by Sherie Winslow The human body contains approximately 300 trillion cells, 10 million of which are dying and being replaced every second. With such a high activity rate, there is the potential for any given cell to become malignant -- that is, have its genetic code altered -- and to grow unchecked. Cancer is the out-of-control multiplication of mutant cells in the body. Groups of those cells (tumors) interfere with the body´s functions and draw nutrients from the body's tissues. Metastasis, the spread of cancers cells, occurs as the cells keep multiplying.
It is said that given the definition of cancer and the rapid rate of cell division within the body, most of us have a potentially cancerous condition occurring at all times. It's the immune system that comes to the rescue, recognizing out-of-control cell divisions and destroying them before they multiply further, before it even comes to our attention that something was wrong. When the immune system is compromised, mutant cells survive and flourish.
Risk Factors
Risk factors for cancer can be inherited, causing a predisposition to having flawed cells and therefore a particular kind of cancer. Or risk factors can be environmental, with substances in our lives -- such as diet, smoking, or sunlight -- potentially causing cell mutation and therefore development of cancer. But cancer is not caused by any one factor. Exposure to carcinogens, age, health, and familial predisposition may all contribute to cancer.
Conventional Medical Treatment
Standard conventional Western medicine to treat cancer has included radiation, surgery, and chemotherapy, all of which have serious consequences for the patient. New advances, with less serious patient consequences, are being studied now -- Radio Frequency Thermal Ablation, immunotherapy, and alcohol injection into the tumor site.
Alternative Treatments
Alternative treatments for cancer are varied, frequently have questionable benefits, and are sometimes dangerous. Often cancer patients will seek conventional medical treatment and complement this with alternative therapies. It is imperative, especially in the case of vitamins or supplements, that the patient let the doctor know what is being taken. Many herbs work against conventional treatments, causing more problems.
The Immune System
Most important in preventing or fighting cancer is the mind-body connection of the immune system.
In the January 7, 1998, Journal of the National Cancer Institute, psychologists report that stress influences on the immune function may have implications for defenses against the development or growth of malignant tissue. They say, however, that the evidence for such a relationship is incomplete.
They suggest there is "substantial evidence that psychological stress can alter immune function. However, the role of the immune system in cancer is less clear, and there are questions as to whether the types of changes in immunity that occur under stress are the same types that might be important for cancer."
The Cancer Research Center, founded in 1953, has no hesitancy, however, in saying that immune function and cancer go hand-in-hand, saying, "In laboratories, scientists have observed killer T-cells, natural killer cells, macrophages destroying malignant tumor cells." They believe that further study of the immune system is expected to reveal ways to bolster it, allowing the body to become a more active partner in the fight against cancer.
Optimism Helps the Immune System
Psychologists at the University of California, Los Angeles, examined whether optimism in the face of a stressor -- the first year of law school -- affected mood and immune changes in a sample of 50 law students. They report that, "While there were no immune differences between optimists and pessimists before beginning law school, those students who began the semester optimistic had more helper T-cells and higher natural killer cell cytotoxicity at mid-semester than students who had been pessimistic. This study shows that beliefs, such as optimism and associated mood changes, are important elements of the immune consequences of stressful events."
Getting Enough Sleep
One way to ensure a healthy immune system is to get enough sleep. Adults require seven to eight hours of sleep per night, more if under stress.
A study reported in Psychosomatic magazine says that blood samples of those who had their sleep disrupted "had decreased levels of natural killer cells. A decreased natural killer cell count indicates a weakened immune system and a body more vulnerable to illness." The study provides the first evidence that "sleep disruptions are associated with the stress-immune relationship in humans."
The Benefits of Touch and Massage
In a study conducted at the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami, 20 breast cancer patients were randomly assigned to groups that either got massage three times a week for five weeks, or a relaxation video to watch. In the group that got massage therapy, 80 percent showed improvements in their immune systems. In the video group, only 30 percent showed the same effect. Numerous other studies show the same result.
"How massage boosts the immune system is not entirely clear," says Michael Ruff, an immunologist and professor at Georgetown University Medical School. "But because massage is less expensive, less toxic, and more pleasant for patients than many drug therapies, it's worth pursuing as a medical alternative."
Of all the alternative forms of cancer prevention and treatment, a healthy immune system seems to be the easiest to obtain, the cheapest, and the most beneficial.
Copyright 2000 Sherie Winslow
First seen on AOL AltMed - Reproduced by permission.
