Article Navigation

Back To Main Page


 

More Articles

Dietary Carcinogens that Increase the Risk of Cancer


by: Alex Fir

One way our diet may increase the risk of cancer is by dietary carcinogens. There are four groups of carcinogens:

• Naturally present carcinogens
• Carcinogens forming during food preparation
• Preservatives and coloring agents added to food
• Some substances are changed in to carcinogens in the body

Naturally present carcinogens:

An example of this is 'Aflatoxin', a mycotoxin produced by fungi. Grains and nuts can be contaminated by fungus, which then produce chemicals called aflatoxins. They are known to cause liver cancer in Africa and the Far East, especially in people who are carriers of hepatitis antigens.

Carcinogens forming during food preparation:

Polycyclic hydrocarbons, such as benzopyrenes, are formed during barbecuing meat on an open fire (e.g. preparing jerked chicken). These polycyclic hydrocarbons are also one of the main constituents in cigarette smoke that cause lung cancer.

The traditionally high intake of fried and broiled food, such as meats, can increase the risk of breast, distal colon, prostate and pancreas cancers. Several studies showed that populations that eat fried or broiled meats have a relative risk greater than 2 (deviation from median) for colon and breast cancer.

More than 20 such chemicals have been identified. They are present in fairly small amounts, but their action is promoted, an effect associated with n-6 polyunsaturated oils such as corn or safflower oil at 30-40% of energy in animal and human studies. A lower fat intake, 15-22% of energy, dramatically decreases those effects.

Preservatives and coloring agents added to food: (Need some more tests to establish this relationship).

Food colorings are added to increase the appeal of the food but not all are good for us. An example is "butter yellow". Artificial sweeteners (like saccharine & cyclamates) and preservatives which produce nitrosamines are known to cause bladder and stomach cancers
respectively.

Some substances are converted in to carcinogens:

Nitrosamines are formed from sodium nitrite. Sodium nitrite is present in drinking water and vegetables.




Latest Cancer News:



Cancer drug dramatically shrinks prostate tumors, study finds (Los Angeles Times)


The survival rate more than doubles among most of the men with aggressive cancers. A second, wider test shows similar results. 'Spectacularly effective,' a researcher says. An experimental cancer drug shrank prostate tumors dramatically and more than doubled survival in 70% to 80% of patients with aggressive cancers, British researchers reported Tuesday. Symphony director's kidney cancer removed (CNN.com)


BOSTON, Massachusetts (AP) -- A growth on a kidney removed from conductor James Levine was malignant, but doctors say the cancer was caught early and no further treatment is needed, the Boston Symphony Orchestra said in a statement Tuesday. More Cancer Lymph Nodes Analyzed at Specialty Centers (HealthDay via Yahoo! News)


TUESDAY, July 22 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with stomach or pancreatic cancer may have more lymph nodes examined for the spread of cancer if they're treated at designated comprehensive cancer centers or at hospitals that do a high number of cancer surgeries, says a U.S. study. Advance vs. prostate cancer (Denver Post)


An experimental cancer drug shrank prostate tumors dramatically and more than doubled survival in 70 percent to 80 percent of patients with aggressive cancers, British researchers reported Tuesday. Drug combats untreatable prostate cancer (UPI)


LONDON, July 22 (UPI) -- The Phase 1 clinical trial of the drug abiraterone revealed significant tumor shrinkage in men with advanced prostate cancer, researchers in Britain said. Cancer society bus coming to Naperville, Schaumburg (Daily Herald)


The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network is on tour, encouraging people to get involved in the political end of the fight against a disease that ranks among the top killers in the country. Prostate cancer drug hailed as breakthrough (The New Zealand Herald)


A new prostate cancer drug showing stunning results in Britain could successfully treat hundreds of New Zealand men. Breast cancer survivor to speak at conference (The Press-Enterprise)


RIVERSIDE - Nikia Hammonds-Blakely, who survived breast cancer at age 16, will speak about her struggle at the fourth annual Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference on Saturday at Cal Baptist University. Rise in breast cancer among Native women may be leveling (Anchorage Daily News)


A mysterious 30-year-long increase in breast cancer rates among Alaska Native women may finally be leveling off -- after tripling between 1969 and 1998. A relaxing way to help fight breast cancer (Daily Herald)


When Amy Tabisz was 18 years old her mother died of breast cancer. Celebs That Cancer Can't Hold Back - ABC News


News Image
E! Online

News Image
Celebs That Cancer Can't Hold Back
ABC News - 1 hour ago
... looking in great spirits at LAX airport -- an appearance that has many hopeful that the actor may beat the odds in his battle against pancreatic cancer.
Swayze Hopeful Over Cancer Fight Sky News
Patrick Swayze Shooting The Beast In Chicago, Beating Cancer E Canada Now
Patrick Swayze says he is a 'miracle' following treatment for ... Telegraph.co.uk
Stuff.co.nz - AHN
all 107 news articles
New prostate cancer drug offers hope - TVNZ


News Image
BBC News

News Image
New prostate cancer drug offers hope
TVNZ, New Zealand - 10 hours ago
A new drug is being hailed as a potential breakthrough in the fight against prostate cancer, which kills 600 New Zealand men a year. ...
Drug breakthrough starves prostate cancers New Scientist (subscription)
Lord Maginnis cautious over new prostate cancer drug Belfast Telegraph
Cancer drug dramatically shrinks prostate tumors, study finds Los Angeles Times
ABC Online - Nature.com (subscription)
all 456 news articles
Good and Evil: A Cancer Vaccine from Tobacco Plants - Scientific American


News Image
BBC News

News Image
Good and Evil: A Cancer Vaccine from Tobacco Plants
Scientific American - Jul 22, 2008
By Nikhil Swaminathan CANCER VACCINE?: Researchers used tobacco plants as manufacturing facilities to make protein to combat cancer. ...
Tapping Tobacco to Cure Cancer Newsweek
Tobacco To Cure Cancer? WPEC
Tobacco - cancers cause or cure? In-PharmaTechnologist.com
AFP - American Chronicle
all 159 news articles
The Nation's Top Doctors Issue Unprecedented National Call to ... - MarketWatch



News Image
The Nation's Top Doctors Issue Unprecedented National Call to ...
MarketWatch - 2 hours ago
Cancer is a public health crisis that carries an unsustainable societal and economic burden, costing our economy over $400 billion a year. ...
Lance Armstrong Teams Up With Former Health Officials on Cancer Bloomberg
all 7 news articles
Cancer Docs Warn Staff Of Cell Phone Risks - CBS News


News Image
TopNews

News Image
Cancer Docs Warn Staff Of Cell Phone Risks
CBS News, NY - 5 hours ago
(AP) The director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute and UPMC Cancer Centers plans to warn about 3000 faculty and staff about the possible ...
No Need For Gene Screens In Breast Cancer Families Science Daily (press release)
Family Poor Predictor of Breast Cancer WebMD
Early Breast Cancer Screening Called Superfluous Despite Family ... MedPage Today
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review - Pittsburgh Post Gazette
all 31 news articles
New drug prolongs survival of advanced kidney cancer - Reuters India



News Image
New drug prolongs survival of advanced kidney cancer
Reuters India, India - 2 hours ago
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Treatment with everolimus can significantly improve the progression-free survival of patients with advanced kidney cancer that ...
Dating violence can affect teenagers too San Diego Union Tribune
all 5 news articles
Stem Cell Transplantation Research at The Cancer Center at ... - MarketWatch



News Image
Stem Cell Transplantation Research at The Cancer Center at ...
MarketWatch - 8 hours ago
Researchers and clinicians at the Adult Blood and Marrow Stem Cell Transplantation Program at The Cancer Center at Hackensack University Medical Center are ...
Stem cell therapy plan for placentas Sydney Morning Herald
all 125 news articles
Progen goes back down ladder as cancer study halts - The Age



News Image
Progen goes back down ladder as cancer study halts
The Age, Australia - 6 hours ago
So it was for Brisbane biotech Progen, which yesterday announced it was discontinuing a phase III study of its PI-88 drug for treating liver cancer. ...
Progen terminates Phase III liver cancer trial Trading Markets (press release)
Progen Pharma Shares Plunge After Ending Drug Trial (Update2) Bloomberg
Progen Terminates PATHWAY Trial & Confirms Focus on Potential High ... FOXBusiness
Australian Life Scientist - Bloomberg
all 21 news articles
Apple Rises After NY Times Says Jobs Is Cancer-Free (Update1) - Bloomberg


News Image
Boston Globe

News Image
Apple Rises After NY Times Says Jobs Is Cancer-Free (Update1)
Bloomberg - 1 hour ago
Jobs told members of Apple's board that he is dealing with nutritional problems after his cancer surgery, which can lead to weight loss in some cases, ...
Steve Jobs is 'cancer-free' Register
Apple: NYT Says Jobs Tells People He Is Cancer Free, But That He ... Barron's Blogs
Apple shares rise after NY Times reports CEO Steve Jobs is ?cancer ... MacDailyNews
ADOTAS - CNNMoney.com
all 225 news articles
"Triple-Negative" Patients Are Biggest Unmet Need in Metastatic ... - MarketWatch



News Image
"Triple-Negative" Patients Are Biggest Unmet Need in Metastatic ...
MarketWatch - 5 hours ago
According to the Treatment Evolution chapter of MattsonJack DaVinci's CancerMPact(R), approximately 18.5% of breast cancer patients are triple-negative; ...

 



Home | Resource Links | Contact Us
Copyright © 2006 CancerAdvice.org