A Follow Up: A Cure for Cancer? Sure…

JeremyS,

And so the dialogue begins, thank you for taking interest in a topic that needs a bit of attention. After reviewing your comments, I thought long and deep about how to respond about the American Cancer Society (ACS). I have decided to dedicate a full letter to you so that the forum can continue in a way that adds insight for the average health-seeking layman. To answer your question bluntly, yes, I’m saying exactly that: if ACS works directly and more intimately within the public realm, this will expedite the process of preventing cancer, and that this can be achieved by educating the populace at an individual, grassroots level.

In the initial stages, when I first began preliminary searches into resources supporting cancer patients, I found solace in the recommendations described by ACS’s “The Complete Guide: Nutrition and Physical Activity”, thinking that this was a wonderful place to advocate for a person’s health. The initial paragraphs do describe some terms and conditions a person could employ in order to achieve a basic bill of health; and don’t get me wrong, this is valuable information. However, as I read more deeply into the different disease states, the advice appears rather bland, focused on a broad audience. It is presented in a cookie-cutter format: not really addressing how to adequately and effectively treat at the individual level, and not really covering all the bases for good healthcare management. These are not good details to miss when attempting to prevent or to treat a debilitating disease. This is where I see a limitation in ACS’s methodology, and a great opportunity for implementing a positive change.

An acute example of this discrepancy is located within the section describing “pancreatic cancer”, a disease where insulin plays a rather large role in most cases. The obvious details of avoiding foods containing high levels of sugar, like soft drinks, refined and processed foods, and other high-glycemic items like the potato go strangely missing. Its commentary focuses on studies that “may” do this or that, walking a line that creates vague distinctions for a person wishing to avoid cancer.

I say this, because basic instructions, aimed at a general population, and an ill-defined treatment or preventative approach can lead to: a poor plan of action for an individual who is seeking to be healthyand, more importantly, harmful consequences.

In all honesty, there is no advice presented on this level of generality that could replace specific and tailored guidance at the individual level. Overall, I found the information somewhat helpful, but in turn problematic, as it could cause a poor set of circumstances for an uneducated individual. Luckily, both of these points are aptly addressed when focus is placed upon individual-to-individual interactions. This is the area that I am concentrating, and likewise trying to get ACS to focus its attention upon.

We are all unique human beings and how we move and interact within our environments makes us who we are: the good, the bad, and… the ugly. Cancers are unique to each individual. The term “breast cancer” does not encompass all the different forms that breast cancer can take, nor does it address the metabolic blueprint for every individual affected by this particular form of cancer, or how the cancer developed in the first place. A systematic approach to treating cancer will lead to unnecessary side effects, greater risks for other diseases and ailments. Moreover, individuals who really need specific direction will fall through the cracks, and ultimately end up as dissatisfied customers. Therefore, it seems natural that to treat cancer successfully, we must begin with the individual, in the community areas where s/he interacts on a daily basis.

This is why I recommended working through grocery stores and school systems, as well as protecting people’s health by supporting products that do not harm the environment or the individual directly. I would even go so far as to send a shout to NCNM, my alma mater, a Natural Medicine school focused on treating ALL patients as individuals, each with a unique treatment plan, with a primary focus on treating the root cause of imbalance. Each of these areas seems like obvious places to invest.

The ACS has ample amounts of funds to divert towards these issues, but instead advocates that:

“Public, private, and community organizations should work to create social and physical environments that support the adoption and maintenance of healthful nutrition and physical activity behaviors.

1. Increase access to healthful foods in schools, worksites, and communities.

2. Provide safe, enjoyable, and accessible environments for physical activity in schools and for transportation and recreation in communities.”

Yes, this is a fabulous idea, in fact, I suggesting just that.

Let’s take their community oriented programs and bring them closer to home. Community based formats are actively being pursued in several small avenues, but this, unfortunately takes money. This is why these avenues have remained small and not the rivers of change, not the conduits of information to the public that we so desperately need.Advocating for a little funding from the ACS to support these organizations makes sense, especially because:

“The American Cancer Society is the nationwide community-based voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from cancer, through research, education, advocacy, and service.”

If ACS invests more heavily here, into these community based fronts, there will not only be a decrease in cancer, but other debilitating diseases as well. In some regards the ACS has taken steps towards this direction, I am simply advocating for a stronger presence into these areas.

Thank you for taking the time to respond, it keeps me thinking, assessing, and making sense out of all the information that is out there. I must admit, that it can be difficult being an educated consumer, however the rewards of knowledge are far-reaching and profound. Thanks for stretching my noodle.

Have a brilliantly beautiful day, JeremyS.

C. Biscuit

As an aside, in my search for answers to your questions, I found a website, also aimed at preventive measures for cancer: The Cancer Prevention Coalition (CPC), which pointed out a few of the forgotten pieces not presented by the ACS. CPC’s board members are a collection of international doctors and professors with diverse and appropriate backgrounds. An MD out of Chicago, Dr. Samuel Epstein keeps this resource updated and provides advice to consumers ranging from protection against chemicals, pharmaceutical drugs, food additives, as well as environmental toxins. Epstein also acts as a watchdog for cancer-preventative based agendas, and keeps his audience updated and informed about the politics behind organizations like ACS, the US National Cancer Institute, and US governmental policies.