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7/28/2019 April Counselor

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A P R I L 2 0 1 3

Cancer PreventionAbout a quarter of Canadians

die every year because of cancer, and this number is

increasing. Despite this trend,

there are steps you can take to

reduce your risk; stop smoking,

eat healthy, lose weight if you are overweight, reducesun exposure, be physicallyactive, follow screeningrecommendations, and avoid

cancer-linked substances. Bytaking action now, you can

help prevent cancer.

Your Health and Cancer

Family

Counselor

This document is intended to be a reliable source of information. However, it is not a substitute for professional advice. We recommend that you consult a physician or a pharmacist to understand how this information applies to any specific case.

www.family-healthcare.com



Trea ting Cancer

Cancer treatment is aimed at either removalof the cancer lesion or stopping its activity.Unfortunately, any cancer treatment can alsoaffect healthy tissue and sometimes 100%removal or growth stoppage is not possible.Surgery, radiation and drug therapy are themost commonly-used approaches.

Surgery is possible when a cancer lesion isrestricted to one location. CT scans and MRIvisualizations pinpoint the lesion’s location tomake surgery more precise. Sometimes surgerycan be disfiguring, disabling, or impossible.For example, think of someone who has lungcancer affecting all lung tissue – you cannotfunction without lungs.

Radiation can either be delivered by a radiationsource placed right next to the lesion, or bya precise beam of radiation focused on thelesion. Radiation is associated with toxicities;thus, normal tissue, such as the surroundingskin, can be damaged with radiation.Fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea arecommon side effects. Radiation can be usedin combination with surgery to shrink thetumor for easier removal. About half of peoplewho have a cancer diagnosis receive radiationtherapy.

It is in the area of drug therapy that cancer research is making much progress. An idealdrug for cancer is deadly to cancer cells, butharmless to healthy cells. Drugs fit into four general categories:

s#YTOTOXICDRUGSWHICHAREDIRECTLYTOXICTOcancer cells.

s(ORMONESAND!NTIHORMONESWHICHIMPACThormones that cancer cells depend upon.

s"IOLOGICALAGENTSWHICHIMPACTTHEGROWTHof cancer at a cellular level.

Drugs are often used in combination to achieve

the best results with the fewest side effects.Cancer treatment depends upon severalfactors:

s4HETYPEOFCANCERnDIFFERENTCANCERSrespond to different types of treatments or drugs.

s4HESTAGEOFCANCERnADVANCEDCANCERISless likely to respond to treatments; earlydetection means earlier and more effectivetreatment.

s 9OUROVERALLHEALTHnIFYOUHAVEBETTERhealth, you usually have a better prognosis.

Cancer Demographics

Each day, about 500 Canadians are diagnosed with cancer andabout 200 succumb to it. Cancers vary in their mortality rates.Skin cancers, or non-melanoma cancers, have a relatively low

mortality rate compared to colorectal cancers, which are estimateat approximately 12%. Lung cancer is attributed with 25% of allcancer-related deaths.

Some people have a generally increased risk in general for obtaining cancer:

s/LDERINDIVIDUALSnTHELONGERYOULIVETHEGREATERYOURCHANCEcancer.

s&AMILYHISTORYOFCANCERnSOMETYPESOFCANCERHAVEAGENETIC family tendency; for example, breast cancer and colorectal canc

s-ENAGEDANDOLDERnBEFORETHISAGERISKISABOUTTHESAMEboth men and women except in the case of sex-specific cancersuch as prostate, ovarian and breast cancer.

There is some good news: in recent decades, the outcomes for prostate, colorectal and breast cancer have improved. This maybe due to improved screening, earlier detection or more effectivetreatment. Also, with more people quitting smoking, lung cancerrates have decreased.

April is Cancer Month

Cancer is char acter ized b y an ov er gr ow th of bod y cells in an unor ganized manner and can occur an y w her e in y our bod y . It isone condition, but rather a gr oup of diseases in w hich cells spreaand gr ow abnor mall y . T hese cancer cells do not r espond to the nor mal pr ocesses that y our bod y has to r egulate cell gr ow th and the y are not able to car r y out an y nor mal bod y f unctions. T hese cells ma y r emain immatur e and unable to f unction. Cancer cells impair the pr oper f unctioning of the bod y ; it is this impair ment that causes death. T he cells ma y be able to inv ade ad jacent health y tissue and ma y be able to br eak aw a y f r om the main site, spr eading thr ough y our bod y . Grow ths, such as moles,that r emai

n in one localized site ar e called “benign”. Cancer that is malignant gr ow s r apidly and inter f er es w ith y our bod y ’s nor mal f unctions. For example, color ectal cancer af f ects bow el f unctions.T umor is the ter m used to r ef er to the gr ow th itself .W hen cancer metastasises, it mov es to another ar ea of the bod y . Foexample, br east cancer can spr ead to bones and cause secondar y tumors that ar e like those in the or iginal tumor . T he ly mph s y stem can be inv olv ed in the spr ead of cancer thr oughout the bod y . Somcancer cells can actually f or m new blood v essels w hich combined w ith r apid cell gr ow th, can account f or the abilit y of cancer cells tothr iv e and spr ead.

The Nature of Cancer





S teps to Pre ven t Cancer

Cancer scr eening prov ides a means f or earl y detection and ear l y detection can mean impr ov ed outcomes. W ith ear ly detection, some cancer s are mor e tr eatable than other s:

s"R EASTCANCER ISSCR EENEDTHR OUGHBR EASTSELFEXAMINATIONANDMAMMOGR AMSs#ER V ICALCANCER ISSCR EENEDW ITHAhPAPvTESTW HICHR EV EALSABNOR MALCELLSthat ma y be an earl y w arning of cancer.s0R OSTATECANCER ISSCR EENEDTHR OUGHADIGITALRECTALEXAMINATION$2%OR APR OSTATESPECIF ICANTIGEN 03 !4 HESEW ILLSCR EENF OR ANENLARGEDPR OSTATEw hich could indicate abnor mal grow th.s#OLOR ECTALCANCER ISSCR EENEDTHR OUGHOCCULTBLOODTESTS4 HESEDETECTMINUTEAMOUNTSOFBLOODTHATMA Y BETHEFIR STSIGNOF COLOR ECTALCANCER n EV ENbef or e y ou ma y hav e an y s y mptoms./R DINAR Y EXAMINATIONOF Y OURSKINW ILLFLAGAN Y UNUSUALGROW THS$ONTFOR GETTOUSEAMIRR OR TOLOOKAT Y OURBACKn LOOKF OR ANAS Y MMETR ICALAPPEAR ANCEir r egular bor ders, v ar iable colour , and diamete

r of 6 millimeters or mor e.Ideall y , y ou should know w hat scr eening tests ar e r ecommended f or y ou based upon both y our age and f amil y histor y . If y ou f eel w ell and hav e no s y mptoms, Y OUMA Y AV OIDSCR EENINGTESTSBECAUSEOF THEIR INV ASIV ENATURE"UTW OULDNT y ou r ather take a f ew moments now and be screened than r eceiv e a cancer diagnosis later , per haps ev en w hen it is too late?

Cancer Screening Lif es t yle Fac tors tha t

can Impac t Cancer

Increasing your knowledge about cancer and knowing what your risk factors are

can help prevent the disease:s$ONTIGNORECANCERANDDONTACCEPTITASINEVITABLE4HEREAREMANY

preventative actions you can take; you need to be proactive about diseaseprevention.

s+NOWWHATYOURRISKFACTORSAREBYEXAMININGFAMILYHISTORYENVIRONMENTALexposure, age, and health history as these al l impact your risk for cancer. If youknow what your risk is, you may be able to reduce it.

s&OLLOWALLLIFESTYLERECOMMENDATIONSSUCHASSMOKINGCESSATIONHEALTHYEATINGmaintaining of ideal weight, reduced sun exposure, and moderate alcoholconsumption.

s !VOIDRISKYBEHAVIORSTHATCOULDCONTRIBUTETOCANCERFOREXAMPLEDRUGABUSEcan impact your health which increases your risk for cancer.

s'ETREGULARHEALTHCHECKSANDDONTIGNORESYMPTOMSTHATCOULDBEEARLYwarning signs.

s&OLLOWALLSCREENINGRECOMMENDATIONSFORYOURAGEHEALTHANDSEXFORexample, mammograms, occult blood tests and prostate exams.

A link between cancer and infections is currently being studied by researchers. Itis thought that infections, mainly viruses, are able to alter body cells predisposing YOUTOCANCER/NEEXAMPLEISTHEHUMANPAPILLOMAVIRUSOR(06WHICHISlinked to cervical cancer. A recent vaccine has been developed which providesGIRLSANDWOMENWITHPROTECTIONAGAINST(06THUSPROTECTIONAGAINSTCERVICALCANCER/THEREXAMPLESOFINFECTIONSINCLUDETHE%PSTEIN"ARRVIRUS(PYLORIAND()6INFECTIONSnANYOFWHICHMAYINCREASEYOURCANCERRISK0REVENTIONOFTHESEinfections and appropriate treatment can help reduce your risk for cancer.

Lifestyle plays a role in cancer susceptibilitySmoking, alcohol consumption, diet, obesit

and sun exposure all have been linked tocancer. Smoking cessation, moderate alcohconsumption, a high fibre/low fat diets, weloss, and sun protection will help reduce yorisk.

The role of diet in cancer prevention isinteresting. Studies suggest that a diet highfruit and vegetables and low in fat can lowe

your risk for cancer, but a direct correlationbetween the two has not been clearlydetermined. Still, check your lifestyle and sewhere you can make improvements to redu

your cancer risk:s1UITSMOKINGnEVENSECONDHANDSMOKE

linked to cancer.

s$RINKONLYINMODERATIONnUPTOONEalcoholic beverage daily for women and uto two for men.

s0AYATTENTIONTOYOURDIETnAHIGHFIBRELfat diet is ideal with an emphasis on fruitsANDVEGETABLES#ANADAS&OOD'UIDEISAgood place to start.

s 7ATCHYOURCONSUMPTIONOFFATSSALTANDSUGARnPEOPLEWITHDIETSHIGHINTHESE

substances seem to have an increased riskfor cancer.

s-AINTAINAHEALTHYWEIGHTnINCREASEDphysical activity and a healthy diet will he

you maintain the right weight for you.

s0ROTECTYOURSELFFROMSUNEXPOSUREnYOUdo this through using sun screens, stayingindoors, hats, and avoiding tanning beds

Improving your lifestyle will not only help yprevent cancer, but will also have other heabenefits such as heart health, lower cholestand better diabetes control.



Q. Is it true that vitamin D will prevent cancer?

A. Low vitamin D levels seem to occur withsome cancers; however, researchers haven’t

yet identified a link. Vitamin D is needed for

bone health and is manufactured in your skin.About 30 minutes of sun exposure each day isrecommended but unfortunately at northernlatitudes, like in Canada, sunlight is not asstrong as at more southerly locations. Dietarysources include fortified foods and cold waterfish. Dietary supplements are available, but firstcheck to see how much vitamin D you do havein your diet.

Q. Will antioxidants help treat my cancer?

A. Antioxidant agents include vitamins A, C,and E as well as minerals such as zinc and

selenium. Oxidation is the addition of oxygen;for example, rust or oxidation of metal.Antioxidants prevent the oxidation of cells in

your body, meaning healthier cells that areless susceptible to cancer. Researchers havenot been able to show a direct effect thatantioxidants have on cancer, but they do makefor a healthy diet and overall good health isvery important in treating cancer.

Q. For my sun vacation, which sun screen should I use?

A. The majority of skin cancer is the result of sun

exposure so wearing sun screen on your holidayis important. Choose a product that has a sunprotection factor or SPF of 15 or greater andapply it about 15 to 20 minutes before goingoutdoors. This gives your skin time to absorbit. Reapply it after swimming or sweating, andabout every 2 hours. Don’t forget to cover upas well – wear a hat, long sleeves, long pants,and stay in the shade.

A sk Y our Hel pf ul

F HC P Pharmaci st

Carcinogens are substances that predispose you to cancer. These substancalong with your genetic background and factors like infections, increase ysusceptibility to cell changes that lead to cancer. However, it may be diffito identify specific carcinogens especially if exposure occurs decades befocancer diagnosis.

Environmental carcinogens are external substances that, with exposure,increase your risk for cancer. Some estimates place about 6% of cancers abeing related to environmental factors. A wide variety of substance canincrease your risk such as tobacco, second hand smoke, air pollution,industrial solvents, inhaled fibers and dust, and radiation.

The molecular level of cancer initiates the rapid or cancerous growth of cethus, cancer research is focused on the molecular level. In normal cells, Dgenetic material is considered the “on” switch for cells to multiply.Researchers are looking for things that turn “on” and “off” this process.Damage to the genetic material itself may account for some of the effectsinfections and exposure to radiation. Your risk for cancer will be similar toother members in your family because you and your family have similar

genetic material.

M A Y 2 0 1 3

T LC f or Y our Bl ood P r e ssur e

Ov er half of Canadians ar e consider ed to be ov er w eight. Maintaining a healthw eight is hear t health y and is also good f or cholester ol lev els, diabetes contr oand osteoar thr itis s y mptoms. Ev en slight w eight loss w ill hav e health benef itsBeing mor e activ e and eating a low f at, high f ibr e diet is an ideal w a y to star t A change in habits ma y be needed, but if y ou v iew it as a long ter m goal andstar t slow y ou can succeed!

In Next Month’s Featur e Find Out Mor e About:

s-EASURINGW EIGHT

s#AR DIOV ASCULAR HEALTHANDW EIGHT

s#HOLESTER OLLEV ELS

s7 EIGHTCONTR OLINDIABETES

s3TR ATEGIESFOR LOSINGW EIGHT

s$IF F ER ENTDIETS

Ask about our Preferred® private label produc

Take The Check-Up Challenge Track your fibre intake. The recommendations for men 19-50 years of ageare about 38 grams daily; women 19-50 about 25 grams; men 50 and olderabout 30 grams; and women 50 and older about 21 grams.

A Healthy Position

Chemistry of Carcinogens

Next Month’s Feature!

Provided by Marie Berry, Your

Family Health Care Pharmacist

This information is intended to help educate readers about health and drug topics. It is not intended to replace advice from a health professional. It should NOT be used for

personal health advice. No changes permitted. Permission to photocopy this document in its entirety is required. © McKesson Canada 2013

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