Cancer, according to recent reports, kills more people than do road accidents and air accidents put together. Cancer has become the single most dreaded killer disease, striking more and more people. World over there has been a whopping increase in the number people being afflicted with Cancer. While in the US it is mostly Colon,Breast and Lung Cancers that afflict people most, in Australia ,Skin cancer too joins the list. In the developing countries like India, Breast Cancer, Lung Cancer and Liver Cancer dominate, along with Oral Cancer because of the large number of Tobacco-chewing people.

Cancer patients are on the rise, but the heartening factor is that great advancements are being made in treating cancer. New effective drugs are being used, new pain alleviating methods treatments are in place and advanced surgical techniques are being deployed. This phenomenon of great developments in Oncology (the study and treatment of Cancer) is spreading throughout the world without exception. The far-reaching and beneficial results of the untiring research in the field of Oncology, are definitely going to reach out to the suffering millions of Cancer patients, imparting them hope and alleviation.

Cancer is a double-edged sword. It strikes a patient physically and it causes untold mental trauma. They say Cancer is curable if detected early. Early detections do occur but these constitute an abysmally low percentage of the total number of Cancer cases detected. In developing countries like India, routine health checks are unheard of. People approach the hospital or the doctor only when they fall sick. Here most Cancer cases are detected only at an advanced stage, with metastases already in progress.

Cancer gives one the stark realization that an incurable affliction has struck entailing huge treatment expenses with negligible chances of survival. On top of this the concern that the surviving members of the patient’s family would face serious financial issues, wreaks mental havoc on the patient as well as the family. But still the treatment has to be somehow undergone. The initial shock at being told by your doctor that you have Cancer, is followed by dejection and self-pity. It is very hard indeed to accept the fact that one has Cancer. Then follows the protracted courses of treatment -Chemotherapy, Surgery and Radiation, not necessarily in that order.

Cancer treatment is indeed traumatic,both physically and mentally. The cost of treatment apart, the treatment itself leaves long-standing scars on the mind as well as the body. The Chemo Injections have a wide range of side-effects like loss of hair, nausea and lowering the vital blood count, leaving the door open to infections. Continuous care and monitoring are vital. Surgery of course ,means removal of the affected part. Radiation too leaves scars and permanent discomforts to the patient’s body, the most prominent being the unbearable burning sensation on the skin.

Cancer patients have to somehow generate the will to survive and withstand the traumas of treatment. Keeping the mind diverted during the treatment helps. Listening to Music, Listening to Cancer patients who have survived the crusade, Reading -all these things help. Everything helps- the kind words from a well-wisher, the soothing prayers of the believers, the constant attention by the nurses and the doctors- every little thing helps.

Cancer patients, best of all , have to believe in themselves. But thanks to modern medicine, new cancer-fighting drugs are available. It has been found that in the case of even advanced Breast cancers , hormone treatments are providing miraculous recoveries. Transplants are too helping the cause, like liver and lung transplants. Even the dreaded Leukemia which meant certain death, today is being treated with a great amount of success. New medicines, New technologies, New treatment approaches are working together to rid humanity of this great malignancy that is Cancer.

Cancer care today lays the emphasis on treating not only the patient, but the patient’s family as well. The goal is to get patients home as quickly as possible, for as long as possible, helped by home nursing aides. The philosophy is to let the patient have a say in his own treatment, to the extent it is medically safe.

Cancer treatment has shown that the key is not to lose hope at any time. It may sometimes seem that life is going to ebb away. You may come perilously close to the edge. But do hold on. Have faith! In God or the Doctors or the people around you. It doesn’t matter who it is that you are banking on. All that matters is that you hang on!

Cancer today is becoming curable. Is this not enough to help you to transcend the trauma of this great malice?

PKP Iyer ,Java Development India
Java Development India is premium Java development Services provider in India

Lymphoplasmacytic disorder is a disease that affects the lymphoplasmacyte cells that produce monoclonal light chained immunoglobulins, which are part of the immune system.

Light chain deposit disease is a lymphoplasmacytic disorder that has uncommon monoclonal gammopathy (IgG). The symptoms should be monitored carefully in patients who also have renal disease. The diagnosis of this disease is easy when monoclonal light chains are present in the serum or urine and the renal biopsy exhibits typical morphological changes and stains for kappa or lambda light chains. It becomes difficult to diagnose when the patient does not have a known lymphoplasmacytic disorder and the monoclonal light chains are detectable only erratically.

Waldenstrom¹s macroglobulinemia (WM) is a well-known malignant disorder of lymphoplasmacytic cells that produce a monoclonal immunoglobulin M (IgM). The standardized criterion that is now established for diagnosis of this disease, includes the presence of any IgM monoclonal protein and marrow and nodal lymphoplasmacytic cells in the blood and its hyperviscosity due to increased levels of a class of heavy proteins called macroglobulins. A distinctive feature of WM is the presence of an IgM monoclonal protein that is produced by the cancer cells, and a simultaneous decrease in levels of uninvolved immunoglobulins IgG and IgA.

Many symptoms are due to the effects of the IgM paraprotein that produces autoimmune phenomenon and due to the hyperviscosity syndrome, which is attributed to the IgM monoclonal protein increasing the viscosity of the blood. Symptoms of this are manifested mainly as neurologic symptoms and can include blurring or loss of vision, headache, and at times stroke.

Monocyte function is abnormal in patients with multiple myeloma and can be further reversibly inhibited by high paraprotein levels. Further research is needed to confirm and ascertain whether monocyte function can be normalized using chemotherapy or growth factors, and whether they could be used in the treatment of this currently incurable condition.

In recent years, after intense research and study, autologous bone marrow transplantation has been included to the available treatment options.

Lymphoma provides detailed information on Lymphoma, Non Hodgkins Lymphoma, Hodgkins Lymphoma, Lymphoma Symptoms and more. Lymphoma is affiliated with Breast Cancer Symptoms.

My daughter was complaining how tired she is. Kay is in her middle thirties and had just started a new job in Human Resources.

“I am so tired, “she sighed. “I’m dragging through the day. I’m exhausted when I get home from work, I feel like going straight to bed, but when I do, I can’t really sleep. I must be coming down with something.”

“How long have you felt like this,” I asked.

“A couple of weeks,” she answered.

“Well, I think if you were ‘going to come down with something,’ you would have already,” I explained.

Kay’s new job was causing her extra stress. The extra stress was depleting her energy level which could actually end up making her sick. She was not sleeping well, even though she was exhausted. Time to take stock, I told her.

The first priority is to manage the stress. Great stress releasers are exercise and meditation. Too tired to exercise? Even walking? Then begin with meditation.

Meditation: Once a day for 20 minutes, sit in a restful spot-alone. No telephone, no television, no sound distractions. Close the blinds, turn off the bright lights, put your feet up and close your eyes. Picture a restful scene like the beach, the waves of the ocean, the soft rain drops. Many people, like me, choose a mantra, a word or sound with no meaning, to think about when meditating. After the 20 minutes are up-keep a clock nearby -slowly begin coming out of your restful state. Wiggle your toes and fingers before opening your eyes. Take another few minutes before you get up. Meditate any time of the day that is convenient for you, but do it everyday at the same time, if possible. My daughter meditates just before she goes to bed. It helps her to fall asleep. I meditate around noon. It rejuvenates me. Give meditation time. Meditation is a healer of the mind.

Food: Think about the foods you eat. Certain foods are fatigue fighters like Protein and Complex Carbohydrates. Good examples are beans, nuts, whole grains, and, yes, some red meat. Garlic, onions, and artichokes help fight fatigue and also are immune boosters. If you make these foods organic, you will gain extra fatigue fighters.

Sunlight for the finale. Sunlight can aid bone health, immune function, and help regulate blood pressure. As a breast cancer survivor, I make a point to get 20 minutes a day of sunlight without sunscreen to optimize my absorption of Vitamin D. Studies have shown Vitamin D can help fight cancer and a host of other problems. A 20 minute walk during daylight will help you eliminate fatigue.

Meditation, certain foods, and sunlight help your mind and body conquer fatigue. They work. Give them a try.

Sandy Powers
Organic for Health

http://www.organicforhealthsite.com

A breast cancer survivor who also battled liver disease, Sandy Powers turned to organic foods after her mastectomy to heal her liver and fight cancer recurrence. Her research and amazing results she shares in her recently published book “Organic For Health.” Visit Sandy at http://www.organicforhealthsite.com

Melanoma is a skin disease. Cancerous cells are produced in the melanocytes, cells that are responsible for skin color. Melanocytes, in the skin, are also found in other parts of the body, like the eyes. A majority of documented melanoma infection originates in the skin. It is a skin cancer. Melanoma is also known as malignant melanoma or cutaneous melanoma. It is curable, but an early diagnosis and treatment is very important.

According to scientific research on melanoma, an exposure to ultraviolet radiation is a major cause. Dermatologists often debate on the association of sunlight with melanoma. They believe that occasional exposure to extreme sun cannot be related to melanoma. Melanoma is commonly found in black men.

Other than the U.V. rays of the sun the other causes of this cancer are mutations or the total loss of tumor suppressing genes. Melanoma is also caused by the regular use of sun beds. These beds are known to permit deep penetration of UV rays.

Doctors diagnose melanoma by examining suspicious moles, irregular in color or shape. After a visual examination, a dermatoscopic examination is conducted. It helps to illuminate the moles, revealing the underlying pigment and vascular network structure. This helps to confirm the presence of melanoma. It is advisable for the diagnosis to be performed by an experienced specialist. The early stages melonama look identical to harmless moles.

The treatment of melanoma is also performed within a multidisciplinary approach. This includes medication and radiation. The opinion of surgical oncologists, general surgeons, neurologists and neurosurgeons is also helpful. The medication or chemotherapy for superficial melanomas, such as lentigo maligna melanoma, involves the use of imiquimod topical cream. It is an immune enhancing agent.

It is important for individuals, with family members diagnosed with melanoma to get themselves checked regularly for skin cancer.

Melanoma provides detailed information on Melanoma, Malignant Melanoma, Melanoma Cancer, Nodular Melanoma and more. Melanoma is affiliated with Ozone Generator.

Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States. The number of new cases of skin cancer is rising each year. Skin cancer affects people of all skin types, and can occur anywhere on the body, however is most common on areas of the skin that has been exposed to the sun, such as the face, neck, hands, and arms. Research studies have revealed that any exposure to direct sunlight can cause you severe damage, from sunburn to skin cancer. Increasingly harmful UV rays can penetrate skin layers and cause irreversible damage. Skin cancer is a common form of cancer which can quite often be successfully treated if detected early. This is very important, as even melanoma has a high recovery rate if treated early.

What does skin cancer look like?

Only your doctor can tell you for sure if you have a form of skin cancer, but there are some warning signs you can look for to let you know when you need to see your doctor. You can help yourself by self-examination. Basically you should check your entire body for anything unusual. Get your partner of family member to help in areas you can not see properly.

The first symptom of skin cancer is a tumor on the skin. Since these tumors appear on the skin, they can be detected at an early stage.

It is important to be familiar with your body so that you notice any differences. Moles are extremely common, and the average person has 10 to 40 of them. Even having some unevenly shaped moles is quite common. These are benign growths and they are nothing to worry about.

However, you should be familiar with your moles and their appearance.

The other signs you should keep an eye out for are:

* New moles

* Changes in color or shape in existing moles, or moles that start to bleed

* Moles that continue to grow

* Sores on the mole that won’t seem to heal.

Any of these changes could be a sign of a cancerous tumor developing, and you should consult your doctor as soon as possible.

SO REMEMBER!

When you are out in the sun, make sure that you protect yourself. The most important thing is to wear a sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher. Wear protective clothing, good quality sunglasses, and most definitely a wide brimmed hat. Damage caused by the sun can take quite a long time to actually start showing, so taking care of your skin now, could end up saving your life.

SKIN CANCER IS WIDELY PREVENTABLE, SO TAKE ACTION NOW.

You could learn more by visiting my blog, skincancer-rod at http://skincancer-rod.blogspot.com

For a very long time I have been fascinated by the relationship between the mind and body. In fact, despite resistance from much of the medical community, the field of integrative medicine is rapidly gaining a foothold. (The Joint Commission, which accredits hospitals in the U.S. has mandated that all hospitals adopt integrative medicine programs by 2007.) This trend is being documented almost daily by the United States National Institutes of Health. Professionally I spend a considerable amount of time documenting such research for The International Hypnosis Research Institute. This is especially true when integrative research involves hypnosis. 

One of the most important concepts involving integrative concepts is that of stress. Interest in stress can be traced back to the 1920’s when Walter Cannon’s work revealed the direct relationship between stress and neuroendocrine responses in animals. He coined the phrase “fight or flight” to describe the primitive reflexes of sympathetic and adrenal activation in response to perceived danger and other environmental pressures such as cold and heat. Hans Selye further defined the deleterious impact of stress and destress on health. It is noteworthy that these findings went on the “back burner” as simultaneously technological advances in the identification of specific pathological changes and new pharmaceutical discoveries were advancing at a rapid pace. 
 
During World War II, stress again emerged as a health care issue. In response to the shortage of morphine in combat zones, Henry Beecher, M.D. discovered that when injecting a saline solution soldiers could obtain pain relief just as if they had received morphine. This belief factor, which he coined as a “placebo response”, is now generally considered the cause of approximately 30-35% of cures within the allopathic medical community. While I recognize the roll of the placebo effect in medicine, I have seen too many cases in which positive results exceed the 30% placebo threshold. For instance with psychosomatic illnesses such as fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, and dermal disorders, I have read voluminous results highlighting credible scientific research supporting an 80-90% cure rate or significant symptom reduction. In my clinical practice I have been able to duplicate or exceed these results. Furthermore, I have seen interesting research investigating stress reduction and guided imagery with other, non-psychosomatic illnesses.  
 
If I were to give justice to the issue of stress in medicine I would have to cover several topics. However, in the interests of space I wish to give an example of the relationship between stress and wound healing. Medical doctors have long recognized the differences in wound healing. Clinical observations have suggested that negative moods or stress is associated with slow wound healing. Basic integrative medical research is now confirming this observation. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and the tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs), whose expression can be controlled by cytokines, play a role in wound healing. Using a blister chamber wound model on human forearm skin exposed to ultraviolet light, researchers have demonstrated that stress or change in mood is sufficient to modulate MMP and TIMP expression and presumably, wound healing. Activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) and sympmathetic-adrenal medullary (SAM) systems can modulate levels of MMPs, providing a physiological link among mood, stress, hormones, and wound healing. This line of research suggests that patients even in the normal range of depressive symptoms, could alter MMP levels and change the course of wound healing in blister wounds. Furthermore, this would then lead to the possible conclusion (or at least a series of relevant theories and hypotheses) that by controlling what we think, how we handle stress, and what we allow our senses to absorb (i.e., environment — such as watching too much CNN) can and will affect our health. Then, this leads us to a logical question of the ability of the mind to affect the health of a specific organ, cholesterol level, blood pressure, etc. Frankly, I don’t feel that we are too far from the ancient Tibetan beliefs of being able to move subtle energies in our body through the use of our thoughts and our awareness. 
 
I have a hard time answering such as question about stress and the mind body nexus without throwing in a mention of the latest research proposed by one of my teachers, Ernest Rossi, Ph.D. of San Diego, California. In his latest work, The Psychobiology of Gene Expression (2002), Rossi discusses the role of arousal, a significant component of stress, as a factor in the “reprogramming” of our DNA. Surely, this must be a significant factor in understanding any integrative concept. He admits that this is merely a hypothesis at this point. However, it is based upon his extensive research into breakthroughs derived from the recent mapping of the human genome. 
 
Also, consider the research documented by E. L. Santacangelo and L. Sebastini in 2004 in the  American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis when they stated that there is a relationship between highly hypnotizabiity (e.g., susceptibility) people and their ability to protect themselves against cardiovascular hazards due mostly from an onset of stress. Another significant research was presented by Catalina Lawsin, M.D., of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in 2007, when she recognized that the use of stress reduction techniques were a major factor in the survival of colorectal cancer, especially among the younger patients. And lastly, I wish to cite the recent findings of a recent Italian study (University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy), in which the researchers found that certain specific emotional numbing suggestions were the main factor in the hypnotic modulation of the experience of fear. They found that the suggestions were manifested in a reduction of heart rate, heart rate variability, and blood pressure.
 
It is clear to me that we are still only starting the see the beginning of a revolution of health care. This revolution will fully recognize that all medicine must have a mind-body, integrative quality. While I fantasize daily that someday medical doctors and psychologists will actually converse in the same language as partners in the healing process, I recognize that this dream has a long way to go. Indeed, there are too many “professionals” in both fields that have achieved premature closure about the role of the other. (For instance, those qualified medical professionals that still insist that “hypnosis has its place, but not in modern medicine.” This is despite the fact that the American Medical Association approved hypnosis in 1958; the American Psychological Association did so in 1959.) I am committed to the prophecy that allopathic medicine will be revolutionized within the next 25 years. Even though the “profit motive” of the pharmaceutical-medical complex appears to have a strangle hold of medical evolution, recent surveys by the National Institutes of Health are reflecting that medical consumers are demanding alternative modalities. Ever since iatrogenic illnesses (that is, illnesses resulting from medical malpractice) were determined to be the leading cause of death in America in 2003, it has been obvious that a change is in order and long overdue. 
 
Other than the references that I specifically mentioned above, I would like to add the following references: 
 
Cannon WB. The Wisdom of the Body. New York, NY: Norton; 1932.
Selye H. The Stress of Life. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill; 1956.
Beecher H. Measurement of Subjective Responses. New York, NY: Oxford University Press; 1959.
Stamenkovic I. Extracellular matrix remodelling: the role of matrix metalloproteinases. Journal of Pathology. 2003;200(4):448-464.
Stamenkovic I. Extracellular matrix remodelling: the role of matrix metalloproteinases. Journal of Pathology. 2003;200(4):448-464.
 
Of course, The International Hypnosis Research Institute Web site (http://www.hypnosisresearchinstitute.org) is a great resource on this subject. 

Tim Brunson DCH
The International Hypnosis Research Institute is member supported project involving integrative health care specialists from around the world. We provide information and educational resources to clinicians.

Electronic smog is caused by the electricity that powers our civilization. It is an invisible smog which is linked to depression, miscarriage and cancer. Ironically electronic smog increases with advancement in technology, making more and more people allergic to electricity. This type of allergy causes nausea, pain, dizziness, depression and difficulties in sleeping and concentration among people who use electrical appliances or go near cell phone masts. Electronic smog is the continuously growing quantity of electromagnetic radiation (EMR), which, according to WHO estimates, affects up to three in every 100 people.

Mindboggling Range of Spectrum

The range of the electromagnetic spectrum is mind bogglingly vast. At one end of the scale are fields with frequencies of several seconds, and at the other frequencies of billions of times a second. The highest frequencies known are 50,000,000,000,000,000,000 Hertz (pulses per second). Scientists estimate that our daily exposure to radiation is 100 million times higher than it was in our grandparents’ time. Some people react to even very low levels of exposure, often to specific items.

Our body goes through a lot of electric activity. It uses electric impulses to transmit signals between nerves. Electromagnetic interferences can seriously affect these activities. Everyday electronic items such as television, radio, and microwave, create a magnetic field around them and can affect human body. And this level of smog will only increase further with advances in technology

Disruptive to Body’s Natural Energy Fields

Scientists have shown that EMRs can be disruptive to the human body’s own natural energy fields. Their waves are not blocked or weakened by objects in their way and they enter our body and upset its cellular function and biological processes. EMR can cause headaches, tiredness and even immune system disorders. Appliances which have proximity to the human head, like electric hair dryers, shavers and bedside digital alarms, are more dangerous. This is the reason why sensitivity to a computer screen is common, as we sit near to them, but sensitivity to television sets is less common, as we are usually six or more feet away from them.

The World Health Organization considers electronic smog “one of the most common and fastest growing environmental influences.” Too much electronic smog causes our body’s electric field to become unbalanced, to slow down, to darken in spots, to stagnate, resulting in sickness and premature death.

According to scientists, the electrical fields given off by a wide variety of household items, including computers, televisions, cookers, lamps and even wiring, charge minuscule particles in the air such as viruses, bacteria, allergens and highly toxic pollutants. These particles are tiny. Being less than 80 times the thickness of a human hair, they are constantly airborne and we breathe them in all the time.

Effects on Children

International Agency for Research on Cancer, a segment of the WHO, has classified electronic smog as a “possible human carcinogen” and the University of New York’s School of Public Health is of the opinion that electronic smog can cause up to 30% of all childhood cancers.

A study by the National Radiological Protection Board, UK, has linked electronic smog to leukemia in children. The Health Protection Agency, Britain’s top health protection watchdog, has warned against the ill effects of Wi-Fi networks on children as this system is increasingly being set up in British schools.

Cell Phone Radiation

According to a Swedish study, because of intense usage of cell phones, the present generation of teenagers runs the risk of becoming senile by middle age. A study by Finnish scientists reported 40 percent increase in the risk of developing brain tumor for those using cell phones for over ten years. They are likely to be affected on that side of the head where they hold the phone to talk. Most scientists agree that children below the age of eight should not be allowed to use a cell phone.

Recent research has found a dangerous association between cell phone and a man’s sperm quality. It has been found that the more hours a man spends on his cell phone leads to lower sperm count and greater percentage of abnormal sperm.

Ways to Increase Resistance to EMR Damage

• Increase intake of antioxidants, melatonin, vitamins B, C, E and folic acid as these are natural oxidative stress fighters
• Fish, poultry, meat and tap water are main sources of heavy metal ingestion. Find out the source of these items before consumption. Eat fresh, chemical-free, organic meats, fruits and vegetables. Test for allergic responses.
• Avoid or minimize caffeine and alcoholic beverages, especially distilled liquor.
• Drink carbon filtered water possibly in glass or ceramic containers. Limit water in plastic bottles. Use recycled paper products for drinking and eating; avoid plastic or Styrofoam.
• Exercise increases metabolism. Breathe slowly and deeply. Surround yourself with nature as often as possible.
• Replace bright and fluorescent light with subdued full-spectrum/natural incandescent bulbs or candle light as much as possible. Increase melatonin naturally by sleeping in the darkest room possible.
• Get up to a couple hours of sun exposure

How To Avoid Electronic Smog

• Minimize usage cell phones, cordless phones, and WiFi devices.
• Do not keep cell phones near your head. Turn it off when you are not using it and keep 6-7 feet gap between yourself and any part of your body. Never use it to play games, movies, etc.
• When using the cell phone wear air tube headsets
• Avoid keeping cell phone in pocket, purse, back or on hip all day. Close proximity to the hip may also affect fertility because the hip produces 80% of the body’s red blood cells and is especially vulnerable to EMR damage.
• Pregnant women, women with a baby/small child in arms, and those under age 16, should avoid cell phone use when in a vehicle (car, train, plane, subway) as radiation gets trapped and is higher in these closed metal zones. Cordless phone base emits high levels of EMR even when not in use. So it is advised to replace them with wired, corded lines (phones, Internet, games, appliances, devices, etc.).
• Minimize use of computers use, sit as far away from the screen as possible; preferably use flat screens. Use wired Internet connections, not WiFi - especially for laptops. Keep laptops off of the body and away from metal surfaces.
• Keep alarm clock away. Keep radio at least 3 feet from head or use battery power. It is recommended that you keep at least 6 feet distance from all electronic devices during sleep. Avoid waterbeds, electric blankets and metal bed frames. Futons/wood frames are better than metal-coiled mattresses and box-springs.
• When using electric stoves, cook on back burners instead of front, as much as possible. Keep away from metals as they attract EMR.

Electronic Smog

One of the causes of cancer is abnormal genes. Cancer causing genes are called oncogenes and genes that prevent cancer are called tumor suppressor genes. Cancers can occur when the normal genes are not functioning normally. Genes, as you know, are the blueprints to the body. They tell a cell what it will be and what it will do. We could not function if the process did not run well. There is a system in place that is designed to keep good genes running and suppress bad genes. This process is called epigenetics.

Epigenetic changes are modifications to the genome that are heritable during cell division but do not involve a change in DNA sequence. Expression of genes is not regulated by the DNA sequence, which is the same in every cell, but by epigenetic marking and packaging. This process regulates chromatin structure through DNA methylation, histone variants, post-translational modifications, nucleosome positioning factors or chromatin loop and domain organization.

How can this cause cancer? Well, if a tumor suppressor gene is abnormally turned off, or an oncogene is turned on, then cancer (carcinogenesis) can occur. One key is a chemical change to the DNA called methylation. First, we need to define the process to make it clearer.

DNA contains four bases: adenine, guanine, cytosine, thymidine, but there is a fifth base methylated cytosine. DNA methyl-transferase (DNMT) produces methyl-cytosine where cytosines precede guanine (CpG). The CpG areas are not symmetric but clustered in CpG islands located at promoter regions. The promoter region is the region at the beginning of a gene and it controls the start of gene transcription. If the promoter is off, then the gene never is expressed.

Abnormal methylation in cancer has been known for 20 years. Hypo-methylated areas turn on normally silent areas such as virally inserted genes or inactive X-linked genes. Hyper-methylated areas silence tumor suppresser genes.

We know that cancers have abnormal levels of methylation and we know foods can help prevent cancers. Is there a link between foods and epigenetics? Yes!

The study of food nutrients and their effect on disease through epigenetics is known as nutrigenomics. This is a growing field, in fact, it is exploding. A Google search for the term nutrigenomics produces 127,000 entries.

Epidemiologic studies suggest there are bad foods and good foods. BAD: red meat, processed meat, grilled meat, dairy, animal fat, partially hydrogenated fats. Good: Fish, fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, omega-3 fatty acids, whole grains.

You can study the epigenetic effects of bad or good foods. I’m going to talk about some of the cancer preventing foods and how their mechanisms include epigenetic effects.

Foods with epigenetic effects include green tea, cruciferous vegetables, and grapes. Usually we hear about antioxidants and foods. Antioxidants are important but there are beneficial substances in foods called polyphenols which can affect genes. Of the polyphenols, different forms exist but flavonoids are the most highly cited for health benefits and are found in a variety of vegetables and fruits. Types of flavonoids include flavanols in tea, isothiocyanate in cruciferous vegetables, anthocyanidins in grapes and berries, flavonone in citrus fruits, flavonols in onions, isoflavones (genistein) in soy.

All tea contains polyphenols, but the highest levels are in green and white tea. Green tea has been well studied and appears to have anti-cancer benefits. In China, green tea drinkers are 50% less likely to develop gastric or esophageal cancer (Carcin 2002; 23 (9): 1497), and 2 cups daily added to topical tea extract reversed oral leukoplakia (J. Nutri Biochem 2001; 12 (7): 404).

Green tea has powerful antioxidant effects but it also helps to balance normal methylation in DNA. In fact, one study in esophageal cancer cells demonstrated that EGCG from green tea is able to turn on tumor suppressor genes that had been chemically silenced by methylation (Cancer Research 2003;63:7563).

Cruciferous vegetables include broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Bok choi and their anti-cancer effects have been demonstrated in epidemiologic studies. These powerful vegetables not only induce enzymes that break down carcinogens but they also inhibit DNA methylation allowing tumor suppressor genes to thrive. Inhibiting abnormal methylation also helps cruciferous vegetables to inhibit the cancer causing action of tobacco smoke by preventing the formation of nitrosamine-DNA adducts.

Grapes, which contain reserveratrol, are excellent for heart health and they have anti-cancer activity. Grapes work by preventing the formation or initiation and promotion of cancers. They don’t have methylating actions as discussed above but they work by modulation histones.

Histones are the chief protein component of the DNA chain (chromatin). They act as spools for the DNA to wind around which then shortens the length of the DNA to 30,000 times shorter than an unwrapped strand. This process not only allows the long DNA chain to fit into a cell but also plays a role in gene expression because how the genes are wound affects which are exposed and available for turning on or off. Rolling the spool a different way would expose other genes and change their expression.

Histones are modified after translation by acetylation, methylation, phosphorylation, ubiquitination. The changes occur at lysine residues (except for phosphorylation of serine or threonine). When the histone is acetylated the charge is changed and the histone loosens its grip on the DNA strand and the DNA unwinds, exposing the genes to be transcribed, or repaired.

When histone tails (H3,H4) are acetylated, genes are transcribed, when they are deacetylated, genes are turned off. Histone deacetylases work to maintain deacetylated sites.

Resveratrol, found in grapes, activates Sirtuins; SirT1 (Sir2 proteins). There are at least 7 Sir2-like proteins and they are histone deacetylators. Sirtuins are induced in animals during starvation states. They seem to have a life preservation effect. Interestingly, when an animal is starved, it can live longer. When the calorie intake of rodents was decreased by 40% in rodents, they actually lived 50% longer and appear to have fewer chronic diseases. The same benefit occurs when rodents when they are given resveratrol in their diet.

Resveratrol deacetylates histones causing tighter packing of the chromatin and a lower level of transcription of DNA. This silencing of the DNA is thought to be the mechanism of life prolongation, heart health, and its beneficial actions to prevent cancers. This is why grapes or red wine is beneficial to your health. How much red wine should you drink? No one knows for sure, but any beneficial effects might be negated after two glasses a day because of the alcohol. I wouldn’t advise drinking more than this until more is known. The data is very promising, but more research is needed.

Our knowledge of disease expanded in the genomic era due to the human genome project but the study of genes is not enough. Epigenetics is a very important and complicated concept that helps explain how genes are turned on or off. As more studies are completed we will be able to unlock the mechanisms to diseases and produce new therapies that could turn off bad genes and turn on good genes. More importantly, these studies will demonstrate how foods affect your genes and can prevent or reverse diseases or cancers. Nutrigenomics, the study of how food chemicals (nutrients) affect genes, is a growing field and promises to change the way we look at and eat our meals. Some of the most beneficial foods include green tea, cruciferous vegetables and grapes, but don’t stop there. The more fruits and vegetables the better when it comes to your health.

Robert Avery MD, is a practicing oncologist in the St. Louis area. He has a keen interest not only in cancer care and therapy but also nutrition and how is helps prevent cancer. He is owner of Citrine Sun, an online company dedicated to helping cancer patients through every stage of their illness through education and natural supplements. An interesting newsletter and information about helpful supplements are available at his website, http://www.citrinesun.com Contact Dr. Avery through his email, AskDrAvery@citrinesun.com