Kirstie Alley, Star of cheers and the Look who’s talking Franchise, has died of cancer at the age of 71 American Cancer Society Conditions, “That cancer death rate for men and women combined fell 32% from its peak in 1991 through 2019, the most recent year for which data were available.” But the disease still remains the second leading cause of death in the United States. The ACS says: “In 2022, a total of 1.9 million new cancer cases and 609,360 cancer deaths are expected in the United States, equivalent to approximately 1,670 deaths per day.”
Beating cancer is never a painless journey, and there are still some types that are more difficult to recover from. “While no cancer is easy to defeat, some are more difficult than others,” Tomi Mitchell, a board-certified general practitioner with Holistic wellness strategies tell us. Although we don’t yet know what type of cancer, Alley claimed, “pancreatic and ovarian cancer are two types that tend to be particularly aggressive and difficult to treat.”
dr Mitchell says, “In the case of pancreatic cancer, the tumor is often deep in the abdomen, making it difficult to reach with surgery or other treatments. Also, the pancreas is surrounded by vital organs, making it risky to remove the tumor without causing serious damage. Ovarian cancer is also difficult to treat because of its location. The ovaries are small and deep in the pelvis, making them difficult to treat with surgery. Also, ovarian cancer often goes undetected until it spreads to other parts of the body. As a result, it may be too late for treatment to be effective at the time of diagnosis. While there is no easy answer to defeating these cancers, early detection and aggressive treatment are often essential to defeating the patient opportunity.”
Knowing how to spot the signs early is life-saving and Eat This, Not That! Health spoke to experts who share essential information about cancer and symptoms to watch out for. Read on – and don’t miss these to protect your health and the health of others Sure signs you already had COVID.
dr William Li, physician, scientist, president and medical director of the Angiogenesis Foundation and author of Eat to Beat Disease: The New Science of How Your Body Can Heal Itself explains: “Cancer forms all the time in the body because the 40 trillion cells that need to divide occasionally make mistakes and become mutations. However, most of these tiny cancers remain microscopic because they have no blood supply and therefore lack oxygen and nutrients to grow large. They sit in stasis in the body until immune cells rush by and recognize and destroy them.
Therefore, most cancers that form in the body are never noticed and never become a problem. However, once a cancer is able to recruit a blood supply, it can grow explosively and begin invading organs and spreading. Inflammation can also cause cells to become abnormal and promote the development of a tumor blood supply. For these reasons, it’s important to have a strong immune system, reduce inflammation, and eat foods that reduce the likelihood that a tumor will be able to build its own blood supply.”
dr Mitchell states, “Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, with over 8 million people succumbing to the disease each year. While there are many possible explanations as to why cancer is so prevalent, this is one of the most likely reasons our bodies aren’t designed to last forever. From a cellular perspective, our bodies are constantly inventing new cells to replace old ones. However, this process is imperfect and mistakes can occasionally be made during cell division. These errors, known as mutations, can cause cells to grow and divide out of control, eventually leading to cancer.
Additionally, as we age, our cells become less efficient at repairing themselves, making them more susceptible to developing cancerous mutations. While many factors contribute to the development of cancer, the basic explanation is that our bodies are not immortal. Over time, the accumulated damage to our cells leads to an increasing number of cancerous growths, eventually leading to death.”
Sean Marchese, MS, RN, a Registered Nurse The Mesothelioma Center with a clinical trials background in oncology and over 20 years of direct patient care experience tells us, “Cancer is the unrestricted growth of abnormal tissue in the body. It can start from almost any cell type and form almost anywhere in the body. Metastasis is the process that allows cancer to spread from one area to another, causing even more problems. When tumor masses grow too large or cancer cells injure sensitive regions like the brain or kidneys, critical bodily functions begin to shut down.
Lung cancer patients often experience increasing shortness of breath until they can no longer take in oxygen efficiently. Or cancer can spread to the brain and destroy healthy tissue that controls the heart and lungs or higher brain functions. Liver or bladder cancer disrupts the way your body eliminates toxins, and colon cancer can affect your body’s ability to absorb nutrients. Unfortunately, cancer kills in many ways, depending on how and where it develops.”
Debash Bose MD PhD FACS Director, Mercy Medical Center for Surgical Oncology, Baltimore MD states, “Many cancers present with symptoms that do not automatically mean you have cancer, but some things should be considered. Unintentional weight loss can have many causes, but one In the elderly, unintentional weight loss should be screened not only for the presence of cancer, but also for heart disease, depression, and nutritional deficiencies.
A number of cancers are found in the gastrointestinal tract due to bleeding. So don’t ignore it if you find blood on the toilet paper or in the toilet bowl. Blood clots in the legs can have many causes, but cancer is one of them and should be investigated. Fever, chills, and night sweats are common with viral infections but should be limited. So if they persist, you should see a doctor as a variety of blood cancers and lymphomas can occur this way.”
dr Mitchell says: “Various lifestyle choices can help reduce the risk of cancer. Perhaps most importantly, avoiding tobacco use is linked to an increased risk of several types of cancer, including lung, throat and stomach cancer. Maintaining a healthy weight is also important, as obesity is a risk factor for several types of cancer, including breast, pancreatic and ovarian cancer.
In addition, a healthy diet high in fruits and vegetables can help reduce the risk of cancer. Finally, activity and regular exercise have been shown to reduce the risk of several types of cancer, including colon and breast cancer. By making small lifestyle changes, people can make a big impact in their fight against cancer.”
