Pancreatic Cancer After Chronic Pancreatitis

Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the United States.

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg returned to the Supreme Court bench three weeks after surgery for pancreatic cancer. Ginsburg, who is 75, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the beginning of this February and surgeons removed a small tumor that had not spread. Experts say she has a good chance of recovery.

Most Americans wish Justice Ruth Ginsburg good health, but what came to peoples mind, especially people with chronic pancreatitis, when they read this news? "Thanks God, it is not me", "What can I do to avoid that?"

People who have chronic pancreatitis are at a higher risk of developing pancreatic cancer. On the contrary, improving the health of pancreas may help to prevent of developing pancreatic cancer.

The chain reaction: healthy pancreas, acute pancreatitis, chronic pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer, can be really slow down by changing life style and using alternative medicine.

The pancreas is a gland located behind the stomach. It is surrounded by the liver, stomach, gallbladder, and duodenum (small intestine). The pancreas has two most important functions. One is to produce pancreatic juice needed to neutralize stomach acids and break down food. The second is to produce hormones, such as insulin, which controls the level of glucose in the blood.

Pancreatic cancer occurs when abnormal, cancerous cells grow in the tissues of the pancreas mainly in the ducts that carry pancreatic juices. About 80% of pancreatic cancers occur in the "head" of the pancreas. This is the area where the common bile duct merges the pancreatic duct that carries the pancreatic juice with digestive enzymes from pancreas to the duodenum. Blend secretion of bile and pancreatic juice goes trough the opening with a muscles valve.

Spasm or blockage of this valve may cause back up of the pancreatic juice and increasing of pressure inside the pancreatic duct. Trapped inside the pancreas digestive enzymes start to digest their own pancreatic cells causing congestion, inflammation, pain, cysts and finally death of pancreatic tissue or pancreatic cancer.

The whole idea to help people with chronic pancreatitis is "open the gates", get rid of the blockages in proper moving of the bile and pancreatic juice, remove back up of the pancreatic juice. What may help this way to lower risk of pancreatic cancer?

* Acupuncture can open passages and valves, normalize the function of liver, gallbladder and pancreas. Acupuncture improves microcirculation and immunity, decreases pain and congestion.

* Proper organic healing diet decreases inner toxicity and irritation of the pancreas.

* Herbs have a long history of using in people with pancreatic problems.

* Nutritional supplements can decrease oxidative stress, inflammation, pain.

* Drinking healing mineral water preparing from the Karlovy Vary Thermal Spring Salt can decrease acidity, decrease congestion and pancreatic juice's back up.

* Regular exercises, chiropractic manipulations and point massage.

* Avoid smoking, stop drinking alcohol by using Hypnosis, Acupuncture, etc.

* Body Cleansing.

* Restoration of friendly intestinal flora by using Colon Hydrotherapy and Probiotics.

Pancreatic cancer is easy to prevent than treat, especially in predisposal people. Of course, early detection of cancer is as important as ever.

Peter Melamed Lic.Ac,RN, Ph.D

Lignans: A Component of Optimal Breast Health and Cancer Prevention

(NaturalNews) Among the many stressors in the lives of women today is the question of breast health. We want to be proactive in the care of our bodies. Yet we feel torn between the traditional medical approach which offers us Tamoxifen, and the natural or holistic approach. Recent research points to lignans as a significant natural supporter of breast wellness. Let's examine these alternatives.

Tamoxifen is a drug that has long been used to treat patients suffering from breast cancer. In 1998, the FDA approved Tamoxifen for use in breast cancer prevention. Tamoxifen acts as an "anti-estrogen" in the body. Just as estrogen is currently believed to promote the growth of breast cancer cells, Tamoxifen is believed to slow or stop the growth of any breast cancer cells already present in the body.

Known side effects of Tamoxifen include endometrial cancer (cancer of the lining of the uterus), pulmonary embolism (blood clots in the lungs), and deep vein thrombosis (blood clots in major veins).

Is there something better?

As is almost always the case, we are finding that mother nature can do it better. Researchers are now identifying the benefits of lignans.

Human lignans are created when natural plant compounds locked into the cellular matrix of certain seeds, beans, legumes, fruits, and vegetables are acted upon by bacteria in the digestive tract. These compounds resemble the shape and structure of estrogen and have some of estrogen's functionality. Studies have shown that women with the highest levels of lignans in their breasts have the greatest levels of breast health.

Due to their structural resemblance to estrogen, lignans are able to compete with estrogen for estrogen receptor sites on breast cells. It is believed that through these estrogen receptor sites, estrogen may cause cancerous mutations in DNA. When lignans block the receptor sites they displace estrogen, and reduce the possibilities for mutations. Flaxseeds are the richest dietary source of lignan precursors.

In order for lignans to effectively compete with estrogen for the estrogen receptor sites, there must be a large number of lignans in the body. This can be accomplished by consistently eating a diet high in lignan precursors including flax seeds, supplementing with high lignan flax oil, or taking one of a number of high lignan products formulated as capsules, the best known of which is Brevail made by the Barleans Company (I have absolutely no affiliation with the Barleans company but would like to praise them for including vitamin D in their product before current research revealed its importance in cancer prevention).

Lignans pass through the body in a 24 to 48 hour period, so care must be taken to ingest lignan precursors almost daily. Supplementing with flax oil or a lignan capsule formulation insures that you will get a quantifiable amount every day.

Since lignans are created by the action of intestinal bacteria upon the lignan precursors found in these certain vegetables and fruits, supplementing for lignan production following the use of antibiotics is particularly important. The use of antibiotics results in a reduced count of these intestinal bacteria.

Hormonal Harmony

According to research reports, women ingesting significant levels of lignan precursors to promote optimal breast health have reported other added benefits such as improved mood, and reduced levels of hot flashes, irritability, cramping, bloating, breast tenderness, headache and insomnia.

In a study sponsored by one of the makers of lignan capsules, the thirty women studied were able to raise their blood and urine levels of lignans to a point comparable to women with an extraordinary history of breast health and hormonal health.

by: Barbara Minton, Natural Health Editor