Download I don`t want Cancer- What do I do?

I don’t want CancerWhat do I do?
Petra Ketterl, MD
Medical Oncologist
Physician Advisor
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Is cancer contagious?
 Importance of the Lymph System
 Cancer prevention and the Environment:
Chronic Inflammation
 Good and Bad Bacteria: Gut Dysbiosis

Is Cancer Contagious?

Mostly no
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No amount of sex, kissing, touching, sharing
meals, breathing the same air can spread
established cancers from one person to
another
Cancer cells from one person cannot live in
another person


Of course there always are exceptions!
Exception 1:
Organ Transplant/Medications
 After
organ transplant– a few cases of
cancer from a transplanted organ
But: organ transplants
higher risk of cancer
 Anti-rejection drugs weaken immune system to allow
the organ to be accepted in the body but you also
can’t attack pre-cancer cells or viruses which cause
cancer
A weak immune system will be
unable to get rid of cancer cells
Exception 2: Transfer during
Pregnancy

A Mother’s cancer rarely affects baby

Melanoma can spread to placenta and
fetus
So…

You can’t catch cancer from a person who
already has cancer
But you CAN catch Germs which
can cause Cancer….
Infections/ Germs (bacteria and viruses)
CAN be passed to another person
 A healthy immune system can fight off the
infections
 Some cancers are caused by germs
 So: cancer cannot be spread by contact, but
cancer-causing germs can be
 Usually spread by sex or blood exposure

Bacteria causing CancerH Pylori
You may not know you have it
 Causes chronic gastritis, duodenal and
gastric ulcers
 Risk of developing a stomach cancer is 2-6X
 Need to be tested if you have history of
ulcer
 Spread by fecal-oral, oral-oral route
 Wash hands, food, drink safe water

Bacteria causing CancerH. Pylori
Helicobacter pylori  cancer of the
stomach
 Lymphoma of the stomach (gastric
lymphoma) and stomach cancer (gastric
adenocarcinoma)


Higher risk in hospital workers
Types of Viruses causing Cancer
 HPV

Human Papilloma Virus
cancer of cervix, vagina, vulva, penis,
anus, mouth, throat, head and neck

 higher risk if smoking, alcohol

 sexually transmitted virus
Types of Viruses causing Cancer
 Epstein-Barr

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virus (EBV)
 nose and throat cancer
(nasopharyngeal)
 lymphoma of the stomach, Hodgkin
lymphoma, Burkitt lymphoma
 viral illness from EBV also called
mononucleosis or Mono
Types of Viruses causing Cancer
 Hepatitis

B and C
liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma)
 Human herpes virus Type 8 (HHV-8)
  a skin cancer called Kaposi’s sarcoma, mostly
in AIDS
 Human T-lymphotropic virus -1
  CLL leukemia, Non-Hodgkin lymphoma NHL
Cancer and HIV

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HIV virus weakens the immune system
Causes AIDS
 causes cancers esp “unusual” lymphomas
  more common in HIV patients
 -- weak immune system or other

viruses

Cancer-Causing Parasites

Some worms called flukes can cause
bladder and bile duct cancers
The Case of the Tasmanian Devil
So IS cancer contagious?????
Well mostly no but:
Tasmanian Devils
Cancer cells are being passed by physical
contact – Harper’s Magazine April 2008
 Their immune system does not recognize
the cancer cells as coming from another
animal

MOST Cancers
are NOT caused by Infections

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Cancer happens when:
 something changes a cell’s DNA
(DNA is the genetic blueprint of the cell)

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1. Inherited
2. developed during life
- sun damage, tobacco, virus, toxins
- chronic inflammation
- lack of good nutrition
The Stepchild
of The Medical Field
The Lymphatic System
Importance of the Lymphatic
System

Vital part of the immune system

Part of the circulatory system
Lymphatic System

Network of organs and lymphatic vessels

Transports clear fluid called lymph fluid

Lymph fluid contains white blood cells

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White blood cells fight infection
Lymphatic System
Other Functions
of the Lymphatic System
Transports fats from stomach and bowels
to liver
 Gets rid of toxins and waste
 Filters out bacteria
 Manages fluid levels in body

The Spleen
Spleen- The Body’s Filter
Controls amount of red blood cells
 Removes bacteria/ germs
 Helps fight infection
 Makes and activates white blood cells called
lymphocytes  to fend off infections
 Lymphocytes produce antibodies to kill
infections (virus, bacteria, parasites)
 If you loose your spleen you are more prone
to get infections

Lymph Nodes
Lymph Nodes
The Smaller Filters
> 500 lymph nodes in body
 Occur in clusters

Produces lymphocytes to fight infection
 Filters and removes foreign particles
(bacteria, cancer cells)

Lymphatic SystemFluid

Fluid/ plasma leaves cells in body once it
delivers nutrients and removes waste
 Most plasma fluid returns to blood vessels/
veins
 Remainder becomes lymph
 Lymphatic vessels connect to blood vessels
near the heart

Diseases of the Lymphatic System

Enlargement of lymph nodes =
lymphadenopathy (infection, inflammation,
cancer)

Lymphedema = swelling of body parts due to
lymph channel blockage (surgery, radiation,
cancer)

Cancers of the lymphatic system =
Lymphoma
Lymphadenopathy
Swollen Lymph Nodes
Lymphedema
swollen body parts
Importance of
Movement of Lymph Fluid
-
-
There is twice as much lymph fluid than blood
Move from between cells (interstitial fluid) to blood
vessels
No pump (like blood system  heart)
Valves
Valves open with pressure (skeletal muscle
contraction, diaphragm)
Diaphragm moves lymph fluid: inhale increases
pressure in abdomen and less pressure in chest
fluid moves up, valves prevent it from going back
down
How do Lymphatic Valves work?
Boost your Lymphatic System

80% of people have a sluggish lymphatic
system
Boost your Lymphatic System
1. Breathe deeply  pump that lymph!
 2. Get moving – rebounding on a minitrampoline, stretching, aerobic exercise
 3. Drink plenty of water (esp lemon water)
 4. Eat fruit on an empty stomach – enzymes
and acids are lymph cleansers
 5. Eat green vegetables (chlorophyll helps
clean lymph)

Mini Trampoline
Boost your Lymphatic System
6. Eat raw unsalted nuts and seeds  healthy
fatty acids
 7. Lymph-boosting teas: astralagus,
ecchinacea, goldenseal, wild indigo root
 8. Dry brush skin before showering (natural
bristle brush, circular motions upward from
feet to torso and fingers to chest)
 9. Alternate hot and cold showers for several
minutes

Dry Brushing
Boost your Lymphatic System
10. Gentle massage for lymph-stimulation
and freeing trapped toxins
 11. Acupuncture
 12. Inversion table
 13.Yoga
 14. Legs up the Wall
 15. Use a standing desk
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Risk Factors for Cancer
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Age
Alcohol
Cancer-causing substances
Chronic inflammation
Diet
Hormones
Immunosuppression
Infections
Obesity
Radiation
Sunlight
Tobacco
Inflammation
 The
Cause of all (or at least a lot
of) problems
Inflammation Helps our Body
Inflammation = normal body response helps injured
tissues to heal and protects from outside irritants
Inflammatory process
 chemicals are released by damaged tissue
 White blood cells go to the injury, make cells
divide and grow to rebuild tissue and repair
 Once wound heals, inflammatory process ends
Chronic Inflammation
Is not “normal”
Inflammatory process may begin without
an injury
 Does not end when it should

Chronic Inflammation
Risk Factors/ Causes
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Mostly unknown
Infections which don’t go away
Abnormal immune reactions to normal
tissues
Obesity
Smoking
High sugar intake
High saturated fat diet
Increasing age
Diseases related to
Chronic Inflammation
Heart disease
 Diabetes
 Alzheimer’s
 Stroke
 Kidney disease
 Chronic lower respiratory disease
 Cancer

Chronic Inflammation and Cancer
Over time chronic inflammation
  DNA damage  first step to cancer
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Example: chronic inflammatory bowel
disease (ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease)
can lead to colon cancer
Obesity and Chronic Inflammation

Fat cells produce cytokines = hormones
which set inflammation into motion
Testing for Chronic Inflammation
High sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP)
 Homocysteine level
 Apolipoprotein B to A1 ratio
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Natural Protection against
Chronic Inflammation
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Dietary fiber (whole grains)
Fish oil
Sesame, flax seed
Curcumin
Magnesium
DHEA (?)
Green Tea
Low-glycemic diet
Less total and saturated fat and cholesterol
Increased exercise
Low Glycemic Diet
Drugs which help with
Chronic Inflammation
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Pentoxifylline
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- usually used for patients with small blood vessel disease of the
limbs
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Metformin
Metformin
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Treatment for diabetes
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Suppresses chronic inflammation
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May slow aging and slow tumor growth
Last (for today) but not Least…
Death begins in the Gut
Ellie Metchnikoff
The Gut/ Digestive System

How does your gut get unhealthy?
It’s about the Bugs!
“Normal” Bacteria and Gut Flora

help digestion

protect body from bad bacteria
Bad Bacteria –
Bacterial Overgrowth

Illness occurs
-- when amount of friendly bacteria is
reduced
 -- when bad bacteria increase
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Gut Dysbiosis

= microbe imbalance on or inside the
body
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Associated with illnesses like:
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inflammatory bowel disease, chronic
fatigue syndrome, obesity, cancer, bacterial
vaginosis, colitis
Causes of Dysbiosis
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Antibiotic exposure
Birth control pills or hormones
Steroids (prednisone, cortisone)
Alcohol
Inappropriate diet, high sugar intake
Stress
Pesticides on our food
Aspirin
Bacterial toxins from bad bacteria
Effects of Dysbiosis
Damage to good or friendly bacterial
colonies allow the bad bacteria to grow
 Bad bacteria can excrete waste products
which are toxic to you

Leaky Gut
Leaky Gut Syndrome
Lining of intestines is the natural barrier
to bad things
 If it breaks down like from dysbiosis, bad
bacteria, viruses, parasites  undigested
food gets into the bloodstream
 This overly activates your immune system
 May get autoimmune diseases

Conditions Caused by Dysbiosis
IBS – Irritable Bowel Syndrome
 Acne
 Food allergies
 Chronic fatigue
 Depression
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Conditions associated with
Leaky Gut Syndrome
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Bloating and weight gain
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Celiac disease
Crohn’s Disease/ Ulcerative Colitis
Hives, acne, eczema, psoriasis
Allergies/ Food allergies
Inflammatory joint disease/ arthritis/ Rheumatoid
Arthritis
Intestinal infections
Pancreatic insufficiency
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Joint pain
The Good News
You can change the bad back to good
bacteria!
Getting rid of Bad Bacteria
Eating yoghurt, acidophilus milk, kefir that
contains good bacteria
 Probiotic capsules
 Prebiotic capsules (FOS) fructooligosaccharides are good food for good
bacteria
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