DR BLOCK ON INFLAMMATION AND CANCER

"It is well known that decreasing inflammation can help reduce cancer growth, boost treatment efficacy, and diminish side effects.  We know that refined flours and sugars, most fast food and soda pop, increase the enzymes that promote inflammatory cascades.  This is why I encourage patients to avoid these pro-inflammatory foods and increase ingredients that have anti-inflammatory properties."  Keith I Block, MD

file photo

RED BELL PEPPERS

Red bell peppers are high in cancer-fighting carotenoids. When roasted the count is even higher. Like tomatoes, cooking concentrates these cancer-fighting compounds. Also, red bell peppers are some of the foods highest in vitamin-C.

FILE PHOTO

TYPES OF LUNG CANCER

If you are diagnosed with lung cancer, ask the doctor which type of cancer you have. There are two main types of lung cancer, non-small cell lung cancer (your doctor may use the tern NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer. NSCLC is the most common and it has subtypes, listed below.

• Adenocarcinoma starts in cells that make mucus. It is usually found in the outer parts of the lungs, often before it has spread to other parts of the body. This is the most common subtype.
• Squamous cell carcinoma starts in cells that line the airways. It is usually found in the middle of the lung by the bronchi.
• Large cell carcinoma can form in any part of the lung. It is usually the one to grow most quickly.

Again, I want to stress the importance of early detection. Head to the doctor at the first signs of trouble.

file photo

BEANS AND LENTILS FIGHT CANCER

As a diabetic I eat lots of beans. They are one of the best foods to keep my blood sugar under control. But beans and lentils are also good cancer fighters. These tasty little morsels are loaded with fiber, phytochemicals, antioxidants, and folate. Soybeans contain genistein, a powerful compound scientists are studying as a possible treatment for prostate, lung and colorectal cancer. If beans aren't currently an important part of your diet I would suggest adding them.

file photo

COFFEE AND CANCER PATIENTS

Data published in JAMA Oncology, a medical journal, found that patients with metastatic colorectal cancer who reported drinking two to three cups of coffee a day had a higher association with longer living overall than those who didn't drink coffee.

The journal reported it is too soon to recommend a high coffee intake as a potential treatment for colorectal cancer but does recommend that drinking coffee is not harmful and may be beneficial according to Dr. Kimmie Ng, the study's senior author, an oncologist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

The study's authors suggest that coffee has several compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that may be active against cancer.

file photo