Anticancer: by David Servan-Schreiber
All of us have cancer cells in our bodies. But not all of us will develop cancer. Why?
From the cover:
David Servan-Schreiber was a rising neuroscientist with his own brain imaging laboratory when, in the middle of an equipment test, he discovered a tumor the size of a walnut in his own brain. Forced to confront what medicine knows about cancer, and all that we still do not know, Servan-Schreiber marshaled his will to live and set out to understand the complex inner workings of the body’s natural cancer-fighting capabilities. He soon found himself on a decades-long journey from disease and relapse into scientific exploration and, finally, a new view of health.
Anticancer is at once the moving story of one doctor’s inner and outer search for wellness and a radical exposition of the roles that lifestyle, environment, and trauma play in our health. Drawing on the latest research in integrative medicine that blends conventional and alternative approaches, Servan-Schreiber concisely explains what makes cancer cells thrive, what inhibits them, and how we can empower ourselves to prevent their growth. His advice details how to develop a science-based anticancer diet (and the small changes that can make a big difference); how to reap the benefits of exercise, yoga, and meditation; which toxic, unsafe products to replace in your home; and how to stave off the effects of helplessness and unhealed wounds to regain balance.
Why should you read this book?
Cancer is a devastating disease we’re all afraid of getting. But there’s hope in protecting ourselves from it. In the West, 1 in 4 will die of cancer, but 3 in 4 will not. Anticancer is a tool to help us better understand how cancer works, what fuels it, and how to fight it both naturally and with the help of modern medicine.
Some insights:
Cancer lies dormant in all of us. Every single person has cancer cells. Cancer is nothing more than defective cells that are not working like a healthy cell should. And when these defective cells mass together, they create tumors. Cancer and their tumors are like any other living thing. They need to survive. In order to do this, they take nutrients and food from our bodies, while also releasing toxic chemicals. When cancer goes unchecked or grows faster than our bodies can handle, this can lead to illnesses (symptoms), organ failure, and even death.
Cancer cells exist outside the body’s law. Because of their abnormal genes, they escape the rules of normal, healthy tissues:
Cancer cells don’t die like they should. Normal healthy cells die after a certain number of divisions. This helps with crowd control and allows balance in the body. Too many cells can be a bad thing. But cancer cells become immortal in a sense. They ignore signals that tell them to stop multiplying.
Cancer poisons tissue in the area. They release toxic chemicals which create inflammation in the body that stimulates cancer growth.
Cancer feeds from nearby blood vessels. They force blood vessels to furnish oxygen and nutrients they need to survive and grow.
Cancer grows into tumors and spreads through the body.
Cancer has a terrain. Imagine cancer as a seed in soil. In order to grow it needs the right food, water, sunshine, and a nutrient-rich soil.
Inflammation in the body is the perfect terrain for cancer cells. In fact, inflammation plays a major role in every health issue across the board. Everything from headaches to autoimmune diseases to anxiety and depression. Cancer needs inflammation to sustain growth. Cancer cells produce the same inflammatory substances to reproduce cells and grow tumors. And through inflammation, cancer spreads to other areas.
The key to fighting cancer: our own immune system.
Our bodies are equipped with multiple defensive cells to fight disease and cancer. Natural Killer Cells and macrophages are white blood cells that can attack cancer cells. The less active the NK and other white blood cells are, the more rapid the cancer’s progress and the more it spreads throughout the body (metastases or secondary growths). And the lower the chances of survival. Lively immune cells are essential to countering the growth of tumors and spreading.
When the immune system is weakened, micro tumors are more likely to break free and begin to proliferate. Cancer arises only when cancer cells find fertile terrain in which to grow. Cancer cells flourish when an individuals immune defenses are weakened. The lack of healthy defenses allows dormant cells to become aggressive tumors.
If we want to support our immune system to fight cancer, and we know inflammation provides the terrain for cancer to thrive, then it’s crucial to lower inflammation in the body.
What stimulates inflammation or feeds cancer:
Traditional western diet
Refined sugars, white flour, red meat industrially raised, oils rich in omega-6 (corn, sunflower, safflower, soy), dairy products and eggs industrially raised.
High consumption of meat (3x a day), especially red meat
Processed meats, cheese, pastries, foods,
Preservatives
Foods with high glycemic index
Persistent anger or despair
Less than 20 min of physical activity a day
Alcohol
Cigarette smoke, pollution, pollutants
Hormones added to animals used for meat
Environmental toxins in food, water, air, products
Carcinogenics: plastics, BPA, phosphates, pesticides, herbicides, teflon,
What lowers inflammation:
Mediterranean diet, Indian cuisine, Asian cuisine
Multigrain flour, 3x a week Organic meat from animals grass fed, olive, flaxseed, canola oils, fatty fish rich in omega-3s, organic dairy and egg products from grass fed animals.
Less meat consumption, more fruits and vegetables
Foods with low glycemic index
Laughter, lightheartedness, serenity
50 min walk 3x a week or 30 min 6x a week
Clean environment: food, water, air, products
Positivity; the mind-body connection, is essential to fighting off disease and cancer.
Breathing exercises, meditation
Connection with family, friends, community, nature
Being hopeful
*If you or someone is diagnosed with cancer, these lifestyle changes are best alongside modern medicine. This is not a replacement or substitute of what modern medicine is capable of doing. But these changes can help protect us and possibly help in addition to our cancer treatment.
About the Author
David Servan-Schreiber was a French physician, neuroscientist and author. He was a clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He was also a lecturer in the Faculty of Medicine of Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1.