While we can’t always prevent cancer, we can do things to help reduce the risk of developing it. Of course, we always hear: eat healthy foods, exercise, don’t smoke. But the message doesn’t seem to be getting through because people still eat junk or high fat foods, still don’t exercise and still smoke.
The Mayo Clinic published 10 tips to reduce cancer risk in their most recent issue of Mayo Clinic Women’s HealthSource.
Here are the tips and below there’s more explanation:

Stop smoking
Limit alcohol intake – some alcohol is okay, too much is not
Follow recommended intake of fruits and vegetable (daily!)
Decrease the …read more

Diseases below the waist are often ignored; best to not talk about such things, many people think. But not talking about diseases below the waist, which include illnesses such as colon cancer, can result in serious consequences, including death.
Diseases of the colon (or bowels) sometimes require treatment with a colostomy. A colostomy is a way for the human body to excrete stool (bowel movements) through an opening in the abdomen rather than through the rectum. The stool is evacuated into a bag that is fastened to the opening and emptied on a regular basis.
There is a lot of stigma to …read more

On Saturday, the White House has lost Tony Snow. Lost to colon cancer that is at age 53 –survived by his wife, Jill, and their three children.
President George W. Bush recalls Snow with fondness:
“He had a wonderful sense of humor. He loved to laugh. He loved his country. And he loved his family.
I just hope they understand that Tony was loved here in the White House.”
Full report from AP,  LA Times and The Washington Post.

ERBITUX® (Cetuximab) – product of Merck KGaA and ImClone Systems Inc. – has received EU backing as first-line treatment for colon cancer.
According to the European Medicines Agency:
Erbitux can be given as the first drug in colon-cancer treatment in patients who carry an unmutated kras gene, restricting its use to about 65 percent of patients.
Erbitux is the first monoclonal antibody approved by the US FDA for the treatment of advanced colon cancer that has spread to the other parts of the body — either alone or in combination with other treatments.
Read more about the EU backing on Erbitux from Bloomberg.

I already mentioned here that Mrs. Cory Aquino has cancer of the colon — as reported by her family on Monday. Although the cancer’s stage was not disclosed, Mrs. Aquino underwent her first round of chemotherapy yesterday (Tuesday).
This all happened at the Makati Medical Center where Mrs. Aquino was confined and earlier diagnosed with colon cancer.
All our prayers…hopefully will help. All the best!

Corazon C. Aquino – former (and first woman) President of the Philippines, has colon cancer.
The condition of Mrs. Aquino (fondly called Cory) was recently revealed by her family.
Former president Corazon Aquino is suffering from colon cancer and is in a hospital, her family said Monday.
Aquino’s daughter Kris, a people television host and actress, read a statement on television saying the cancer was discovered when the former president went to have a check up.
A weeping Kris, with her brother, Senator Benigno Aquino III beside her, said their family is asking for “compassion and prayers for our Mom’s recovery.”
Compassion, prayers and more …read more

Last week (Wednesday, 23 January 2008) Canadian painter Conrad Furey died following a long battle with colon cancer.
Furey’s wife says the Hamilton-based artist died in his sleep early Wednesday after falling into a coma on the weekend. “It was a very peaceful death,” Theresa Furey said. “It’s how he wanted to die – he wanted to die at home and without having any discomfort. And that we promised we would do.”
She said she was by Furey’s side when he passed away, as was a nurse and another family member.
Furey’s daughter, Leah Furey, 26, lauded her father, also a sculptor, as …read more

As reported by the US Government and the CDC, the top four deadliest cancers are the following:

Lung cancer
Colon cancer
Breast cancer
Prostate cancer

We should remember though that if detected in it’s early stage, cancer need not be deadly. Moreover, if you have a family history of cancer, you should keep in mind to adjust the other cancer risk factors that can be adjusted such as your diet and your lifestyle.
In any other form of cancer, smoking and drinking alcohol are always listed in the lifestyle factors involved. So make sure to avoid those.
Like in any other serious condition, prevention is always better …read more

Earlier, I wrote about the implication of two glasses of wine daily to colon cancer in a UK study.
Now a Japanese study suggests that drinking three or more cups of coffee a day may reduce the risk or colon cancer in women (sorry guys, there was no significant benefit found in men!).
On the other hand, researchers at Johns Hopkins found that a pill combining chemicals found in turmeric and onions can help prevent colon cancer: curcumin and quercetin.
Well, maybe the wine-lovers should cut down on alcohol consumption — instead drink more coffee and add more spice into their food.

According to a study by Cancer Research UK, drinking two large glasses of wine a day increases the risk of getting bowel cancer by a quarter while even one large glass can increase the risk by 10 percent.
The warnings will come as a huge worry to millions of middle class Britons who enjoy a glass or two of wine each night believing that they are not harming their health.
Many even think they are doing themselves good after doctors extolled the benefits of a glass of red wine at night, claiming that it could protect them against heart disease.
But the …read more