the United States could be prevented each year if more Americans ate a healthy diet, got regular exercise and limited their alcohol intake, according to the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF).

These types of lifestyle changes could lead to significant reductions in particularly common cancers such as breast (38 percent fewer cases per year), stomach (47 percent fewer) and colon (45 percent fewer).

The research about how a healthy lifestyle can reduce cancer risk was released Feb. 3 to mark World Cancer Day. The WCRF said its findings are supported by the World Health Organization's new Global Recommendations on Physical Activity for Health, a report that says that regular physical activity can prevent many diseases, including breast and colon cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

"Physical activity is recommended for people of all ages as a means to reduce risks for certain types of cancers and other non-communicable diseases," Dr. Tim Armstrong, of WHO's Department of Chronic Diseases and Health Promotion, said in a WCRF news release.

"In order to improve their health and prevent several diseases, adults should do at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity throughout the week. This can be achieved by simply walking 30 minutes five times per week or by cycling to work daily," he advised.

Other healthy lifestyle habits that reduce the risk of cancer include quitting smoking, avoiding secondhand smoke, avoiding excessive sun exposure, and preventing cancer-causing infections, the WCRF said.

Cancer is the leading cause of death worldwide. Each year, 12.7 million people are diagnosed with cancer and 7.6 million die from the disease. But 30 percent to 40 percent of cancers can be prevented and one-third can be cured through early diagnosis and treatment, according to the WCRF.

More information The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more about cancer prevention.

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Posted in: cancer,cancer and nutrition,first natural health news

Unrecognized Dangers Of Formaldehyde

Samuel S. Epstein, M.D., who chairs the Cancer Prevention Coalition, says, "The dermatologists and other scientists quoted in the Times appear unaware of the longstanding scientific evidence on the carcinogenicity of formaldehyde. However, this had been detailed in five National Toxicology Program Reports on Carcinogens from 1981 to 2004."
The Times assured its readers that "most of the 180 items tested, largely clothes and bed linens, had low or undetectable levels of formaldehyde that met voluntary industry guidelines." Accordingly, the Times claimed, "Most consumers will probably never have a problem with exposure to formaldehyde," since such low levels "are not likely to irritate most people," other than those wearing wrinkle-resistant clothing.
However, Dr. Epstein points to evidence that links formaldehyde exposure with increased incidence of nasal cancer and breast cancer.
The Times article stated that "The U.S. does not regulate formaldehyde levels in clothing. ... Nor does any government agency require manufacturers to disclose the use of this chemical on labels."
But that could change. On March 5, 2008, Senators Bob Casey, Sherrod Brown, and Mary Landrieu introduced an amendment to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reform bill "that would help protect Americans from dangerous levels of formaldehyde in textiles including clothing..."
The Senators referred to a 1997 CPSC report on formaldehyde, which admitted that "it causes cancer in tests on laboratory animals, and may cause cancer in humans." Accordingly, the Senators requested the CPSC to "regulate and test formaldehyde in textiles - and protect consumers from this poison."
In August 2010, a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report warned that "a small proportion of the U.S. population does have allergic reactions to formaldehyde resins on their clothes." However, the GAO made no recommendations for any regulatory action.
Dr. Epstein supports both regulatory and legislative action based on scientific evidence in the five National Toxicology Program Reports on Carcinogens that classified formaldehyde as "reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen," based on limited evidence of carcinogenicity in humans, and sufficient evidence in experimental animals.
This evidence was confirmed in a series of reports by the prestigious International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Its 2006 and 2010 reports explicitly warn that formaldehyde is "a known cause of leukemia in experimental animals - and nasal cancer" in humans.
"Strong" evidence of the nasal cancer risk was also cited in the May 2010 President's Cancer Panel report, "Environmental Cancer Risk: What Can We Do Now?"
"Nevertheless," says Dr. Epstein, "and in spite of this explicit evidence, a September 2010 Government Accountability Office report attempted to trivialize the cancer risks of formaldehyde on the alleged grounds that exposure levels are low or 'non-detectable.'"
Of further concern, Dr. Epstein warns, "occupational exposure to formaldehyde has been associated with breast cancer deaths in a 1995 National Cancer Institute report, while environmental exposure has been associated with an increased incidence of breast cancer in a 2005 University of Texas report."
"Disturbingly," observes Dr. Epstein, "none of the dermatologists quoted in the New York Times appear aware of longstanding evidence that most cosmetics and personal care products, commonly used daily by most women, besides on their infants and children, and to a lesser extent men, contain up to eight ingredients which are precursors of formaldehyde."
These include diazolidinyl urea, metheneamine, and quaterniums, each of which readily breaks down on the skin to release formaldehyde, Dr. Epstein explains, warning, "This is then readily absorbed through the skin, and poses unknowing risks of cancer to most of the U.S. population."
Samuel S. Epstein, M.D. is professor emeritus of Environmental and Occupational Medicine at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health, and Chairman of the Cancer Prevention Coalition; and former President of the Rachel Carson Trust. His awards include the 1998 Right Livelihood Award and the 2005 Albert Schweitzer Golden Grand Medal for International Contributions to Cancer Prevention. Dr. Epstein has authored 20 scientific articles and 15 books on cancer prevention, including the groundbreaking The Politics of Cancer (1978), Cancergate: How to Win the Losing Cancer War (2005) and most recently Toxic Beauty (2009, Benbella Books: www.benbellabooks.com) about carcinogens in cosmetics and personal care products.
CONTACT:
Samuel S. Epstein, M.D.
Chairman, Cancer Prevention Coalition 
Professor emeritus Environmental & Occupational Medicine 
University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health 
Chicago, Illinois
Tel: 312-996-2297 
Email: epstein@uic.edu 
www.preventcancer.com

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Posted in: cancer,formaldehyde,Samuel Epstein MD,toxins

More About Natural Cancer Treatments

from Krista Peterson in response to our post about supplements

More on immune system health

Natural Cancer Treatments

Traditional cancer treatments work by targeting the tumor with toxic chemicals or radiation, killing off the malignant cells – but also damaging healthy cells in the process.  For this reason, chemotherapy and radiation are extremely difficult on the body, causing side effects ranging from hair loss to nausea and vomiting to anemia.  Some of the most lethal cancers, such as mesothelioma, are not diagnosed until the late stages. Mesothelioma treatment generally includes traditional therapies like radiation, chemotherapy, and – more rarely – surgery, but these treatments are often of limited effectiveness by the time the cancer is diagnosed.

As a result, many cancer patients turn to alternative treatment as a method of alleviating symptoms or fighting the cancer itself.  There are many natural alternative remedies available, though most are used in conjunction with traditional therapies rather than replacements for them.  The reason these treatments are not part of standard medical care is that most have not been proven to show significant positive effects in clinical trials.  However, when even conventional medical treatment offers little chance of recovery, it is only natural to search for natural alternatives with fewer harsh side effects.

Vitamin C – an important nutrient found in citrus and other fruits and vegetables, given intravenously in large doses.  This therapy is based on a 1976 study that suggested the vitamin may increase survival time for terminal cancer patients.  However, other scientists have not been able to reproduce the results of this study.

Mushroom extract – the use of mushrooms for medicinal purposes.  Compounds called beta-glucans found in some mushrooms are thought to boost the body’s immune responses, allowing it to better fight the cancer.

Cat’s claw – the common name for Uncaria tormentosa, a vine found in the tropics of Central and South America.  The inner bark and root are used by indigenous cultures to treat intestinal ailments, and there has been some indication that it may also have a stimulating effect on the immune system in cancer patients.

Iscador – an extract of the mistletoe plant, especially popular as a cancer therapy in Europe.  Though the National Cancer Institute does not list it as an approved treatment, some tests have been promising and the extract is currently undergoing clinical trials.

Quercetin – an anti-oxidant flavonoid found in some fruits and vegetables.  Some in vitro studies have shown quercetin to suppress malignant cancer cells, and the National Cancer Institute highly recommends a diet rich in fruits and vegetables for cancer prevention as well as during treatment.

Macrobiotic diet – a diet that consists primarily of whole grains, vegetables, and beans while avoiding refined or processed foods.  Practitioners claim this diet is linked to the traditions of Chinese, Japanese, or Incan cultures and is based on the principle of balance in food and in life.

An Important Note

If you are receiving medical treatment for cancer or other serious illness, it is imperative that you speak to your doctor before beginning any alternative therapies to prevent possibly dangerous interactions or side effects.  Any changes in diet should also be discussed with a medical professional, since chemotherapy or radiation may change the way your body takes in nutrients and malnutrition can be a serious risk.

References

http://www.mesotheliomatreatment.net/

http://www.mesotheliomatreatment.net/alternative-therapies

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC431183/?tool=pmcentrez

http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/2011/01/supplements-and-cancer-what-works.html

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Posted in: cancer,Krista Peterson,natural health news,supplements

Supplements and Cancer: What Works

What Really Works? Part One

Sunday, 09 January 2011, from Ralph Moss, PhD

Coriolus versicolor (Turkey tail) mushroom One of the hardest questions to answer is which, out of the many supplements really benefits cancer patients? There are many self-interested statements of benefit, but an inadequate amount of objective research on what is effective and what is not. I therefore want to call your attention to an interesting article from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC). It compared the following seven botanical extracts and fractions: (1) H-48 (a Chinese mixture of herbs) (2) Coriolus vesicolor,  or its derivatives: purified polysaccharide-K (PSK) or purified polysaccharide-peptide (PSP) (3) Maitake mushroom extract (4) Echinacea (5) Astragalus root (6) The yellow spice turmeric; and (7) β-glucan derived from yeast. All of these are popular supplements used by cancer patients. The MSKCC authors looked at the ability of these substances to induce immune reactions in laboratory mice. Specifics on these products, and how they were tested, are given in the reference below. (The full paper is available for free, and readers should consult that text for details). The bottom line of the study was this: Consistently significant activity was seen with four of the preparations: (1) Coriolus mushroom extracts (especially PSK); (2) Alcohol extract of astragalus ; (3) yeast β-glucan; and (to a lesser extent) (4) Maitake mushrooms. Little or no adjuvant activity was demonstrated with H48, Echinacea extracts or a water-based extract of astragalus. The results with turmeric were mixed (but the New Chapter brand of turmeric was active.) Coriolus versicolor (also called Trametes versicolor or Turkey tail mushroom) is available from a number of sources. I will have more to say about Astragalus in a future blog entry.

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Posted in: cancer,Ralph Moss,supplements

Another Reason Fast Food Makes You Sick & Fat

Fluoride in fast food wrappers - Exploring Indirect Sources of Human Exposure to Perfluoroalkyl Carboxylates (PFCAs): Evaluating Uptake, Elimination and Biotransformation of Polyfluoroalkyl Phosphate Esters (PAPs) in the Rat"

FAST-FOOD WRAPPERS ARE A SOURCE OF TOXIC CHEMICALS"
It now appears that dangerous chemicals line the wrappers of fast food.
PAPs (polyfluoroalkyl phosphate esters) are used as non-stick agents on the inside of fast-food wrappers, which are now found to make their way into the food contents. Once consumed they are metabolized into PFCAs (perfluorinated carboxylic acids) - dangerous chemicals which can cause cancer.
Scientists at Toronto Uni, Ontario, say the wrappers could be a major, and totally unexpected, source of these chemicals. They've found high concentrations of PFCAs in a number of popular fast foods.
The chemicals are used to make paper resistant to grease and include some burger and fries wrappers.
Until now scientists had assumed that the high concentrations of PFCAs found in most people's bodies came from such things as the fluoride used in non-stick cookware and stain-repellent furnishings etc.

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Posted in: cancer,environment,fast food,fluoride,obesity,PFCA

Environmental Effects and Your Health

It has been decades that I've been promoting what just recently so many report as anti-cancer Superfoods.  The same goes for all the education I have done since the late 90s on EMF and cell phone-cordless phone-wifi impact.
As far as food goes, I encourage berries as a top food; the reason being the presence of proanthocyanidins (cyanide compounds from seeds).  Garlic of course is exceptional as we now know brassicas and fiber to be.

We now have a new high ORAC value berry compound in capsules or liquid

from Aronia (chokecherry), about 3 times more beneficial than blueberries.

The first and most important point is that most cancer is not born but made. By that I mean, that only one in ten cases of cancer comes about because you have inherited a defective gene by your mother or father.  Nine out of ten cases of breast cancer, colon cancer and even more for brain cancer arise because of something that happens to you after you’re born. Source

1) Tomatoes - Lycopene in tomatoes protects against cervical, ovarian and prostate cancers. Tomato products like sauce, paste and ketchup are even better sources due to their concentrations.
2) Berries - The vivid colors of blueberries, raspberries and blackberries come from antioxidants called anthocyanins, which fight a variety of cancers. Frozen berries are available year round-try them in smoothies or in cereal.
3) Spinach - One of the most nutritious leafy greens, the lutein and vitamin E in spinach fight liver, ovarian, colon, and prostate cancers.
5) Garlic - Italians and want-to-be Italians, rejoice! Garlic fights stomach, esophageal, and breast cancers. To get the most benefits, chop just before cooking.
6) Apples - This affordable, delicious, year-round fruit has plenty of antioxidants and vitamins, but it also boasts quercetin, a plant chemical, which may lower lung cancer risk and slow the growth of prostate cancer cells.
7) Pumpkin, butternut squash, carrots, sweet potatoes - As long as it's orange, take your pick! These sweet, fiber-rich vegetables are excellent sources of beta carotene, which may protect the DNA in your cells.
8) Beans - fiber source   Expanded list

Another Anti-Cancer Food

following article sourced from SciAM

Alpha-carotene from veggies linked to longer life

By Katherine Harmon  | Thursday, December 30, 2010

Need another reason to eat your greens (and yellows and oranges) as part of a healthful diet in the New Year? A large U.S. study has found that adults with higher concentrations of serum alpha-carotene in their blood were likely to live longer than those who had lower levels.

Research around carotenoids (phytochemicals that also include beta-carotene, lycopene and others) has yielded mixed results. Cheering of beta-carotene's purported disease-fighting abilities quieted down after years of studies failed to show that supplements reduced risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease or type-2 diabetes (all diseases linked to free-radical damage, which antioxidants, such as carotenoids, are thought to help neutralize).

Nevertheless, increased consumption of fruits and vegetables (which are often high in carotenoids) continue to be linked to a longer, healthier life, often regardless of other lifestyle factors. So researchers are now busy chasing down other components of these foods.

The recent alpha-carotene research is one such study. It assessed the blood levels of serum alpha-carotene in 15,318 U.S. adults and followed up over an average of 13.9 years to see which of the participants had died as of December 31, 2006.

After controlling for demographic, health and lifestyle factors, the researchers "found that serum alpha-carotene concentration was inversely associated with adjusted risk of death," according to their study, led by Chaoyang Li, of the Office of Surveillance, Epidemiology and Laboratory Services at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Women tended to have slightly higher concentrations of the nutrient than men (5.31 microgram per deciliter versus 4.22).

The team found an especially strong correlation between higher alpha-carotene levels and lower risk of death from diabetes, upper respiratory tract and upper digestive tract cancers, as well as lower respiratory disease.

The findings are slated to be published next year in the March 28 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine and are now available online. A handful of previous, smaller studies of alpha-carotene had mixed results, and the researchers cautioned that the levels of alpha-carotene, rather than having a direct affect on disease prevention themselves might instead "act as an indicator of multiple interactive forces."

Unlike beta-carotene, alpha-carotene is not often found in multivitamins or other common dietary supplements, which suggests that most of the quantities found in people's blood comes from food (primarily yellow-orange and dark green veggies, including broccoli, carrots, collards, green beans, lettuce, peas, pumpkin, spinach, sweet potatoes and winter squash). And a previous case-control study found that eating more of these sorts of alpha-carotene-rich veggies led to a decreased risk of lung cancer.

"These findings support increasing fruit and vegetable consumption as a means of preventing premature death," the researchers noted. So go ahead and raise those carrots high.

Carrot recipes from Jaime Oliver

CARROTS BOILED WITH ORANGE, GARLIC AND HERBS
Boil the carrots in salted boiling water with a tablespoon of sugar, a knob of butter and a little handful of fragrant fresh herbs, tied up. Parsley, rosemary, thyme, bay – use just one or a mixture. Cut an orange into eighths and add them to the water, along with a few whole garlic cloves in their skins. If you really want to be a little tiger, add a pinch of cumin as well (seeds or ground) – it subtly cuts through with the most wonderful flavor. As soon as the carrots are cooked, drain them, discard the herbs and all but one of the orange pieces, squeeze the garlic out of its skin, chop the remaining orange piece finely and toss with the carrots, some seasoning and a little more butter. The flavor will be incredible. Another idea is to fry the chopped-up orange in a good tablespoon of sugar, so it almost jammifies, and serve this on top of the carrots. These two flavours together are one of the coolest things.

ROASTED CARROTS WITH ORANGE, GARLIC AND THYME
Or – just as easy – as soon as you drain the carrots you can throw them into a baking pan with the chopped-up orange and the garlic cloves and roast them at 400°F for 10 minutes – this will give you a slightly meatier flavor.

MASHED CARROTS
Or simply mash the carrots up with the orange and garlic, so you have some coarse and some smooth. Lovely.

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Posted in: cancer,Devra Davis,environment,foods for preventing cancer

Varmus at National Cancer Institute: Harmful to Health

CHICAGO, IL, December 6, 2010 --/WORLD-WIRE/-- On October 22, 2010, Senator Chuck Grassley, ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, wrote to Dr. Harold Varmus, who was appointed director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) by President Obama three months previously. The senator raised questions on the amount of "sponsored travel," sometimes a dozen or more trips a year and almost exclusively to international conferences paid for by outside organizations or companies, taken in recent years by "numerous NCI employees, notably senior leadership."

According to ScienceInsider, many of the 16 scientists involved took at least 10 trips a year in 2008, 2009, and 2010. However, a subsequent letter from Dr. Varmus and the National Institutes of Health director, Dr. Francis Collins, attempted to claim that this travel was part of their scientific work!

"Varmus, the current director of the NCI, has a distinguished track record on basic research on cancer treatment. However, this is paralleled by frank and dangerous unawareness of longstanding, well-documented scientific evidence on the causes and prevention of cancer," warns Samuel S. Epstein, M.D., Chairman of the Cancer Prevention Coalition.

As long ago as 1998, in Natalie Angier's Natural Obsessions book, Varmus claimed, "You can't do experiments to see what causes cancer - it's not an accessible problem, and not the sort of thing scientists can afford to do - everything you do can't be risky."

"The claim by Varmus that 'you can't do research to see what causes cancer' is bizarre. At best, it reflects unbelievable ignorance," asserts Dr. Epstein.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has published annual reports on carcinogens, largely based on carcinogenicity tests on rodents, since 1964. The National Toxicology Program (NTP) has also published systematic and comprehensive reviews on carcinogens, again largely based on carcinogenicity tests, since 1980. Both the IARC and NTP reports reflect decades-old unarguable scientific evidence on "what causes cancer."

"The ignorance or indifference of Varmus to cancer prevention is reinforced by his unrecognized personal conflicts of interest," Dr. Epstein declares. "In 1995, Varmus, then director of the National Institutes of Health, struck the "reasonable pricing clause," as detailed in my 2002 publication in the International Journal of Health Services. This clause protected against exorbitant industry profiteering from the sale of drugs developed with taxpayer money."

"Varmus also gave senior NCI staff free license to consult with the cancer drug industry, a flagrant institutional conflict of interest," reveals Dr. Epstein. In this connection, he explains, the 2008 edition of Charity Rating Guide & Watchdog Report listed Varmus with a compensation package of about $2.7 million. According to The Chronicle of Philanthropy, this is the highest compensation of directors in over 500 major non-profit organizations ever monitored.

"As disturbing," Dr. Epstein warns, "is the longstanding abdication of responsibility by the NCI, the primary federal institute explicitly charged by President Richard Nixon in 1971 to fight the war against cancer. This charge clearly prioritized the allocation of adequate resources to investigate and eliminate known avoidable causes of cancer."

However, he points out, while the NCI budget has escalated 25-fold, from $200,000 in 1971, to over $5 billion currently, this has been paralleled by an escalation in the incidence of a wide range of cancers. These include liver, 165%; thyroid, 145%; non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, 82%; childhood, 24%; and breast, 19%.

"These increases also reflect the NCI's longstanding and reckless indifference to prevention, matched by exclusionary emphasis on treatment and related research," states Dr. Epstein.

Reflecting these disturbing concerns, a July 29, 2003 report by the National Academy of Sciences, requested by Congress, charged that:

• The leadership of NCI is marred by pervasive conflicts of interest, and a revolving door with industry, particularly the cancer drug industry.
• Contrary to NCI's exaggerated claims and misleading public assurances, overall cancer incidence rates, including those of childhood and non-smoking adults, have sharply escalated over recent decades.
• NCI policies and priorities remain fixated on damage control - screening, diagnosis, and treatment and related research--with minimal priorities for prevention.
• Contrary to the requirements of the 1971 Act, the NCI has still failed to inform the public of a wide range of avoidable causes of cancer. This denial of the public's right to know has even been extended to the withholding of readily available scientific information.

"These criticisms of the NCI are as germane and timely today as they were seven years ago. However, and disturbingly so," Dr. Epstein warns, "they remain unrecognized by Congress, let alone the public."

As President Obama has stated in September 2008, "It is critical to understand the relationship between environmental factors and risk or onset of disease, particularly cancer."

CONTACT:
Samuel S. Epstein, M.D.
Chairman, Cancer Prevention Coalition
Professor emeritus Environmental & Occupational Medicine
University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health
Chicago, Illinois
Email: epstein@uic.edu
www.preventcancer.com

Quentin D. Young, M.D.
Chairman
Health & Medicine Policy Research Group
Past President, American Public Health Association
email: quentin@pnhp.org
www.hmprg.org

Rosalie Bertell, PhD
Regent of the International Physicians for Humanitarian Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland
Past President of International Institute of Concern for Public Health
Email: rosaliebertell@greynun.org
www.iicph.org

Ronnie Cummins
Executive Director
Organic Consumers Association
email: ronnie@organicconsumers.org
www.organicconsumers.org

Samuel S. Epstein, M.D. is professor emeritus of Environmental and Occupational Medicine at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health; Chairman of the Cancer Prevention Coalition; Recipient of the 1998 Right Livelihood Award ("Alternative Nobel Prize") and the 2005 Albert Schweitzer Golden Grand Medal for International Contributions to Cancer Prevention; Author of over 270 scientific articles and 20 books on the causes and prevention of cancer, including the award-winning The Politics of Cancer (Sierra Club Books, 1978) and Cancer-Gate: How To Win The Losing Cancer War (Baywood Publishing, 2005).

Please join the CPC on Facebook

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Posted in: cancer,Dr. Samuel Epstein,Grassley,Harold Varmus,health,National Cancer Institute,NCI,Obama

High-Dose HRT Still Prevalent - OB/Gyn

Remember, HRT is strongly associated with developing cancer...

Medical News: High-Dose HRT Still Prevalent - in OB/Gyn, HRT from MedPage Today

According to the latest statistics compiled by the American Heart Association, cancer surpasses heart disease as the top killer among Americans between the ages of 45 to 74. The odds are very high that you or someone you know has cancer or has died from it.Cancer rates for various types of cancer are on the rise, and environmental/lifestyle factors are increasingly being pinpointed as the culprits, such as:

• Pesticide and other chemical exposures
• Pharmaceutical drugs
• Processed and artificial foods, packaging chemicals
• Wireless technologies, EMF, dirty electricity, and medical diagnostic radiation exposure
• Obesity, stress, and poor sleeping habits
• Lack of sunshine exposure combined with use of sunscreens

This not an all-inclusive list, of course, but as the research into the health of our ancient ancestors shows, cancer is not a "natural" disease, and genetics are not a primary factor. (Some data from Mercola)

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Posted in: cancer,HRT

Eczema Creams Worsen Condition

More and more we read of severe problems with medical drugs. This continues to be quite disconcerting when eczema can be resolved with natural methods

Creams used to treat eczema could make it worse, study suggests

ScienceDaily (2010-11-13) -- New research from the UK suggests that using emollient creams to relieve the symptoms of eczema could actually make the condition worse. The researchers have published a study showing that aqueous cream BP reduces the thickness of healthy skin over a period of four weeks, calling into question whether the cream should be used for treating eczema, particularly for children and babies who have more sensitive skin. ... > read full article

Also from Natural Health News
http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/2007/08/skin-crea-alert.html
http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/2005/03/most-men-die-of-their-drugs-not-their.html

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Posted in: cancer,eczema,skin creams

The Healthy Side of Maple Syrup

I use maple sugar granules because I am allergic to cane sugar. I have also used B grade maple syrup for years as it has the reputation of a healthy sweetener over many years.

I like it on sweet potatoes, my pumpkin pancakes, and on vanila ice cream served with warm waffles,  or as in the past - a split warm doughnut.

Now a new report tells us more - 

Maple syrup reduces cancer, diabetes risk 2011 article

SAN FRANCISCO, March 26, 2010 (UPI) -- Maple syrup can substantially slow the growth of cancerous cells in several cancers and help reduce the risk of diabetes, U.S. researchers found. 
Navindra Seeram of the University of Rhode Island found 13 new antioxidant compounds that were not known to exist in syrup until now. Several of these antioxidants newly identified in maple syrup are reported to have anti-cancer, anti-bacterial and anti-diabetic properties.
Maple syrup contains substantial quantities of abscisic acid, a phytohormone known to stimulate insulin release through pancreatic cells and to increase sensitivity of fat cells to insulin, which makes it a potent weapon against metabolic syndrome and diabetes.
Seeram presented his findings on Canadian maple syrup at the American Chemical Society annual meeting in San Francisco.
A second study by researchers at the Universite du Quebec a Chicoutimi suggests maple syrup can substantially slow the growth of cancerous cells in the prostate and lungs and to a lesser extent in the breast, colon and brain more effectively than blueberries, broccoli, tomatoes and carrots. 
The study is published in the Journal of Medicinal Food.

© 2010 United Press International, Inc.

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Posted in: cancer,diabetes,maple syrup

Better Eat Your Broccoli

How much broccoli needed for anti-cancer

CHAMPAIGN, Ill., Oct. 25 (UPI) -- Three to five servings a week of broccoli is enough to have an anti-cancer effect, U.S. researchers suggest. 

Elizabeth Jeffery, Michael Miller and Ren-Hau Lai of the University of Illinois say they found sulforaphane -- the cancer-fighting agent in broccoli -- can be released from its parent compound glucoraphanin by bacteria in the lower gut and absorbed into the body.

"This discovery raises the possibility that we will be able to enhance the activity of these bacteria in the colon, increasing broccoli's cancer-preventive power," the researchers say in a statement. 

The researchers proved it by injecting glucoraphanin into the ligated lower gut of rats and demonstrated that sulforaphane is present in blood from the mesenteric vein, which flows from the gut to the liver.

"The presence of sulforaphane in measurable amounts shows that it's being converted in the lower intestine and is available for absorption in the body," Jeffery says. 

Sulforaphane is an extremely potent cancer-fighting agent, Jeffrey says. 

"Less than one daily serving of broccoli is enough to have an anti-cancer effect," Jeffrey says. "With many of the other bioactive foods you hear about, vast amounts are required for a measurable outcome."

The findings are scheduled to be published in the November issue of the journal Food & Function.

© 2010 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

top posts of 28 re: broccoli from Natural Health News

Natural Health News: Soothing Sulforaphanes

May 09, 2010

It seems one can easily treat breast cancer with the help of a substance, a University of Michigan study found a substance found in broccoli and broccoli sprouts killed cancer stem cells and prevented new tumors from growing in mice and ...

Its the Cyanide Silly, just one more time

Dec 09, 2007

Cabbage and broccoli are in the Brassica family along with cauliflower and brussel sprouts and contain many cancer fighting substances. These foods are in the mustard family so perhaps you recall that mustard gas was used in war to kill ...

Removing Your Right of Access to Health Care of Choice

Aug 27, 2010

Other herbal health claims the NDA has dealt with include green coffee, guarana, blueberry extracts, mangosteen, schisandra, marjolaine feuille, grape seed extracts and broccoli extracts. Typically, the claims are antioxidant related. ...

Good News Today for Natural Health Care Advocates

Aug 16, 2006

Use it: Steam 1 head of broccoli and one potato until soft, and then puree with 1/4 cup butter and 4 to 5 gratings of fresh nutmeg or 1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg. 8. Cloves: Helps Arthritis Pain How it works: According to Chinese ...

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Posted in: broccoli,cancer,sulforaphane

Speaking of Cancer

Not too many days have apssed sine the big TV special - StandUP 2 Cancer.

What you did not learn on this program or in mainstream media, or mainstream medicine, is the truth about how vitamin C is effective as a treament and often a cure for many cancers -

Please read on:

Cancer and Vitamin C: Evidence-Based Censorship  

(OMNS September 15, 2010)  The very first paper in the Puerto Rico Health Sciences Journal's special issue on cancer condemns vitamin C therapy for cancer. (1) Furthermore, that Journal has refused publication of a letter correcting the article's numerous errors. We have therefore decided to provide OMNS readers with that rebuttal letter, below:
It is entirely false to assert that we do not know how much vitamin C is effective against cancer. Indeed, the opposite is true: we do know, and we are failing our duty to patients when we fail to recommend vitamin C as adjunctive cancer therapy.
There are many controlled studies that demonstrate that vitamin C is indeed effective against cancer, improving length of life and quality of life. Positive studies have typically used between 10,000 and 100,000 mg/day intravenously. As Dr. Fernando Cabanillas correctly noted, success with 10,000 mg/day by IV was initially reported back in the 1970s by Cameron and Pauling. But Dr. Cabanillas has then omitted some key information. It is important to note that the negative, much-touted Moertel-Mayo studies were not true replications of Cameron and Pauling's work, as A) they used oral doses only, and B) vitamin C was discontinued at the first sign of disease progression. Would we administer injectable chemotherapy orally, and then discontinue chemotherapy if the patient worsened? No, we would administer it properly, and stay with it.
Dr. Cabanillas also neglects to mention that Pauling and Cameron's work was promptly confirmed, first at Japan's Saga University by Murata et al. Dr. Murata employed over 30,000 mg per day and had even better results with terminally ill cancer patients. (2) In the words of Dr. Louis Lasagna of the University of Rochester Medical School, "It seems indefensible not to at least try substantial doses of vitamin C in these patients." (3)
And again contrary to Dr. Cabanillas' statements, many clinical reports from orthomolecular (nutritional) physicians including Dr. Hugh Riordan and colleagues do in fact indicate that IV vitamin C is effective. Says Dr. James A. Jackson, "Dr. Riordan's IV protocol (4) starts out at 15,000 mg intravenous ascorbate and slowly goes up. It is given twice a week. The IVs are continued until the post-IV vitamin C levels reach what our research established as the killing level of 350 to 400 mg/dL. This has been verified. (5) Once this level is reached, the frequency of the IV may be reduced to once a week, or to one or two times a month."
There is no absolutely reliable cure for cancer. Conventional chemotherapy contributes only 2.1% to five year cancer survival in the USA. (6) But with vitamin C, we are on the right track. It has been reported since McCormick in the 1950s (7,8,9) that cancer patients invariably have abnormally low levels of the vitamin. Vitamin C is vital to a cancer patient. What is dangerous is vitamin deficiency. What is even more dangerous is warning people off the very therapy that may help them, and frequently has been shown to make a significant difference.
Precisely how significant remains to be seen. But there are intriguing indications. Linus Pauling took 18,000 mg/day of vitamin C. Pauling died from cancer in 1994. Dr. Charles Moertel of the Mayo Clinic, critic of vitamin C, died of cancer the same year. Moertel was 66. Pauling was 93. Did vitamin C fail to cure Pauling's cancer? If so, then not taking vitamin C failed to cure Moertel's. Pauling lived 27 years longer with ascorbate than Moertel lived without it.
Andrew W. Saul
Editor, OMNS
Vitamin C does not interfere with conventional cancer treatment
Victor Marcial, M.D., an oncologist in Puerto Rico, says:
"We studied patients with advanced cancer (stage 4). 40 patients received 40,000-75,000 mg intravenously several times a week. These are patients that have not responded to other treatments. The initial tumor response rate was achieved in 75% of patients, defined as a 50% reduction or more in tumor size. . . As a radiation oncologist, I also give radiation therapy. Vitamin C has two effects. It increases the beneficial effects of radiation and chemotherapy and decreases the adverse effects. But this is not a subtle effect, is not 15-20%. It's a dramatic effect. Once you start using IV vitamin C, the effect is so dramatic that it is difficult to go back to not using it."
Ralph Campbell, M.D., a Montana pediatrician, writes:
"More and more oncologists are admitting that a course of chemo disrupts the immune system to the point of allowing more cancer down the pike. It would seem reasonable for post-chemo patients to enter a regimen of high antioxidants intake as soon as they can."
Abram Hoffer, M.D., Ph.D., explains why vitamin C does not interfere with chemotherapy at http://www.doctoryourself.com/chemo.html
Taking action
More and more medical doctors support adjunctive vitamin C therapy for cancer. The PRHSJ needs to publish both sides of the story. If you would like encourage them to do so, you may write directly to:
Luis M. Vil , M.D. prhsj.rcm@upr.edu
Editor-in-Chief, Puerto Rico Health Sciences Journal
Zoila Figueroa zoila.figueroa@upr.edu
Secretary
PO Box 365067, San Juan PR 00936-5067
For more information about vitamin C cancer therapy:
You can watch an excerpt from the movie FOODMATTERS discussing vitamin C therapy for cancer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxveVAMir4o&feature=related
Free download of the Riordan protocol at http://www.doctoryourself.com/RiordanIVC.pdf
La medicina ortomolecular en español:
1)Presentan primera guía ortomolecular para el manejo del cáncer: http://www.wapa.tv/noticias.php?nid=20100428195518
2) Video de los comentarios del Dr. Victor Marcial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbOXgG998fI

References:
(1) PRHSJ, Vol 29, No 3, Sept, 2010. Read the paper, or the entire issue, at http://prhsj.rcm.upr.edu/index.php/prhsj/issue/current/showToc The direct download link for the paper in question is http://prhsj.rcm.upr.edu/index.php/prhsj/article/view/518/354
(2) Murata, A., Morishige, F. and Yamaguchi, H. (1982) Prolongation of survival times of terminal cancer patients by administration of large doses of ascorbate. International Journal of Vitamin and Nutrition Research Suppl., 23, 1982, p. 103-113. Also in Hanck, A., ed. (1982) Vitamin C: New Clinical Applications. Bern: Huber, 103-113.
(3) http://www.lib.rochester.edu/index.cfm?page=3330
(4) http://www.doctoryourself.com/RiordanIVC.pdf
(5) Padayatty SJ, Sun H, Wang Y, Riordan HD, Hewitt SM, Katz A, Wesley RA, Levine M. Vitamin C pharmacokinetics: implications for oral and intravenous use. Ann Intern Med. 2004 Apr 6;140(7):533-7. Free full-text article at http://www.annals.org/content/140/7/533.long or as a pdf download at http://www.annals.org/content/140/7/533.full.pdf
See also: Padayatty SJ, Riordan HD, Hewitt SM, Katz A, Hoffer LJ, and Levine M. Intravenously administered vitamin C as cancer therapy: three cases. CMAJ. 2006 March 28; 174(7): 937-942. Free full-text article at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1405876/?tool=pubmed
(6) Morgan G, Ward R, Barton M. The contribution of cytotoxic chemotherapy to 5-year survival in adult malignancies. Clin Oncol (R Coll Radiol). 2004 Dec;16(8):549-60.
(7) McCormick WJ. Cancer: the preconditioning factor in pathogenesis; a new etiologic approach. Arch Pediatr. 1954 Oct;71(10):313-22. Also: McCormick WJ. [Cancer: predisposition as pathogenesis; new data on its etiology.] Union Med Can. 1955 Mar;84(3):272-7. French.
(8) McCormick WJ. Cancer: a collagen disease, secondary to a nutritional deficiency. Arch Pediatr. 1959 Apr;76(4):166-71. Also: McCormick WJ. [Is cancer a collagen disease attributable to vitamin C deficiency.] Union Med Can. 1959 Jun;88(6):700-4. French.
(9) McCormick WJ. Have we forgotten the lesson of scurvy? J Applied Nutrition, 1962, 15(1,2) p 4-12.

Nutritional Medicine is Orthomolecular Medicine
Orthomolecular medicine uses safe, effective nutritional therapy to fight illness. For more information: http://www.orthomolecular.org
The peer-reviewed Orthomolecular Medicine News Service is a non-profit and non-commercial informational resource.

Editorial Review Board:
Ralph K. Campbell, M.D. (USA)
Carolyn Dean, M.D., N.D. (Canada)
Damien Downing, M.D. (United Kingdom)
Michael Ellis, M.D. (Australia)
Michael Gonzalez, D.Sc., Ph.D. (Puerto Rico)
Steve Hickey, Ph.D. (United Kingdom)
Bo H. Jonsson, M.D., Ph.D. (Sweden)
Thomas Levy, M.D., J.D. (USA)
Jorge R. Miranda-Massari, Pharm.D. (Puerto Rico)
Erik Paterson, M.D. (Canada)
Gert E. Shuitemaker, Ph.D. (Netherlands)
Andrew W. Saul, Ph.D. (USA), Editor and contact person. Email: omns@orthomolecular.org

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Posted in: cancer,intravenous vitamin C

Cancer, Alzheimer's

Flaraxin is effective in 90% of oncologic diseases

Alzheimer's = Flaraxin + B3
http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/2009/05/alzheimers-what-you-wont-see-on-hbo.html

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Posted in: Alzheimers,cancer,vitamin B3

Dr Kelley

I am fortunate enough to have been educated in Dr Kelley's method, and well aware of the help it can offer to many. It is offered through Creating Health Institute.

ONE MAN ALONE: AN INVESTIGATION OF NUTRITION, CANCER, AND WILLIAM DONALD KELLEY

By Nicholas J. Gonzalez, MD

Dr. Gonzalez completed this comprehensive analysis of Dr. Kelley’s approach in 1986 as partial fulfillment of his immunology fellowship under the direction of Robert A. Good, PhD, MD, founder of “Modern Immunology.”

Although never previously published, this monograph has been generating interest in the alternative and conventional medical world for over two decades. This book documents Dr. Gonzalez’s five year evaluation of hundreds of Dr. Kelley’s patients and illustrates the value of Dr. Kelley’s nutritional-enzyme program.

Includes 50 representative case histories of patients diagnosed with a variety of poor prognosis or terminal cancer who did well under Dr. Kelley’s care.

Learn about the natural cancer treatment and Dr. Kelley’s success.

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Posted in: cancer,dr gonzalez,dr kelley,nutrition

IV Vitamin C: Help for Cancer, Learn More

IV Vitamin C and Cancer Seminar Scheduled for October -

Dear Friends and Co-Learners,

We would like to invite you to our "Second Annual Riordan IVC and Cancer Symposium", Oct 8-9, 2010.

This year's Riordan Intravenous Vitamin C (IVC) and Cancer Symposium offers something unique. Beyond focusing on IVC therapy itself, we will take a collective look at how Intravenous Vitamin C has inspired our cancer patients to live a better life.

Quality of life is the ultimate goal of any medical treatment worth its salt. Modern degenerative illnesses often have their genesis in decades of poor lifestyle choices, toxic exposures, high stress and non-whole food diets. The universal underlying mechanism for the resultant diseases is simply uncontrolled systemic inflammation. Cancer is no exception.

In order to turn cancer around and restore our patient's quality of life, they will need to choose a better way of life. Intravenous Vitamin C is a beginning point, not an end of itself. It is a fire hose to put out the raging fire, but it is no substitute for the lifestyle changes our cancer patients will need to adopt in order to sustain their health improvements.

The choice for an anticancer lifestyle is initiated and facilitated by the hope that is spawned from the radical benefits that an intensive IVC/ nutritional intervention can offer. Our 2nd Annual Riordan IVC Symposium will focus on this renewed quality of life that IVC therapy patients experience...an experience that often leads them to refocus their life choices on a new and better way of living.

It is a journey from despair to hope...from neglect to better self care...from disease to health. Please join us as we explore this crucial (but too often neglected) phase of the recovery from cancer.

For more information about the Symposium or to register, please call1-800-447-7276 or visit: http://www.riordanclinic.org/symposium.shtml

Sincerely,

Ron Hunninghake, MD 

Chief Medical Officer

Riordan Clinic
33100 N. Hillside Ave. - Wichita, KS 67219 - (316) 682-3100

Some of the 30+ vitamin C posts on Natural Health News

Natural Health News: High Dose Vitamin C : SAFE

Jul 20, 2010

In a study designed to assess the use and safety of high-dose intravenous (IV) vitamin C administration by complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practitioners, the authors found that a) high-dose IV vitamin C is widely used by ...

Enjoy Your Holiday, GMO FREE

Jul 01, 2010

Vitamin A - Through its concentration of beta-carotene, Watermelon supplies a rich source of Vitamin A, another cancer fighting anti-oxidant along with Lycopene and Vitamin C. A cup of Watermelon supplies your body with over 10% of its ...

Natural Health News: Vitamin C Facts

Jul 24, 2009

I recently cured myself and my wife using that "miracle drug" vitamin C, and I posted an article "What Doctors Don't Know". This article is scheduled to appear in the Holistic Health Magazine in September. It is reprinted below. ...

Natural Health News: Vitamin C or Tamiflu, which would you choose

Aug 08, 2009

Patrick Holford notes that in his June 2005 newsletter he interviewed Dr Thomas Levy, who has provided the definitive proof in his book ' Vitamin C, Infectious Diseases and Toxins: Curing the Incurable'. ...

http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/

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Posted in: cancer,IV Vitamin C

What it is really about: Issues in Health Care

Yesterday I noticed an article tying asthma inhalers to prostate cancer.  It made me think of a fellow I know who is dealing with both. Yes, he was a stress smoker.  What's worse is that he's fought repeated bouts of pneumonia over the past year or so, and been in the hospital several times.  I just wonder if the allopaths treating him have ever taken a look at the increased risk of pneumonia associated with the SNRI drug they gave him several years ago fore stress.  Surely this is a good example, while not his complete story, of the politics of health and how it increases cost, while seemingly lacking benefit.

Now comes this article - Cancer is the world's costliest disease

No wonder! Cancer is an industry. And just like any corporation it has to do what ever it can to protect the bottom line; survivors are coincidental.

Then this morning I was perusing my twitter account during the small allotment of minutes I allow.  I found this gem and a new follower, with ease via a retweet from another health watcher. 

 Breast Cancer: How Politics is Driving up Costs

Truth is that the politics of health care has been driving up costs for multiple decades, not just because of breast cancer, but it is a major driving cost center.  One with little done in the way of prevention and education, but then this kind of approach, from the heart of public health, fails the corporate bottom line in PhRMA and Big Insurance.

Change is up to you.  Engaging in prevention is up to you.  Demanding answers to your questions is up to you as is advocating for your own best health.  And access to natural care approaches for cancer care should not be withheld!

Certainly if you are a follower of Natural Health News you know we take a different view of Pink Cause marketing, Races for the "Cure", and the continual promotion of breast-cancer-causing mammography.  Just use our search function to learn why.  

More resources: http://www.leaflady.org/women.htm; http://www.leaflady.org/cancer.htm

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Posted in: breast cancer,cancer,cost of cancer care,politics and cancer